2023 New York Laws › EDN - Education › Title 7 - State and City Colleges and Institutions-Cornell University › Article 125 - City University of New York › 6218 - Contracts and Purchases.

§ 6218. Contracts and purchases.  a. Notwithstanding the provisions of
subdivision  two  of section one hundred twelve and sections one hundred
fifteen, one hundred sixty-one and one hundred sixty-three of the  state
finance  law and section three of the New York state printing and public
documents law or any other law to  the  contrary,  the  city  university
trustees are authorized and empowered to:
(i)  purchase materials; proprietary electronic information resources,
including, but not  limited  to,  academic,  professional  and  industry
journals,  reference  handbooks  and  manuals,  research tracking tools,
indexes and abstracts; and equipment and  supplies,  including  computer
equipment  and  motor  vehicles,  where the amount for a single purchase
does not exceed seventy-five thousand dollars,  (ii)  execute  contracts
for  services  and  construction  contracts  to  an amount not exceeding
seventy-five thousand dollars, and (iii) contract  for  printing  to  an
amount  not  exceeding  seventy-five  thousand  dollars,  without  prior
approval by any other state officer or agency, but subject to rules  and
regulations of the state comptroller not otherwise inconsistent with the
provisions  of  this  section  and  in  accordance  with  the guidelines
promulgated by the city university board of trustees after  consultation
with  the state comptroller. In addition, the trustees are authorized to
annually  negotiate  with  the  state  comptroller  increases   in   the
aforementioned   dollar  limits  and  the  exemption  of  any  articles,
categories of articles, services,  or  commodities  from  these  limits.
Guidelines  promulgated  by the city university board of trustees shall,
to  the  extent  practicable,  require  that  competitive  proposals  be
solicited  for  purchases, and shall include requirements that purchases
and contracts authorized under this section be at the  lowest  available
price.
b.  Except  as  hereinafter provided, no contract for work or labor or
the purchase of supplies, material, or equipment or for the construction
or the alteration of any building or facility involving  an  expenditure
or  liability of more than twenty thousand dollars shall be entered into
by the board of trustees, unless said board of trustees shall have  duly
advertised for bids for the same for a period of not less than five days
under  regulations  to  be  approved  by  the  board of trustees and the
contract in each case shall be awarded to the lowest responsible  bidder
furnishing  the security as required by the board of trustees. If two or
more bids are tied, and are the lowest  bids  submitted  by  responsible
bidders  furnishing  the security as required by the board, the board of
trustees may award the contract to any of said tied bidders.
c. If the several parts of the work or labor to  be  done  and/or  the
supplies,  materials or equipment to be furnished shall together involve
an expenditure of not more than twenty thousand dollars, the same may be
procured on an order awarded to the lowest responsible bidder upon  bids
submitted  without  public advertisement under such regulations as shall
be made by the board of trustees. Purchases of five thousand dollars  or
less may be made without competition.
d.  The board of trustees, if it shall deem it in the public interest,
may reject all bids.
e. Upon the adoption of a resolution by a vote of at least  two-thirds
of  the  members  of the board of trustees by vote at a meeting, stating
that,  for  reasons  of  efficiency  or  economy,  there  is  need   for
standardization,  purchase  contracts  for  a particular type or kind of
equipment, materials, or supplies of more than twenty  thousand  dollars
may  be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder furnishing the required
security after advertisement for bids in the  manner  provided  in  this
section. Such resolution shall contain a full explanation of the reasons
for  its  adoption.  Purchase contracts for a particular type or kind of

equipment, materials or  supplies  of  not  more  than  twenty  thousand
dollars  may  be  awarded  to  the  lowest  responsible bidder upon bids
submitted without public advertisement under such regulations  as  shall
be made by the board of trustees.
f.  Surplus  or  second-hand  supplies,  materials or equipment may be
purchased without competitive bidding from the federal  government,  the
state of New York or from any political subdivision of the state.
g.  The  board  of  trustees  is  authorized to establish cash advance
accounts for the purpose of purchasing materials, supplies, or services,
for cash advances for travel expenses and per diem  allowances,  or  for
advance payment of wages and salary. The account may be used to purchase
such  materials,  supplies,  or  services  where  the amount of a single
purchase does not exceed two hundred fifty dollars  in  accordance  with
such  guidelines  as shall be prescribed by the city university trustees
after consultation with the state comptroller.
h. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this section, the board of
trustees may make purchases, when available, through the  state  of  New
York,  the  city  of  New  York,  the federal government or the board of
education of the city of New York, provided that the board  of  trustees
shall accept sole responsibility for any payment due the vendor.