The board of trustees of a regional water and sewer district or any officer or employee designated by the board may make any contract for the purchase of supplies or material or for labor for any work, under the supervision of the board, the cost of which shall not exceed the amount specified in section 9.17 of the Revised Code. When an expenditure, other than for the acquisition of real estate and interests in real estate, the discharge of noncontractual claims, personal services, the joint use of facilities or the exercise of powers with other political subdivisions, or the product or services of public utilities, exceeds the amount specified in section 9.17 of the Revised Code, the expenditures shall be made only after a notice calling for bids has been published once per week for two consecutive weeks in one newspaper of general circulation within the district or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code. If the bids are for a contract for the construction, demolition, alteration, repair, or reconstruction of an improvement, the board may let the contract to the lowest and best bidder who meets the requirements of section 153.54 of the Revised Code. If the bids are for a contract for any other work relating to the improvements for which a regional water and sewer district was established, the board of trustees of the regional water and sewer district may let the contract to the lowest or best bidder who gives a good and approved bond with ample security conditioned on the carrying out of the contract. The contract shall be in writing and shall be accompanied by or shall refer to plans and specifications for the work to be done, approved by the board. The plans and specifications shall at all times be made and considered part of the contract. The contract shall be approved by the board and signed by its president or other duly authorized officer and by the contractor. In case of a real and present emergency, the board of trustees of the district, by two-thirds vote of all members, may authorize the president or other duly authorized officer to enter into a contract for work to be done or for the purchase of supplies or materials without formal bidding or advertising. All contracts shall have attached the certificate required by section 5705.41 of the Revised Code duly executed by the secretary of the board of trustees of the district. The district may make improvements by force account or direct labor, provided that, if the estimated cost of supplies or material for any such improvement exceeds the amount specified in section 9.17 of the Revised Code, bids shall be received as provided in this section. For the purposes of the competitive bidding requirements of this section, the board shall not sever a contract for supplies or materials and labor into separate contracts for labor, supplies, or materials if the contracts are in fact a part of a single contract required to be bid competitively under this section.

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