A. 
When the Council deems it advisable, it may establish a Central Purchasing Department headed by a Purchasing Agent; he shall be appointed by the Council upon recommendation of the Council President. His compensation shall be determined by the Council. The position may be held by the City Manager or other city officials; provided, however, that it may not be held by any official holding office as City Treasurer or Deputy Treasurer or one performing duties in the office of the City Treasurer.
B. 
Under the supervision of the Council, the Purchasing Agent shall make all city purchases and sales and shall make or approve all city contracts, except contracts to sell city bonds or other evidences of the city's public debt, and except that the Council by ordinance may permit direct purchasing by any office, department or agency of minor items where immediate procurement is necessary to prevent delays in its work and resulting loss to the city. The Council shall, in such ordinances, fix the maximum amount of any such direct purchase. The Purchasing Agent shall issue regulations controlling the procedure for such direct purchasing.
C. 
Except for such contracts to sell public debt securities and such authorized direct purchases, no city purchase or contract for any purchase or sale or other contract shall be valid or enforceable unless approved in writing by the Purchasing Agent, and the City Treasurer shall pay out no city funds for any contract or purchase unless so approved.
Under the supervision of the Council, the Purchasing Agent shall:
A. 
Receiving requisitions. Receive written requisitions or statements from the head of each city office, department or agency, specifying the public work done or to be done by it, or identifying the materials, equipment, supplies or services required by it, and authorizing its appropriations to be charged therefor.
B. 
Bidding. Invite bids whenever competitive bidding is required by § FC12-3 of this Article and conduct the competitive bidding procedure established by the Council under § FC12-4 of this Article.
C. 
Accounting control. Enforce accounting control of each city purchase or contract as required by § FC12-6 of this Article and refuse to approve any purchase or contract involving any over-expenditure prohibited thereby.
D. 
Reports. Submit monthly to the Council a written report in summary form of all purchases, contracts and sales and specify therein any and every violation or attempted violation of the provisions of this Article.
E. 
Establishment and enforcement of specifications. After consulting the head of each city office, agency or department affected thereby, establish and enforce specifications, with respect to supplies, materials, equipment and services required by it. In the event of any dispute between the Purchasing Agent and the head of any office, agency or department, with respect to specifications, the matter shall be referred to the Council President who shall make the final decision.
F. 
Storage, etc., of city property. Establish procedures to ensure that all supplies, materials, equipment and services delivered to or performed for the city meet such specifications and arrange for the proper storage, care and custody of city property directly or through the head of the Department of Parks and Public Property.
G. 
Transfer of surplus property. Authorize the transfer of surplus or unused city property to or between city offices, departments or agencies.
H. 
Disposition of surplus property. From time to time recommend to the Council the sale or other disposition of surplus, obsolete or unused city property and obtain expert appraisals thereof or estimate its value using his best information and judgment.
I. 
Other functions. Perform such other functions related to purchasing or the city's fiscal and financial affairs as the Council may require.
A. 
To secure economy in the construction of public works and the purchase of materials and supplies needed by the city, to prevent collusion, fraud, favoritism and extravagance in public contracts, and to ensure that all interested persons will be given fair and equal opportunity to participate, the general policy of the city shall be to afford ample opportunity for competitive bidding before making any city purchase or public works contracts or any contract to sell any city property, except in the following cases where competitive bidding procedures are not necessary or appropriate:
(1) 
Emergency. The occurrence of an actual emergency, which is hereby defined to mean a situation which has suddenly and unexpectedly arisen and which requires immediate action in the public interest.
(2) 
Purchases less than three hundred dollars ($300.). Any single purchase or sale not exceeding three hundred dollars ($300.) in amount.
(3) 
Services requiring special training, etc. Contracts for professional services or for personal services requiring special training and skill.
(4) 
Insurance; public utility services. Contracts for insurance or for public utility services.
(5) 
Required fees, etc. Recording charges, court costs and other regular fees and charges required by general law to be paid to particular persons or public officials; charges for the printing of public notices and advertisements required by law; postage, payroll taxes and other applicable governmental charges or levies; and travel and other like expenses, membership dues and subscriptions to publications.
(6) 
Real property. Contracts for the purchase, exchange, renting, leasing or acquisition of real property by the city and contracts for the sale, exchange, renting, leasing or other disposition of surplus real property owned by the city; provided, however, that contracts for the sale, leasing for a term beyond three (3) years or other disposition of surplus real property owned by the city shall be expected and exempt from competitive bidding procedures only if, after being duly advertised for bids, such bidding fails to produce a proposal acceptable to the Council in its sole discretion and if made within a period of six (6) months following the bidding date. In every public offering of surplus city real property for sale, leasing for a term beyond three (3) years or other disposition, the Council shall reserve the right to reject any and all bids and may, in its discretion, establish a price or rental terms below which no bid will be considered or accepted.
(7) 
One (1) source of supply. Contracts for purchase of materials or equipment for which there is only one (1) known supplier, provided that before any such purchase, the Purchasing Agent shall delineate his efforts to locate a second source of supply.
(8) 
Construction, etc., of public works. Construction, maintenance or repair of public works by the city's own employees or by prison labor when available in any amount or by hired labor where such labor cost shall not exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.).
(9) 
Unit price. Where an agreed unit price has been negotiated for services or materials on an as-required basis, such as house connections for water or sewer.
B. 
Contracts shall be let to the lowest and best bid in the case of purchases, or the highest and best bid in the case of sales, except that the city in every instance shall reserve the right to reject any or all bids, waive any irregularities and make the award in the best interests of the city.
The Council shall provide by ordinance the rules and regulations for competitive bidding and by ordinance may authorize informal bidding procedures in the case of any single contract, purchase or sale not exceeding three hundred dollars ($300.) in amount.
Whenever competitive bidding is not required for any purchase, contract or sale to which this Article applies, same shall be controlled, processed and handled by the Purchasing Agent under rules and regulations issued by him and after consultation with the head of each office, agency or department affected thereby regarding detailed terms, conditions and provisions applicable thereto. Such purchases, contracts and sales shall be submitted to the Council for its prior approval, except in the cases enumerated in § FC12-3A(1), (2), (4) and (9).
All purchases and contracts made for the city shall be made pursuant to a written requisition from the head of the office, department or agency whose appropriation will be charged. No purchase or contract shall be made for the city unless there is to the credit of such office, department or agency a sufficient unencumbered appropriation balance to cover the cost of such purchase or contract; and, after such office, department or agency has spent or encumbered three-fourths (3/4) of its appropriation for the budget year, no further purchase or contract shall be made for it unless the City Treasurer certifies the existence of such sufficient balance. Nothing in this section, however, shall apply to purchases or contracts which are to be financed by the issuance or sale of bonds or to payments which are deferred until a future budget year or years.
Surplus, obsolete or unused city property shall be sold or otherwise disposed of only upon recommendation of the Purchasing Agent and after approval of the Council in each instance. If salable, such property shall be sold for the city's account by the Purchasing Agent, subject to the applicable provisions of this Article as to competitive bidding, but, if not salable, may be abandoned, destroyed or otherwise disposed of as determined by the Council. This section shall not apply where contrary or different provisions are included in the laws, rules or regulations governing any program or project financed by federal or state funds.