(A) (1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B) below, before the city makes any purchase of, or contract for, supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services, it shall submit to at least three persons, firms or corporations dealing in and able to supply the same, or to a smaller number if there are not three dealing in and able to supply the same, a request for quotation or invitation to bid and specifications, to give them opportunity to bid. As an alternative, may publish notice of the proposed purchase in a newspaper of general circulation within the city or county.
(2) The City Council shall favor a person, firm or corporation in the city when this can be done without additional cost to the city, but he, she or it shall submit requests for quotation to those outside the city when necessary to secure bids or to create competitive conditions, or when they think that he, she or they can make a saving for the city. All bids shall be sealed and opened in public at a designated time and place. The City Council may repeatedly reject all bids and may again submit to the same or other persons, firms or corporations, the request for quotations or invitation to bid, or again publish notice of the proposed purchase.
(3) The City Council shall purchase from the bidder whose bid is most advantageous to the city, considering price, quality, date of delivery and the like; in the event of a tie, the City Council may cast lots to determine from whom to make a purchase, or may divide the purchase among those tying, always accepting the bid or bids most advantageous to the city.
(B) The City Council may purchase, or authorize the purchase of, the following without giving an opportunity for competitive bidding:
(1) Supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services, the cost of which does not exceed in a single transaction, the minimum amount defined in the most current version of the "Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974" as set forth in 61 O.S. §§ 101 et seq.
(2) Supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services which can be furnished only by a single dealer, or which has a uniform price wherever bought;
(3) Supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services purchased from another unit or government at a price deemed below the obtainable price from private dealers (including war surplus);
(4) Contractual services (gas, electricity, telephone service, collection of garbage) purchased from a public utility corporation, private corporation, individual, entity, commission or any other governmental agency; or
(5) Contractual services of a professional nature such as engineering, legal, architectural and medical services, subject to other policies adopted by the City Council governing the procurement.
(C) Purchases that exceed the limit set out in (B)(1) above may occur without requiring competitive bidding where an emergency is declared by the City Council.
(2002 Code, § 34.02) (Ord. 250, passed 11-2-1987; Ord. 435, passed 9-13-1999; Ord. 605, passed 8-27-2007; Ord. 932, passed 2-27-2023)