(A) All matters concerning notices, requests for proposals and invitations to bid shall be as follows:
(1) Invitation to bid. All notices of invitation for bids shall be published in accordance with I.C. 5-3-1. The purchasing agent shall schedule the publication of notice to provide a reasonable amount of time for preparation and submission of bids. The notice shall be published two times, at least one week apart. The second publication must occur at least ten days prior to the date bids will be opened.
(2) Request for proposal. All notices of requests for proposals shall be published in accordance with I.C. 5-3-1. The purchasing agent shall schedule the publication of notice to provide a reasonable amount of time for preparation and submission of proposals. The notice shall be published two times, at least one week apart. The second publication must occur at least seven days prior to the date proposals will be opened.
(3) Requests for specifications. All notices of requests for proposals shall be published in accordance with I.C. 5-3-1. The purchasing agent shall schedule the publication of notice to provide a reasonable amount of time for preparation and submission of proposals. The notice shall be published two times, at least one week apart. The second publication must occur at least seven days prior to the date proposals will be opened.
(4) Electronic notices. Whenever a notice or other material, including specifications, an invitation for bids, requests for proposals or requests for specifications, is sent by mail, the purchasing agent may also send the notice or other material by electronic means, provided that the transmission of the information is at least as efficient as mailing the information.
(B) All matters concerning receiving offers shall be as follows:
(1) Opening of offers. Bids received in response to an invitation for bids must be a opened publicly in the presence of at least one or more witnesses at the time and place designated in the invitation for bids. Proposals received in response to a request for proposals must be opened so as to avoid disclosure of the contents to competing offerors during the process of negotiation. Proposals received in response to a request for specifications may be opened as specified in the request for specifications.
(2) Electronic receipt of offers. The purchasing agent may receive electronic offers in response to an invitation to bid, request for proposals or request for specifications. An electronic offer may only be received if:
(a) The solicitation includes the procedure for the electronic transmission of the offer; and
(b) The purchasing agency receives the offer on a fax machine or other system with a security feature that protects the contents of an electronic offer with the same degree of protection as provided to an offer not transmitted electronically.
(3) Correction and withdrawal of bids. An offeror may correct inadvertent errors in a bid up to the time at which bids will be opened by supplementing the erroneous bid and submitting a revised bid. A bidder may not supplement and inadvertently erroneous bid after the time at which the bids were opened. A bidder may withdraw a bid containing inadvertent errors up to the time at which bids will be opened and for a period of not more than 24 hours after the time at which bids were opened.
(4) Cancellation of solicitation. When the purchasing agent makes a written determination that it is in the town’s best interests, the purchasing agent may cancel a solicitation or reject all offers, provided that the solicitation included information concerning the procedure for cancellation.
(C) The purchasing agent may purchase supplies with an estimated cost of less than $25,000 on the open market without inviting or receiving quotes.
(Ord. 8, 1998, passed 7-13-1998)