(a) The commission by rule may allow bids on a contract estimated by the department to involve an amount less than $1 million to be filed with:
(1) for a contract other than a building construction contract, the district engineer at the headquarters for the district in which the improvement is to be made and opened and read at a public meeting held by the district engineer or the district engineer’s designee; or
(2) for a building construction contract, the director of the division of the department that is responsible for the construction of the building and opened and read at a public meeting held by the division director or the division director’s designee.
(b) The commission may delegate to the director or the director’s designee the right to:
(1) accept or reject bids received, subject to § 223.045; and
(2) award a contract to the lowest bidder.