(a) All contracts for any improvement or unit of work except as provided in this article estimated to cost in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder in the manner provided in this article. The board of supervisors of the district shall advertise by three insertions in a daily newspaper of general circulation or two insertions in a weekly newspaper of general circulation printed and published in the district inviting sealed proposals for the construction of, the improvement or work before any contract shall be made for the improvement or work, and may let by contract separately any part of the work or improvement. The board shall require the successful bidder to file with the board good and sufficient bonds to be approved by the board conditioned upon the faithful performance of the contract and upon the payment of their claims for labor and material in connection with the contract. The bonds shall contain the terms and conditions set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 9550) of Title 3 of Part 6 of Division 4 of the Civil Code and be subject to the provisions of that chapter. The board shall also have the right to reject any and all bids. If all proposals are rejected or no proposals are received pursuant to the advertisement, the estimated cost of the work does not exceed the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or the work consists of channel protection, maintenance work, or emergency work when necessary in order to protect life and property from impending flood damage, the board of supervisors may, without advertising for bids, have the work done by force account or negotiated contract.

(b) The district shall have the power to purchase in the open market without advertising for bids, materials, supplies, equipment, and other personal property for use in any work either under contract or by force account if the costs do not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000). It shall be the duty of the purchasing agent of Ventura County, as the ex officio purchasing agent of the Ventura County Watershed Protection District, unless otherwise ordered by the board of supervisors, to purchase for the district all materials, supplies, equipment, and other personal property necessary to carry out the purposes of this article, and to engage independent contractors to perform sundry services for the district, if the aggregate cost of such work, exclusive of materials to be furnished by the district, does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

(c) The purchasing agent shall make all purchases and contracts upon proper requisition, signed by the engineer-manager of the district, or his or her authorized representative.

(d) If the work consists of the maintenance or alteration of existing facilities, including electrical, painting, and roofing if the cost of labor and materials for the work according to the engineer’s estimate will exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), and if the work is not of the type of work referred to in this section, the maintenance and alteration work shall be performed under a contract or contracts that shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder or bidders in the manner described in this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 697, Sec. 57. (SB 189) Effective January 1, 2011. Operative July 1, 2012, by Sec. 105 of Ch. 697.)