Montana Title 18. Public Contracts § 18-2-105. General powers and duties of department of administration

(1) inspect buildings not under construction;

(2) contract with the federal government for advance planning funds;

(3) transfer funds and authority to agencies and accept funds and authority from agencies;

(4) subject to 2-17-135, purchase, lease, and acquire by exchange or otherwise, land and buildings in Lewis and Clark County and equipment and furnishings for the buildings;

(5) issue and sell bonds and other securities;

(6) maintain an inventory of all buildings;

(7) appoint a project representative to supervise architects' and consulting engineers' inspection of construction of buildings to ensure that all construction is in accordance with the contracts, plans, and specifications. The cost of supervision may be charged against money available for construction.

(8) negotiate deductive changes, not to exceed 15% of the total cost of a project, with the lowest responsible bidder when the lowest responsible bid causes the project cost to exceed the appropriation or with the lowest responsible bidders, if multiple contracts will be awarded on the project, when the total of the lowest responsible bids causes the project cost to exceed the appropriation. A bidder is not required to negotiate a bid but is required to honor the bid for the time specified in the bidding documents. The department may terminate negotiations at any time.