Wrongful conduct investigation; debarment determination.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 15-104
in effectSec. 15-104. - Wrongful conduct investigation; debarment determination.
(a) Any department director or elected city official may refer a contractor to the chief procurement officer for purposes of determining whether debarment is appropriate. The referral shall be signed and in writing and shall set forth the basis of the complaint asserted.
(b) Following receipt of the referral, the chief procurement officer, in his sole but reasonable discretion, shall assign an impartial individual, who may be a city employee, to investigate whether there is reasonable cause to believe wrongful conduct has occurred. In consultation with the city attorney, the CPO shall promulgate regulations governing the debarment process, including but not limited to the assignment of an impartial individual to conduct investigations on the CPO's behalf.
(c) Upon receipt of the investigator's findings, the CPO shall:
(1) Affirm or deny the finding;
(2) Return the matter for further investigation; or
(3) Refer the matter to the commission for a hearing in accordance with the standard of review and timeframes provided in section 15-105 of this Code.
(d) Upon the CPO's affirmation of a finding of wrongful conduct, the CPO shall provide to the contractor a written notice of debarment and offer the opportunity for a hearing, pursuant to the debarment regulations established under this section, and section 15-105 of this Code. A contractor's failure to make a timely request for a hearing renders the CPO's decision final.
(Ord. No. 2015-668, § 5(Exh. C), 7-8-2015)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH15CO_ARTVIICODE_S15-104WRCOINDEDEFetched: 10/26/2026