§ 20-63. Bidding procedures.

(a)

Formal procedure. Formal advertisement by official publication shall precede the issuance of any bidders proposal or request for proposal estimated to amount to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) or more. Such advertisement shall specify the supplies or services to be purchased or refer to the standards and specifications established pursuant to this division and shall state the amount of the bond, if any, required. If formal advertisement is not practicable, bids or proposals shall be requested from at least three (3) responsible bidders or proposers dealing in the supplies, equipment or personal property required. All bids or proposals in response to advertisements or requests by the city shall be submitted, in sealed form, delivered to the office of the manager of general services or to any location as may be from time to time determined by the manager of general services as the "bid opening location" or the "proposal acceptance location" and shall be publicly opened at the time specified in the advertisement of notice or request of the city. The auditor or his or her representative may be present and inspect all bids. All bidders may be present and, after examination and tabulation, the results shall be subject to inspection by competing bidders. In the case of requests for proposals, proposers may be present for the receipt of proposals by the city, but may not inspect proposals until an award has been made.

(b)

Informal procedure: Any bidder's proposal or request for proposal for supplies or services which is estimated to amount to less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) may be by informal procedure upon notice calculated to inform potential bidders in a manner that will achieve maximum competition among bidders and maximum economy to the city. However, no bidder's proposal or request for proposal or purchase may be subdivided to avoid the requirements of subsection (a) or any other provision of this division. Informal procedures do not require advertising, receipt of bids or proposals in a sealed form or a public bid or proposal opening or acceptance.

(Code 1950, § 161.3-2; Ord. No. 612-83, § 1, 11-7-83; Ord. No. 371-96, § 1, 4-29-96; Ord. No. 512-01, § 1, 6-25-01; Ord. No. 1012-02, § 2, 12-9-02; Ord. No. 94-14, § 1, 2-24-14)