After the bids have been opened and made public, they must be entered upon the minutes of the meeting of the board of the district at which they are considered, and they must be preserved carefully by the district secretary.
61-35-94. Rejection of bids - Readvertising for bids or construction by district without contract - Re-evaluation of project. If in its opinion the best interests of the district require, the board may reject any and all bids filed under this chapter. If all bids are rejected, the board may: 1. Readvertise for new bids; 2. Cause the work described in the plans, specifications, and estimates to be done directly by the district by the employment of labor and the purchase of materials required, or in any other manner the board considers proper, and payment for the work may be provided through special assessments in the same manner as though the work had been performed under contract, provided this work amounts to no more than the amount provided for construction of a public improvement under section 48-01.2-02; or 3. Cause the work described in the plans, specifications, and estimates to be reviewed and re-evaluated by the engineer for the district so that the board may determine whether the entire project or only a portion of the project is feasible.
61-35-95. Engineer's statement of estimated cost required - Board to enter into contracts. Before adopting or rejecting any bid filed under this chapter, the board shall require the engineer for the district to make a careful and detailed statement of the estimated cost of the work. The board may not award the contract to any bidder if the engineer's estimate prepared under this section exceeds the engineer's estimate prepared under section 61-35-54 by forty percent or more. If all bids are not rejected, the board shall award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder, upon the basis of cash payment for the work, if the bidder has furnished the certified check or bidder's bond required under the provisions of this chapter.