[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Franklin 8-5-1997 by Ord. No. 97-1461 as Sec 1.12 of the 1997 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
On or before the second Tuesday of April, the City Clerk shall advertise in the Official City Newspaper for separate proposals to publish in English the proceedings of the City Council and the city's legal notices for the ensuing year, inviting bids from all daily and weekly newspapers published in the City which are eligible under § 985.03, Wis. Stats., and stating the security required with each bid, which amount shall be fixed by the City Council and require delivery of written, sealed bids in the office of the Clerk by noon on the first Tuesday of May. At noon on the first Tuesday of May, the Clerk shall in the presence of the Mayor or an Alderperson open the bids and enter them in a record kept for that purpose.
No bid from other than a newspaper legally invited to bid or for more than the legal rate for like work shall be of any effect. The paper making the lowest effective bid for the city's legal notices shall be awarded the contract therefor. If two or more effective bids are for the same price and no lower effective bid is filed, the Clerk shall transmit such tie bids to the Council at its next meeting, and the Council shall designate the successful bid. If no effective bid is received, the Council may direct the Clerk to readvertise as before.
Each successful bidder shall execute a contract in accordance with the bid and file such bond for its performance as the Council requires. No such paper shall receive more or less than the contract price nor any other compensation for the work.
If for any reason the city is at any time without an Official City Newspaper, matters required to be published shall be published in a newspaper eligible under § 985.03, Wis. Stats, designated by the Council, at not more than the legal rate for like work.
At the first City Council meeting in May, or as soon thereafter as may be, the Council shall designate the successful bidder as the City's Official Newspaper and shall fix the price in the amount of the successful bid, but in no event greater than the legal rate for like work.
It is intended that this chapter be interpreted to authorize the city to choose an Official Newspaper in accordance with the procedures in § 985.06(1), Wis. Stats., as amended from time to time, as though the city were a city of the third class. This chapter is not intended to authorize publication not allowed by § 985.06(1), Wis. Stats. This chapter shall be interpreted under the legal opinions applicable to § 985.06(1), Wis. Stats., as amended from time to time.