a. For all contracts that in the aggregate are less than the bid threshold but 15 percent or more of that amount, and for those contracts that are for subject matter enumerated in subsection (1) of section 5 of P.L.1971, c.198 (C. 40A:11-5), except for paragraph (a) of that subsection concerning professional services and paragraph (b) of that subsection concerning work by employees of the contracting unit, the contracting agent shall award the contract after soliciting at least two competitive quotations, if practicable. The award shall be made to a vendor whose response is most advantageous, price and other factors considered. The contracting agent shall retain the record of the quotation solicitation and shall include a copy of the record with the voucher used to pay the vendor.

b. When in excess of the bid threshold, and after documented effort by the contracting agent to secure competitive quotations, a contract for extraordinary unspecifiable services may be awarded upon a determination in writing by the contracting agent that the solicitation of competitive quotations is impracticable. Any such contract shall be awarded by resolution of the governing body.

c. If authorized by the governing body by resolution or ordinance, all contracts that are in the aggregate less than 15 percent of the bid threshold may be awarded by the contracting agent without soliciting competitive quotations.

d. Whenever two or more responses to a request of a contracting agent offer equal prices and are the lowest responsible bids or proposals, the contracting unit may award the contract to the vendor whose response, in the discretion of the contracting unit, is the most advantageous, price and other factors considered. In such a case, the award resolution or purchase order documentation shall explain why the vendor selected is the most advantageous.

L.1975,c.353,s.6; amended 1977, c.53, s.4; 1983, c.418; 1999, c.440, s.11.