Each public agency that elects to become subject to the uniform construction accounting procedures set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 22010) shall enact an informal bidding ordinance to govern the selection of contractors to perform public projects pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 22032. The ordinance shall include all of the following:

(a) Notice to contractors shall be provided in accordance with either paragraph (1) or (2), or both.

(1) The public agency shall maintain a list of qualified contractors, identified according to categories of work. Minimum criteria for development and maintenance of the contractors list shall be determined by the commission. All contractors on the list for the category of work being bid shall be mailed, faxed, or emailed a notice inviting informal bids unless the product or service is proprietary. All mailing of notices to contractors pursuant to this subdivision shall be completed not less than 10 calendar days before bids are due.

(2) The public agency may elect to mail, fax, or email a notice inviting informal bids to all construction trade journals specified in Section 22036.

(b) The notice inviting informal bids shall describe the project in general terms and how to obtain more detailed information about the project, and state the time and place for the submission of bids.

(c) The governing body of the public agency may delegate the authority to award informal contracts to the public works director, general manager, purchasing agent, or other appropriate person.

(d) If all bids received are in excess of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000), the governing body of the public agency may, by adoption of a resolution by a four-fifths vote, award the contract, at two hundred twelve thousand five hundred dollars ($212,500) or less, to the lowest responsible bidder, if it determines the cost estimate of the public agency was reasonable.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 169, Sec. 3. (AB 2249) Effective January 1, 2019.)