(A) The Administrative Director shall be the contracting officer of the municipality; provided that the Council by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of its members may authorize any department head to act as the contracting officer for matters within the jurisdiction of that department. The authorization to a department head to act as contracting officer for his department may be revoked by Council by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of its members. The Council, or any member thereof, may at any time inspect any contract, purchase order or statement of an amount due from the municipality; and the appropriate contracting officer shall cooperate fully with the Council, or member thereof, to facilitate such inspection.
(B) When any expenditure or contract 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 (2) weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. If satisfactory bids are received, the appropriate contracting officer shall award a written contract to the lowest and best bidder.
(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 appropriate contracting officer. 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 appropriate contracting officer on behalf of the municipality. (Amended 11-7-89)
(D) Except as otherwise authorized by the Revised Code of Ohio, no contract, agreement or other contractual obligation involving the expenditure of money shall be entered into or authorized by the appropriate contracting officer unless the Finance Director, Mayor or their duly authorized representative shall first certify:
(1) That the money required for such contract, agreement, obligation or expenditure is in the municipality’s treasury or in the process of collection, and
(2) That the money has been appropriated by Council for the specified purpose, and it remains unencumbered.
Said certification as to the availability of funds and the appropriation of funds shall be filed and recorded in the accounting records of the municipality and a copy furnished to the vendor or contractor. Without the certification, contractual obligations shall be void and unenforceable against the municipality unless recognized by Council as a moral obligation.
(Amended 11-4-03)
(E) The appropriate contracting officer shall not divide any order or contract to avoid the requirements of competitive bidding.
(Amended 11-7-89)