Q Is there a law that requires a certain number of days or times that a legal notice has to be published by governing bodies so people affected can be informed? A legal publication ran recently on a Saturday to notify contractors they could pick up specifications on Monday morning. Bids had to be turned in the following day.
The second publication was for an action taken in May that was not published until December. Doesn’t it need to be published within a certain number of days of the vote?
A City ordinances and county resolutions must be published once in “a local newspaper of general circulation after they have been passed and signed,” said City Attorney Blaise Plummer. “State law doesn’t specify any time limit although the ordinance or resolution cannot take effect until it has been published.”
Charter ordinances of the city or charter resolutions of the county are legislative enactments that vary state laws under home-rule powers, Plummer said.
Those types of ordinances must be published once a week for two consecutive weeks after enactment.
Invitations to bid on city purchases and construction contracts are made through legal publications “allowing a reasonable amount of time to return bids on purchases and construction contracts,” Plummer said. “The city manager has authority to vary the bid process for emergencies or when it is in the best interests of the city.
“In general, the county publishes notice of letting of any contract for improvements inviting sealed proposals. The county provides up to 30 days for review of specification before awarding a bid,” he said.
- Readers with questions on topics of local interest may submit questions to “Because You Asked, The Emporia Gazette, Drawer C, Emporia KS 66801. Questions must be signed, but names will not be revealed.