§ 120 — Board of contract and supply

§ 120. Board of contract and supply. There shall be a board of\ncontract and supply, composed of the mayor, comptroller, commissioner of\npublic works, corporation counsel and city engineer. Except as otherwise\nprovided by law, it shall be the duty of such board, after public notice\nand in accordance with regulations to be prescribed by general ordinance\nof the common council, to let to the lowest bidder, who will give\nadequate security therefor, all contracts for the performance of any\nwork or for the supply of any material required by or for the use of any\nofficer, board, body or department of the city, in all cases where the\nexpense of such work or materials, or both, shall exceed the sum of five\nhundred dollars, unless by ordinance of the common council adopted by a\nvote of not less than four-fifths of all the members thereof and\nunanimously approved by the board of estimate and apportionment, it is\ndetermined that a public emergency exists in which case said ordinance\nshall state the circumstances and conditions that created the public\nemergency, which shall be limited to those arising out of an accident or\nother unforeseen occurrence or condition affecting public buildings,\npublic property or the life, health, safety or property of the\ninhabitants of such city require immediate action which cannot await\npublic bidding, and shall designate the officer, board or department to\nprocure such work or purchase such materials. In case of public\nemergency involving accident or other injury by which the heating or\nplumbing of any of the public buildings or any of the fire or\nwater-works apparatus or any of the machinery used in sewage-treatment\nplants, or for garbage disposal, or any equipment used by the\nwater-works or department of public works shall become disabled, the\ncommissioner having jurisdiction thereof shall cause repairs thereto to\nbe made without a letting by contract, upon filing with the board of\ncontract and supply a certificate, approved by the mayor, showing such\nemergency and the necessity for such repairs. The board shall have power\nto reject all bids or proposals if in its opinion the lowest bid or\nproposal is excessive. The said notice shall describe the work and\nmaterials for which contracts will be let and the day and hour and place\nof the meeting of the board at which proposals therefor will be opened.\nSpecifications for the performance of any work and for the supply of any\nmaterials shall be prepared and set forth with sufficient details to\ninform all persons proposing to bid therefor of the nature of the work\nto be done and of the materials to be supplied, and written or printed\ncopies thereof shall be delivered to all applicants therefor. Every\ncontract for a public improvement shall be based upon an estimate of the\nwhole cost thereof, including all expenses incidental thereto and\nconnected therewith, to be furnished by the proper officer, board or\ndepartment having charge of such improvements. No bid or proposal shall\nbe received or contract awarded, other than for a local improvement or\nwork to be performed by the city, which involves the construction or\nmaintenance of any structure, erection, obstruction or excavation\nwithin, under, over, along or upon any street or public place within the\ncity, unless the person to whom such contract shall be awarded shall\nhave a franchise permitting the same.\n