40A:11-6 Emergency contracts.

6. Emergency contracts. Any contract may be negotiated or awarded for a contracting unit without public advertising for bids and bidding therefor, notwithstanding that the contract price will exceed the bid threshold, when an emergency affecting the public health, safety or welfare requires the immediate delivery of goods or the performance of services; provided that the awarding of such contracts is made in the following manner:

a. The official in charge of the agency wherein the emergency occurred, or such other officer or employee as may be authorized to act in place of that official, shall notify the purchasing agent, a supervisor of the purchasing agent, or a designated representative of the governing body, as may be appropriate to the form of government, of the need for the performance of a contract, the nature of the emergency, the time of its occurrence and the need for invoking this section. If that person is satisfied that an emergency exists, that person shall be authorized to award a contract or contracts for such purposes as may be necessary to respond to the emergent needs. Such notification shall be reduced to writing and filed with the purchasing agent as soon as practicable.

b. Upon the furnishing of such goods or services, in accordance with the terms of the contract, the contractor furnishing such goods or services shall be entitled to be paid therefor and the contracting unit shall be obligated for said payment. The governing body of the contracting unit shall take such action as shall be required to provide for the payment of the contract price.

c. The Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs shall prescribe rules and procedures to implement the requirements of this section.

d. The governing body of the contracting unit may prescribe additional rules and procedures to implement the requirements of this section.

L.1971,c.198,s.6; amended 1975, c.353, s.5; 1977, c.53, s.3; 1979, c.350, s.3; 1985, c.60, s.3; 1985, c.469, s.8; 1999, c.440, s.10.