2794                               Municipal Charters

(3)    Act to procure for the County the highest quality in supplies,
material, equipment and contractual services at least expense to the County.

(4)    Negotiate and execute leases for all grounds, buildings, offices
or other space required by using agencies.

(5)     Discourage uniform bidding and endeavor to obtain as full and
open competition as possible on all purchases and sales.

(6)    Declare vendors who default on their quotations to be "irre-
sponsible bidders", and to disqualify them from receiving any County
business for a stated period of time. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
PROVISIONS OF SECTION 4.115 OF THIS SUBTITLE.

(7)    Transfer between agencies those supplies, materials, and equip-
ment which are no longer needed by a holding agency but which can be
used by the receiving agency.

(8)    Exchange, trade-in, or sell those supplies, materials, and equip-
ment which are surplus, obsolete, or unused in which are found by the
County Executive not to be required for public use.

(9)    Develop, with approval of the County Solicitor as to legal
sufficiency, standard forms and conditions of invitations to bid and purchase
orders and contracts; develop and prescribe the use by agencies of other
forms required in carrying out the provisions of this Act; and amend or
eliminate any such forms.

(10)    Purchase or perform other supply functions prescribed in this
Act when requested to do so by other governmental agencies whose affairs
and funds are not supervised and controlled by the County Executive
or County Council of Howard County.

4.104—Rules and Regulations

The County Administrator shall prepare a purchasing manual, con-
taining rules and regulations consistent with the Howard County Charter,
this subtitle, and the Public General Laws, governing the operations of
the County purchasing system. The rules and regulations shall be sub-
mitted, with the approval of the County Executive to the County Council
for its approval by resolution. After adoption of the rules and regulations
by the County Council, the County Administrator shall issue the rules
and regulations to agencies and shall secure their compliance therewith.
Amendments to the rules and regulations shall be subject to the approval
of the County Executive and the County Council by resolutions before
they take effect. The rules and regulations shall include at least the
following provisions:

(1)    The handling of bids, including their custody and safeguarding;
opening and tabulating; rejection and re-advertising; and the procedure
for determining the lowest responsible bidder.

(2)    The procedure for securing from bidders and prospective bidders
the data necessary to determine whether they are responsible bidders.

(3)    THE PROCEDURE FOR REQUIRING SECURITY OR BOND
FOR ALL AREAS IN WHICH IT WOULD BE COMMONLY GIVEN
OR INDEMNITY OR PENALTY CLAUSES IN ACTUAL CONTRACTS
FOR OTHER AREAS.

(3) (4) The procedure for reporting receipt of supplies, profes-
sional and contractual services.