(a) All contracts for any improvement or unit of work, if the cost according to the estimate of the engineer, exceeds five thousand dollars ($5,000), shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder or bidders.

(b) The board shall first determine whether the contract shall be let as a single unit for the whole of the work, or shall be divided into severable parts, or both, according to the best interests of the agency.

(c) The board shall call for bids and advertise the call by three insertions in a daily newspaper of general circulation or by two insertions in a weekly newspaper of general circulation printed and published in the territory of the agency inviting sealed proposals for the construction or performance of the improvement or work before any contract is entered into. The call for bids shall state whether the work is to be performed as a unit or shall be divided into severable specific parts, or both, as stated in the call. The board may let the work by single contract or it may divide the work into severable parts by separate contracts, as stated in the call, according to the best interests of the agency.

(d) The board shall require the successful bidder or bidders 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 Title 3 (commencing with Section 9000) of Part 6 of Division 4 of the Civil Code and are subject to the provisions of that title.

(e) The board may reject any bid. The board of supervisors may, without advertising for bids, have the work done by force account if any of the following requirements are met:

(1) All the projects are rejected.

(2) No proposals are received in response to the advertisement.

(3) The estimated cost of the work does not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000).

(4) The work consists of channel protection, maintenance work, or emergency work. In case of an emergency, if notice for bids to let contracts will not be given, the board shall comply with Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 22050).

(f) The agency may purchase in the open market, without advertising for bids, materials and supplies for use in any work either under contract or by force account.

(g) The Monterey County Board of Supervisors may grant to the board of directors, appointed pursuant to Section 49 of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Act (Chapter 1159 of the Statutes of 1990), any of the powers or duties granted to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors by this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 697, Sec. 62. (SB 189) Effective January 1, 2011. Operative July 1, 2012, by Sec. 105 of Ch. 697.)