(a) Sealed Bids. Sealed bids shall be submitted only to the office of the Purchasing Agent on the prescribed forms, or at another City office as designated in the solicitation for bids, on or before the date and time specified for the receipt of bids or proposals in the invitations to bid and bidding instructions. Bids shall be marked as to the time and date received at the office of the Purchasing Agent or other designated City office by someone in that office.
(b) Opening. Bids shall be publicly opened by the Purchasing Agent or the designee of the Purchasing Agent at the time, day and place specified in the invitation to bid and bidding instructions. All persons interested shall be allowed to be present and the total amount of each bid shall be read aloud by the Purchasing Agent or his assistants, as well as, in appropriate cases, the unit cost of each substantial item making up the total amount of each bid. All bids and specifications and invitations to bid shall be preserved and available for public inspection at the office of the Purchasing Agent for a period of not less than one year from the date the bids are submitted, with respect to any specific commodity or proposal.
(c) Tabulation. A tabulation of all bids shall be made by the Purchasing Agent and be available for public inspection. Tabulations shall be posted on the City's website.
(d) Analysis. The City Manager or designee of the City Manager shall examine all bids to select the lowest responsible bidder.
(e) Substantially Low Bid Review. In the event the amount of the lowest bidder's bid appears disproportionately low when compared with estimates undertaken by or on behalf of the City and/or compared to other bids submitted, the Purchasing Agent reserves the right to inquire further of the apparent lowest bidder to determine whether the bid contains mathematical errors, omissions, or erroneous assumptions and whether the apparent lowest bidder has the capacity to perform a complete contract for the bid amount.
(f) Rejection of Bids. The City Manager or the City Commission may accept or recommend the acceptance of other than the lowest bid when the public interest is so served and such action is determined to be in the best interest of the City.
(Ord. 03-07. Passed 4-17-07.)