No public official, authorized to contract for or construct with the official's own forces a public improvement, shall fail, before advertising for bids or undertaking such construction with those forces, to have the director of commerce determine the prevailing rates of wages of mechanics and laborers for the class of work called for by the public improvement in the locality where the work is to be performed, as provided in section 4115.04 of the Revised Code.
R.C. §4115.08