Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

The charter of the town of Southbridge which is on file in the office of the archivist of the commonwealth, as provided in section twelve of chapter forty-three B of the General Laws, is hereby amended by striking out Section 8-3 of chapter 6 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 8-3. All contracts made by any department, board or commission where the amount involved is five hundred dollars or more shall be in writing. No contract for construction work, or for the purchase of equipment, supplies and materials, whether for repairs or original construction, the estimated cost of which amounts to ten thousand dollars or more, except in cases of special emergency, involving the health or safety of the people or their property, shall be awarded unless proposals for the same have been invited by advertisements in at least one newspaper published in the town once a week for at least two consecutive weeks, the last publication to be at least one week before the time specified for the opening of such proposals. Such advertisements shall state the time and place where plans and specifications of proposed work or supplies may be had and the time and place for opening the proposals in answer to said advertisements, and shall reserve to the town the right to reject any or all of such proposals. All such proposals shall be opened in public. No bill or contract shall be split or divided for the purpose of evading any requirement of this section.