22038. (a) In its discretion, the public agency may reject any bids presented, if the agency, prior to rejecting all bids and declaring that the project can be more economically performed by employees of the agency, furnishes a written notice to an apparent low bidder. The notice shall inform the bidder of the agency’s intention to reject the bid and shall be mailed at least two business days prior to the hearing at which the agency intends to reject the bid. If after the first invitation of bids all bids are rejected, after reevaluating its cost estimates of the project, the public agency shall have the option of either of the following:
(1) Abandoning the project or readvertising for bids in the manner described by this article.
(2) By passage of a resolution by a four-fifths vote of its governing body declaring that the project can be performed more economically by the employees of the public agency, may have the project done by force account without further complying with this article.
(b) If a contract is awarded, it shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. If two or more bids are the same and the lowest, the public agency may accept the one it chooses.
(c) If no bids are received through the formal or informal procedure, the project may be performed by the employees of the public agency by force account, or negotiated contract without further complying with this article.
(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 296, Sec. 29. Effective January 1, 2004.)