Competitive bids for lease of warehouse storage, office space, etc.

(a) Whenever any political subdivision of Mobile County or any agency of such subdivision deems it necessary to lease any warehouse, storage, shop, office space, or land for official business purposes from or to any individual, association, corporation, partnership, or other business entity, it shall first have its purchasing agent solicit competitive sealed bids for such lease agreements by publication of notice thereof four times in a newspaper in Mobile County, Alabama, or for such length of time as purchasing agent may determine; provided, however, that the purchasing agent shall also solicit such sealed bids by sending notice by mail to all persons, firms, or corporations who have filed a request in writing that they be listed for solicitation on bids for such particular items as are set forth in such request. If any person, firm, or corporation whose name is listed fails to respond to any solicitation for bids after the receipt of three such solicitations, such listing may be cancelled by the purchasing agent, at his or her discretion. All bids shall be sealed when received, shall be opened in public at the hour stated in the notice, and all original bids together with all documents pertaining to the award of the contract shall be retained and made a part of a permanent file or record and shall be open to public inspection.

(b) All leases subject to subsection (a) may be for terms of up to five years before such leases must be rebid.

(Act 84-830, 1st Sp. Sess., p. 264, §§ 1, 2.)