§ 11

Except as otherwise provided in this Section, all contracts for purchases or sales by the municipality, the expense of which will exceed the mandatory competitive bid threshold, shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder therefor upon not less than 14 days' public notice of the terms and conditions upon which the contract is to be let, having been given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation published in the district, and the board may reject any and all bids and readvertise. In determining the lowest responsible bidder, the board shall take into consideration the qualities and serviceability of the articles supplied, their conformity with specifications, their suitability to the requirements of the district, the availability of support services, the uniqueness of the service, materials, equipment, or supplies as it applies to network integrated computer systems, the compatibility of the service, materials, equipment or supplies with existing equipment, and the delivery terms. Contracts for services in excess of the mandatory competitive bid threshold may, subject to the provisions of this Section, be let by competitive bidding at the discretion of the district board of trustees. All contracts for purchases or sales that will not exceed the mandatory competitive bid threshold may be made in the open market without publication in a newspaper as above provided, but whenever practical shall be based on at least 3 competitive bids. For purposes of this Section, the "mandatory competitive bid threshold" is a dollar amount equal to 0.1% of the total general fixed assets of the district as reported in the most recent required audit report. In no event, however, shall the mandatory competitive bid threshold dollar amount be less than $10,000, nor more than $40,000. Cash, a cashier's check, a certified check, or a bid bond with adequate surety approved by the board of trustees as a deposit of good faith, in a reasonable amount, but not in excess of 10% of the contract amount, may be required of each bidder by the district on all bids involving amounts in excess of the mandatory competitive bid threshold and, if so required, the advertisement for bids shall so specify. Contracts which by their nature are not adapted to award by competitive bidding, including, without limitation, contracts for the services of individuals, groups or firms possessing a high degree of professional skill where the ability or fitness of the individual or organization plays an important part, contracts for financial management services undertaken pursuant to "An Act relating to certain investments of public funds by public agencies", approved July 23, 1943, as now or hereafter amended, contracts for the purchase or sale of utilities, contracts for commodities including supply contracts for natural gas and electricity, contracts for materials economically procurable only from a single source of supply, contracts for services, supplies, materials, parts, or equipment which are available only from a single source or contracts for maintenance, repairs, OEM supplies, or OEM parts from the manufacturer or from a source authorized by the manufacturer, contracts for the use, purchase, delivery, movement, or installation of data processing equipment, software, or services and telecommunications and interconnect equipment, software, or services, contracts for duplicating machines and supplies, contracts for goods or services procured from another governmental agency, purchases of equipment previously owned by an entity other than the district itself, purchases of used equipment, purchases at auction or similar transactions which by their very nature are not suitable to competitive bids, and leases of real property where the sanitary district is the lessee shall not be subject to the competitive bidding requirements of this Section. The District may use a design-build procurement method for any public project which shall not be subject to the competitive bidding requirements of this Section provided the Board of Trustees approves the contract for the public project by a vote of 4 of the 5 trustees. For the purposes of this Section, "design-build" means a delivery system that provides responsibility within a single contract for the furnishing of architecture, engineering, land surveying and related services as required, and the labor, materials, equipment, and other construction services for the project. In the case of an emergency affecting the public health or safety so declared by the Board of Trustees of the municipality at a meeting thereof duly convened, which declaration shall require the affirmative vote of four of the five Trustees, and shall set forth the nature of the danger to the public health or safety, contracts totaling not more than the emergency contract cap may be let to the extent necessary to resolve such emergency without public advertisement or competitive bidding. For purposes of this Section, the dollar amount of an emergency contract shall not be less than $40,000, nor more than $500,000. The Resolution or Ordinance in which such declaration is embodied shall fix the date upon which such emergency shall terminate which date may be extended or abridged by the Board of Trustees as in their judgment the circumstances require. A full written account of any such emergency, together with a requisition for the materials, supplies, labor or equipment required therefor shall be submitted immediately upon completion and shall be open to public inspection for a period of at least one year subsequent to the date of such emergency purchase. To address operating emergencies not affecting the public health or safety, the Board of Trustees shall authorize, in writing, officials or employees of the sanitary district to purchase in the open market and without advertisement any supplies, materials, equipment, or services for immediate delivery to meet the bona fide operating emergency, without filing a requisition or estimate therefor, in an amount not in excess of $100,000; provided that the Board of Trustees must be notified of the operating emergency. A full, written account of each operating emergency and a requisition for the materials, supplies, equipment, and services required to meet the operating emergency must be immediately submitted by the officials or employees authorized to make purchases to the Board of Trustees. The account must be available for public inspection for a period of at least one year after the date of the operating emergency purchase. The exercise of authority with respect to purchases for a bona fide operating emergency is not dependent on a declaration of an operating emergency by the Board of Trustees. The competitive bidding requirements of this Section do not apply to contracts, including contracts for both materials and services incidental thereto, for the repair or replacement of a sanitary district's treatment plant, sewers, equipment, or facilities damaged or destroyed as the result of a sudden or unexpected occurrence, including, but not limited to, a flood, fire, tornado, earthquake, storm, or other natural or man-made disaster, if the board of trustees determines in writing that the awarding of those contracts without competitive bidding is reasonably necessary for the sanitary district to maintain compliance with a permit issued under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) or any successor system or with any outstanding order relating to that compliance issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, or the Illinois Pollution Control Board. The authority to issue contracts without competitive bidding pursuant to this paragraph expires 6 months after the date of the writing determining that the awarding of contracts without competitive bidding is reasonably necessary. No Trustee shall be interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract, work or business of the municipality, or in the sale of any article, whenever the expense, price or consideration of the contract work, business or sale is paid either from the treasury or by any assessment levied by any Statute or Ordinance. No Trustee shall be interested, directly or indirectly, in the purchase of any property which (1) belongs to the municipality, or (2) is sold for taxes or assessments of the municipality, or (3) is sold by virtue of legal process in the suit of the municipality. A contract for any work or other public improvement, to be paid for in whole or in part by special assessment or special taxation, shall be entered into and the performance thereof controlled by the provisions of Division 2 of Article 9 of the "Illinois Municipal Code", approved May 29, 1961, as heretofore or hereafter amended, as near as may be. However, contracts may be let for making proper and suitable connections between the mains and outlets of the respective sanitary sewers in the district with any conduit, conduits, main pipe or pipes that may be constructed by such sanitary district.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 101-575, eff. 8-23-19.)