SB231: Bill Text

LRB-2711/1

MJL:lmk:ch

2005 - 2006 LEGISLATURE

2005 Senate BILL 231

June 3, 2005 - Introduced by Senators Harsdorf and Brown, cosponsored by Representatives Rhoades, Loeffelholz, Musser, Ainsworth, Townsend, Albers and Ballweg. Referred to Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform.

SB231,1,2 An Act to amend 985.06 (1) of the statutes; relating to: exempting certain 2nd and 3rd class cities from the requirement to accept official city newspaper bids.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law requires a second or third class city annually to request bids from newspapers to become the official city newspaper and to grant the contract to the lowest bidder. This bill exempts a second or third class city from this bidding requirement if only one newspaper is published in the city.

For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB231, s. 1 Section 1. 985.06 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB231,2,18 985.06 (1) In 2nd and 3rd class cities, the clerk shall, on or before the 2nd Tuesday of April, advertise in the official city newspaper, or if there is none, in a newspaper published in the city and eligible under s. 985.03, for separate proposals to publish in English the council proceedings and the city's legal notices, respectively, for the ensuing year, inviting bids from all daily and weekly newspapers published in such city which are eligible under s. 985.03, also stating the security required with each bid, which shall be previously fixed by the council, and requiring delivery of the bids in writing, sealed, at the clerk's office by 12 noon of the first Tuesday of May. At that hour, the clerk shall, in the presence of the mayor or an alderperson, open the bids and enter them in a record kept for that purpose. No bid from other than a newspaper legally invited to bid, or for more than the legal rate for like work, shall be of any effect. The paper making the lowest effective bid for the city's legal notices shall be awarded the contract therefor. If 2 or more effective bids are for the same price, and no lower effective bid is filed, the clerk shall transmit such tie bids to the council at its next meeting and the council shall designate the successful bid. If no effective bid is received, the council may direct the clerk to readvertise as before. Each successful bidder shall execute a contract in accordance with the bid and file such bond for its performance as the council requires. No such paper shall receive more or less than the contract price nor any other compensation for the work. The paper securing the contract for the publishing of the city's legal notices shall be the official city newspaper. This subsection does not apply to a city in which only one newspaper with the qualifications under s. 985.03 is published.

SB231,2,19 (End)