(1) Less than $5,000. Purchases of supplies, equipment, or services and sales of personal property of an estimated value in an amount less than $5,000 may be made by, or at the direction of, the purchasing officer in the open market without observing the procedures prescribed in subsection (2) of this section or prescribed in CMC 3.16.130.

(2) From $5,000 to $25,000. Purchases of supplies, equipment, or services and sales of personal property of an estimated value in an amount greater than $5,000 but less than $25,000 may be made by the purchasing officer in the open market without observing the procedure prescribed in CMC 3.16.130. Purchase requisitions or purchase orders shall, whenever possible, be based on at least three informal quotes and shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. Purchases made pursuant to this subsection shall be authorized and signed for by the city manager, or in the city manager’s absence the designee, provided purchases of items authorized by the city manager or the designee are included as part of an approved and adopted budget for the city. The limitation affecting the authority of the designee shall not include that person designated as an acting city manager in the city manager’s absence or unavailability. (Ord. 649 § 2, 2015).