The City Manager may, within the amounts and items appropriated by the Council, make purchases and enter into contracts in behalf of the Municipality involving expenditures for the whole of any authorized project, asset or service not in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) without competitive bidding, except as may otherwise be provided by ordinance of the Council. No purchase or contract involving an expenditure of more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) shall be made except with the lowest and best bidder as determined by Council after advertising for bids, in writing, by both of the following methods: (a) publication for a period of at least once a week for two (2) weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the Municipality, if such a newspaper is available, and (b) publication on the Municipal website for at least three (3) consecutive weeks; provided, however, that the Council may authorize contracts without advertising for bids for professional services, for the acquisition of real estate, for the joint use of facilities or exercise of powers with other political subdivisions, or for the product or services of public utilities (including those Municipally operated), and the Council may authorize a purchase or a contract involving an expenditure of more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) without advertising for bids if it determines and declares by an affirmative vote of not less than five (5) members that an emergency exists affecting life, health, property or public peace and sets forth the nature of the emergency in its resolution or ordinance. The Council may also authorize a purchase or a contract involving an expenditure of more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) without advertising for bids if the purchase or contract is made through another political subdivision’s contract for purchases or a joint or cooperative purchasing program, as such methods of purchasing and contracting are authorized by state law. (Amended 11-7-00; 11-2-10; 11-3-15; 11-3-20)