Chino Hills Municipal Code Ch. 3.20 Public Construction Contract Bidding Procedures

A. Bidding for Public Projects.

1. Formal Bidding. Public projects of more than two hundred twenty thousand dollars ($220,000.00) shall be let to contract by formal bidding procedures in accordance with applicable procedures set forth in Public Contract Code, including Section 22037 et seq.

2. Informal Bidding and Exception. Public projects of two hundred twenty thousand dollars ($220,000.00) or less may be let to contract by informal bidding procedures as set forth in Sections 3.20.020 through 3.20.060 of this chapter, except that public projects of seventy five thousand dollars ($75,000.00) or less may be performed by City employees by force account or contracted by negotiated contract or by purchase order and without following the requirements of Sections 3.20.020 through 3.20.060 of this chapter.

B. Specialized Contracting Procedures. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the City from using specialized contracting procedures when authorized by state law. If state law authorizes such procedures, this chapter need not also specifically authorize them. Such specialized procedures may include, without limitation, prequalification of contractors or subcontractors and design-build contracting procedures. For example, the City may elect to use the Design-Build procurement process authorized by Public Contract Code Section 22160 et seq. as an alternative contracting method for public construction projects. The City Manager is authorized to determine whether or not the needs of any particular project warrant the use of legally available specialized contracting procedures, or to delegate that determination to the Public Works Director.

(Ord. 91-05 § 3.13.010)

(Ord. No. 264, § 2, 6-11-2013; Ord. No. 271, § 5, 5-27-2014; Ord. No. 335, § 2, 1-8-2019; Ord. No. 392, § 4, 1-10-2023; Ord. No. 413, § 3, 11-26-2024, eff. 1-1-2025)

The City Manager, or the City Manager's designee, shall maintain a list of qualified contractors identified according to categories of work. Such list shall comply with the minimum criteria for development and maintenance of such list, as determined from time to time by the California Uniform Construction Cost Accounting Commission ("Commission").

(Ord. 91-05 § 3.13.020)

All contractors on the qualified list for the category of work being bid and/or all construction trade journals specified by the Commission pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 22036 shall be mailed, faxed, or electronically mailed a notice inviting informal bids unless the product or service is proprietary. All such mailings or electronic transmission of notices to contractors and/or construction trade journals pursuant to this section shall be completed not less than ten (10) calendar days before bids are due.

(Ord. 130 § 2 (part), 2000; Ord. 91-05 § 3.13.030)

(Ord. No. 392, § 5, 1-10-2023)

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

(Ord. 91-05 § 3.13.040)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the City Council delegates the authority to award informally bid contracts pursuant to this chapter to the City Manager or designee, in an amount not to exceed two hundred twenty thousand dollars ($220,000.00) and delegates to the Public Works Director, the authority to award contracts for public projects pursuant to this chapter in an amount not to exceed twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000.00).

(Ord. 91-05 § 3.13.050)

(Ord. No. 264, § 3, 6-11-2013; Ord. No. 271, § 6, 5-27-2014; Ord. No. 335, § 3, 1-8-2019; Ord. No. 413, § 4, 11-26-2024, eff. 1-1-2025)

If all informal bids received are in excess of two hundred twenty thousand dollars ($220,000.00), the City Council may, by adoption of a resolution by a four-fifths vote, award the contract, at two hundred thirty-five thousand dollars ($235,000.00) or less, to the lowest responsible bidder, if it determines the City's cost estimate was reasonable.

(Ord. No. 413, § 5, 11-26-2024, eff. 1-1-2025)