The city council may, by resolution, based upon findings that preservation of the public health, safety and welfare so require, enter into a contract for the collection and disposal of garbage and rubbish for a contract period of not more than six months without competitive bidding upon such terms, with respect to payments to the city therefor and other terms, as the city council may approve. This section is intended to satisfy the requirement in Section 46 of the City Charter that award of franchises be taken by ordinance, unless the council takes action pursuant to a general law of the state, and to authorize by ordinance temporary contracts for collection and disposal of garbage and rubbish. Preservation of the public health, safety and welfare may be deemed to require a temporary contract pursuant to this section when introduction of an ordinance and passage thirty or more days later, followed by elapse of a thirty-day referendum period before the ordinance takes effect, pursuant to Section 51 of the City Charter, would result in a lack of authorized garbage and rubbish collection services in the city of seven consecutive calendar days or more. (Ord. 2421 NCS §1, 2011; Ord. 173 NCS §8; prior code § 13.7.)