08-13-63SpMtg ~59
AUGUST 13, 1963
A special meeting was held in the Council Chambers at 6=00 P.M.,
Tuesday, August 13th, 1963, with Mayor Walter Dietz in the Chair, Act-
ing City Manager R. D. Worthing, City Attorney John Ross Adams, and
Councilmen A1 C. Avery, Smory J. Barrow and Oliver Wi Wooda~4, Jr.
being present.
Mayor D!etz called the meeting to order and announced that same had
been called for the purpose of consideration of bids receiv~ for re-
locating an 8-inch water main presently located on the proposed site
of the Mas~er Lift Station in the City Park.
Mayor Diet= asked Mark Fleming, City Engineer, if the ~l~ could do
this job with a little help.
Mr. Fle~ingt "The main item in this job involves excavation, pro-
bably by ca~ing or at least assuring the considerable dept~,'because
we have to tap into the existing water main going under the Intra-
· coastal Waterway at a point where it is exceedingly deep, and right
adjacent to the Intracoastal. This' ~nvolves putting down a ~ole which
it is almost impossible to pump dry right at that location~ ~ the use
of professional divers. The City is not equipped in any mS.r~ner to do
that and that is the main $3~150.00 item, I believe, in your estimate."
Mayor Dietz= "Can the City hire divers to do this?"
Mr. F~eming= "Not to my knowledge. I don~t know of any that are
professionally equipped to do that work that are not employed by a
contractor."
Mayor Dietz: "If the City can't do it, this leaves us no alterna-
tive. We have the bid brought to us last night of $4,570.00."
Mr. Avery= "In the fourth paragraph of Mr. Steinhilper~s letter, it
stated Mr. Pepper was contacted again around 11530 of this date and
asked if he could reduce his price to that of Barbarossa since his
work was partly in this area. Whose authority was this bid? IS it the
policy of this City to shop bids by calling people and asking them to
meet another person~s price, as this is highly unethical.~
Mr. Worthing= "Not in the policy procedure for purchasing by the
City. No, Sir."
Mr. Avery= "Mr. Barrow, do you agree with the shopping procedure?"
Mr. Barrow= "No, Sir, I do not believe in shopping b~ds."
Mr. Avery= "Mr. Steinhilper, did the Mayor order you to do this?
Mayor Dietz= "Yes, Sir."
Mr. Steinhilper= "I don~t recall receiving an order, as such."
Mr. Neff= "I agree wholeheartedly with the fact that there should
be no chiseling and shopping on bids, but in this case, it is a ne-
gotiation. I think to protect the City's interest, it was well that
they find out from some other contractor in the affected a~ea what his
price would be. I personally would have recommended that Pepper do the
job originally because he is the man to lay by the water line, and then
the coordination of the movement of water line and his work would be
better tied together. In this case, it was not a question of shopping
bids. I suggested to Mr. Steinhilper that it would be a good idea to
give the City an idea from another contractor of the cost of this work
so the City would have the benefit of at least two proposals."
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260
Mr. Avery= "Mr. Neff, we are not challenging the thought of two
bids because this is necessary, ethics are ethics and I do not agree,
and I'l~ take'~greatchallenge to the Calling of ~ ~ontractor and ask-
ing him to mea~ after he hag put in a'price, and.there are two prices
here and to call'him'badk and ask wi~lhe meet the price, and any
other contractor or businessman in town will challenge it, and I pro-
test the ethics used and want to be on record.- I think if the Mayor
authorized it, he was in error with it. I would like to ask that it
never happens agai~"~hat thi's City shops bids."
Mayor Dietz: "To keep the records straight, the bid that was made
by Barbarossa was $4,570.00. After Harry Pepper Company' was asked to
bid and they bid $4,8?9.00. That was a competitive bid, free and
independent. Because of the time delay, we wanted to get Pepper down
so. that we could avoid an extension of time. What is your pleasure,
Gentlemen? ~'The ~matter now£s to ~ecide who you wish to give 'the bid
to, and the City cannot do it-, and the lowest 'bid is from Barbarossa
& Sons."
Mr. Barrow= "Mr.'Mayor, I belleve'Mr. Avery on shopping bids and
I*m strictly opposed to it, and inasmuch as we have got two bids here,
I would move that we give the bid to the low bidder."
The motion was seconded by Mr. Woodard and carried unanimously~
The meeting adjourned at 6:15 P.M. by order of Mayor Dietz.
City Clerk
MA YOuR '
- 2- 8/13/63