Any lease executed hereunder shall be upon competitive bids following public advertisement therefor, in a newspaper circulating in the municipality, at least once, not less than twenty days prior to the receipt of bids. The advertisement shall designate the time and place of a meeting of the governing body at which the bids shall be received. At such time and place, the governing body, or any committee thereof having authority to do so, shall receive sealed bids and immediately proceed to unseal them and publicly announce the contents thereof. A record of the rentals, other consideration and terms offered shall be made in the minutes of the governing body for each bid. No bid shall be received previous to the hour designated in the advertisement and none shall be received thereafter. The lease shall be awarded to the highest responsible bidder.
N.J.S. § 40:61-22.16