Sec. 8. (a) The board may:
(1) negotiate with the proposers; and
(2) make a preliminary contract award to any responsible proposer.
(b) The board shall give public notice of a public hearing, which must designate the time and place of a public hearing at which the board will hear comments upon the preliminary contract to be awarded.
(c) Following the public hearing, the board shall make a final contract award to any responsible proposer selected under this chapter based on a determination that the selected proposal is the most responsive to the needs of the district. The final contract award must:
(1) be in the form of a resolution; and
(2) include particularized findings relative to factors evaluated under section 7 of this chapter indicating that:
(A) the district's needs are met by the final contract award; and
(B) the action is in the public interest.