Montgomery County                               2715

84-20. Capital improvement projects.

Whenever a capital improvement project is to be undertaken by the
county, the chief administrative officer shall cause plans, specifications,
and estimates of cost to be prepared and shall, subject to the direction of
the County Executive, determine whether the project is to be constructed
by contract or by county forces. If the project is to be constructed by
contract, competitive bids shall be secured and the contract awarded in
accordance with the requirements of section 84-16 of this Code.

84-21. Encumbrance of funds.

No notice of award of contract shall be issued, no contract shall be
signed and no purchase order shall be issued until the director of finance
or his designee certifies that the unencumbered balance in the appropria-
tion is sufficient to defray the amount of such contract or purchase order.

84-22. Unlawful purchases.

If any agency purchases or contracts for any goods, services or capital
improvement project in a manner contrary to the provisions of the Charter
or this article, such purchase or contract shall be voidable.

84-23. Cooperative purchasing.

The chief administrative officer shall have the authority, subject to
the direction of the County Executive, to join with other units of govern-
ment in cooperative purchasing plans when the best interests of the county
would be served thereby.

Section 2. Severability.

The provisions of the Act are severable, and if any provision, sentence,
clause, section or part thereof is held illegal, invalid or unconstitutional
or inapplicable to any person or circumstances, such illegality, invalidity
or unconstitutionally, or inapplicability shall not affect or impair any of
the remaining provisions, sentences, clauses, sections or parts of the Act
or their application to other persons or circumstances. It is hereby declared
to be the legislative intent that this Act would have been adopted if such
illegal, invalid or unconstitutional provision, sentence, clause, section or
part had not been included therein, and if the person or circumstances
to which the Act or any part thereof is inapplicable had been specifically
exempted therefrom.

Section 3. Effective date.

This Act shall take effect on the 76th day following its enactment.

Certified correct as passed.

President
Secretary