2. a. The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, in the exercise of its authority to make and enter into contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers, shall adopt standing operating rules and procedures requiring that, except as hereinafter provided, no contract on behalf of the commission shall be entered into for the doing of any work, or for the hiring of equipment or vehicles, where the sum to be expended exceeds $10,000 unless the commission shall first publicly advertise for bids therefor, and requiring that the commission award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder; provided, however, that such advertising shall not be required where the contract to be entered into is one for the furnishing or performing services of a professional nature or for the supplying of any product or the rendering of any service by a public utility subject to the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Utility Commissioners of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the Board of Public Utilities of this State and tariffs and schedules of the charges, made, charged, or exacted by the public utility for any such products to be supplied or services to be rendered are filed with the appropriate boards.

This subsection shall not prevent the commission from having any work done by its own employees, nor shall it apply to repairs, or to the furnishing of materials, supplies or labor, or the hiring of equipment or vehicles, when the safety or protection of its or other public property or the public convenience require, or the exigency of the commission’s service will not admit of such advertisement. In such case the commission shall, by resolution, passed by the affirmative vote of a majority of its members, declare the exigency or emergency to exist, and set forth in the resolution the nature thereof and the approximate amount to be so expended.

b. The commission may annually adjust the threshold amount in direct proportion to the rise or fall of the consumer price index for all urban consumers in the New York City and Philadelphia areas as reported by the United States Department of Labor.

L.1994,c.177,s.2.