§9.02   PURCHASING AND CONTRACTING PROCEDURES.

   (A)   The City Manager shall be the contracting officer of the City, and shall award all contracts and orders and make all purchases on behalf of the City; provided that the Parks and Recreation Board shall first authorize expenditures of money, the awarding of contracts or orders, or the making of purchases relative to the City's parks or recreation programs. The authorization of that Board may be given to the City Manager generally or by specific expenditure, contract, order or purchase. Once the Board gives such authorization, the City Manager shall award the contract or order or make the purchase.

   (B)   When any expenditure or contract is of a nature or in an amount that is more than the amount specified by the laws of Ohio for which work may be accomplished only after advertisement and bidding, such contract or expenditure shall first be authorized and directed by ordinance or resolution passed by Council, and after advertisement once a week for at least two weeks in a newspaper of circulation in the City. If satisfactory bids are received, the City Manager may award a written contract to the lowest and best bidder; provided that the Parks and Recreation Board shall also have previously authorized the contract, if it is relative to the City's parks or recreation programs.

   (C)   When it becomes necessary to make alterations or modifications in connection with any work or improvements covered by contract, they shall be made only upon the order of the City Manager. No such order shall be effective until the price to be paid for the work or material, or both, under the altered or modified contract, shall have been agreed upon in writing and signed by the contractor and the City Manager on behalf of the City. Alterations or modifications in contracts relative to the parks and recreation programs of the City shall be authorized by the Parks and Recreation Board prior to approval by the City Manager.

   (D)   No contract, agreement or other contractual obligation involving the expenditure of money shall be entered into or authorized by the City Manager unless the Director of Finance or his duly authorized representative shall first certify:

(1)   That the money required for such contract, agreement, obligation or expenditure is in the City's treasury or in the process of collection, and

(2)   That the money has been appropriated by Council for the purpose, and it remains unencumbered.

Said certification as to the availability of funds shall be filed and recorded in the accounting records of the City and a copy furnished the vendor or contractor. Without the certification, contractual obligations shall be void and unenforceable against the City unless recognized by Council as a moral obligation.

   (E)   The City Manager (or Parks and Recreation Board in their authorization to the Manager) shall not divide any order or contract to avoid the requirements of competitive bidding.

   (F)   The City Manager may, by uniform rule, promulgate administrative regulations to amplify the procedures to be followed by the City in its purchasing and contracting, provided such rules shall not conflict with and shall be consistent with the provisions of this Charter and the City's ordinances and resolutions. (Amended 6-8-82)