26.3 - COMPETITIVE BIDS FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTS. - Iowa Statutes

26.3 COMPETITIVE BIDS FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTS. 1. If the estimated total cost of a public improvement exceeds the competitive bid threshold of one hundred thousand dollars, or the adjusted competitive bid threshold established in section 314.1B, the governmental entity shall advertise for sealed bids for the proposed public improvement by publishing a notice to bidders. The notice to bidders shall be published at least once, not less than four and not more than forty-five days before the date for filing bids, in a newspaper published at least once weekly and having general circulation in the geographic area served by the governmental entity. Additionally, the governmental entity may publish a notice in a relevant contractor organization publication and a relevant contractor plan room service with statewide circulation, provided that a notice is posted on a website sponsored by either a governmental entity or a statewide association that represents the governmental entity. 2. A governmental entity shall have an engineer licensed under chapter 542B, a landscape architect licensed under chapter 544B, or an architect registered under chapter 544A prepare plans and specifications, and calculate the estimated total cost of a proposed public improvement. A governmental entity shall ensure that sufficient paper copies of the plans, specifications, and estimated total costs of the proposed public improvement are available for prospective bidders. 3. Sections 26.4 through 26.13 apply to all competitive bidding pursuant to this section.          Section History: Recent Form 2006 Acts, ch 1017, §3, 42, 43; 2007 Acts, ch 144, §3; 2009 Acts, ch 179, §107 Referred to in § 8A.311, 26.4, 26.5, 26.12, 26.14, 26.14A, 28J.9, 35A.10, 73A.2, 73A.18, 105.11, 161C.2, 218.58, 273.14, 297.8, 314.1, 314.1B, 330A.12, 331.341, 357.14, 904.314, 904.315