Bids required.

(1) No contract shall be let by the board for any goods, supplies, or materials to be purchased when the amount thereof to be paid by the district shall exceed the amount provided in s. 287.017 for category four, unless notice of bids or other competitive solicitation, including requests for proposals or qualifications, is advertised once in a newspaper in general circulation in the county and in the district. Any board seeking to construct or improve a public building, structure, or other public works shall comply with the bidding procedures of s. 255.20 and other applicable general law. In each case, the bid of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder shall be accepted unless all bids are rejected because the bids are too high, or the board determines it is in the best interests of the district to reject all bids. In each case in which requests for proposals, qualifications, or other competitive solicitations are used, the district shall determine which response is most advantageous for the district and award the contract to that proposer. The board may require the bidders or proposers to furnish bond with a responsible surety to be approved by the board. If the district does not receive a response to its competitive solicitation, the district may proceed to purchase such goods, supplies, materials, or construction services in the manner it deems in the best interests of the district. Nothing in this section shall prevent the board from undertaking and performing the construction, operation, and maintenance of any project or facility authorized by this act by the employment of labor, material, and machinery.

(2) The provisions of the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act, s. 287.055, apply to contracts for engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, or registered surveying and mapping services let by the board.

(3) Contracts for maintenance services for any district facility or project shall be subject to competitive solicitation requirements when the amount thereof to be paid by the district exceeds the amount provided in s. 287.017 for category four. The district shall adopt rules, policies, or procedures establishing competitive solicitation procedures for maintenance services. Contracts for other services shall not be subject to competitive solicitation unless the district adopts a rule, policy, or procedure applying competitive solicitation procedures to said contracts.