Contracts for supplies, equipment and non-professional services of estimated value greater than $50,000 shall be let by the formal procedures set forth herein.
(A) The Purchasing Officer shall mail notices inviting formal bids. The notices shall be mailed to all qualified vendors on the bid list or who have requested their names to be added thereto unless the products or service is proprietary.
(B) The notices shall be mailed no later than ten calendar days before the opening date of the bids. The notices shall describe the supplies and equipment in general terms, how to obtain more detailed information and state the time and place for submission of bids.
(C) The notice inviting bids shall be published at least ten calendar days before the date of opening of the bids. Notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation, printed and published in the city or, if there is none, it may be posted in at least three public places in the city that have been designated by ordinance as the places for placing public notices or it may be published in a newspaper circulated in the city.
(D) The City Clerk shall also post a notice of pending purchases on a public bulletin board at City Hall.
(E) Sealed bids shall be submitted to the City Clerk and shall be identified as bids on the envelope. Bids shall be opened in public by the City Clerk or designee at the time and place stated in the public notices. A tabulation of all bids shall be open for public inspection during regular business hours for a period of not less than 30 calendar days after the bid opening.
(F) Contracts shall be awarded by the City Council to the lowest responsible bidder except as otherwise provided herein. The decision of the City Council shall be final.
(G) In its discretion, the City Council may reject any bids presented, abandon the purchase or advertise again. After rejecting the bids submitted, the City Council may either advertise again or adopt a resolution by a four-fifths majority declaring that the supplies or equipment can be furnished at a lower price in the open market, and may award the contract in the open market without further compliance with this section.
(H) If two or more bids received are the same and are the lowest, the City Council may accept the one it chooses.
(I) If no bids are received, the purchase may be let in the open market or by the informal procedures set forth in § 3.12.050.
(J) The City Council shall have the right to waive any defect or informality in the bidding or in the procedures set forth in this section. A waiver of any defect or informality shall not void any contract subsequently entered into.
(Ord. 2008-02, passed 10-1-2008)