CALLAWAY — Callaway commissioners are upset with City Manager Michael Fuller because of the cancellation of an RFP for water meters.
The city received three bids for meters: $1,495,090 from HD Waterworks, $1,153,400 from Empire and $1,196,340 from Ferguson. HD Waterworks submitted the only bid that met the equipment requirements, but the company did not provide any information for installation.
Commissioners felt the cancellation was their decision to make.
“Let the board make the choice,” Mayor Thomas Abbott said. “That’s the way it usually works.”
The commission voted Tuesday to review a new RFP at the next meeting.
Fuller said specifications might not have been met by contractors because the RFP was so narrowly drawn. He said he wants to simplify the RFP and highlight the installation requirement in particular.
“I don’t think it was a bad RFP,” City Attorney Kevin Obos said. “It could have gone just fine.”
John Wood from HD Waterworks attended the meeting and suggested that his company be allowed to piggyback installation costs onto the bid.
However, Obos said that would open up the RFP to a protest from other bidders, which the city would have to clear up before going forward.
Abbott emphasized that the meters still are a priority for the city. The commission budgeted almost $2 million for replacements last month.
“We are going to do it and get it right,” Abbott said.
Fuller was not the only target of commission’s concern. Commissioner Melba Covey began a discussion about the establishment of a Charter Revision Committee by nominating Commissioner Ralph Hollister to serve as the board’s representative on the committee.
Commissioner Bob Pelletier quickly seconded the motion. Hollister, clearly perturbed, bluntly declined the nomination after he and Pelletier sparred over water-meter readers.
“You’re micromanaging,” Hollister said.
“You just keep your opinion to yourself,” Pelletier responded. “You should speak into the microphone instead of under your breath.”
Covey then volunteered to serve as the commission representative before she backed out.
Without a commission representative, Abbott abandoned the Charter Revision Committee appointments, deciding to field revision suggestions through workshops.
Seven residents had applied to serve on the committee after Covey previous had implored residents to apply after the commission received no volunteers.
In other business, the commission:
- Approved a $7,500 payment to the Bay County Transportation Planning Organization for Trolley service.
- Tabled any readings of an ordinance to prohibit liquor sales after 2 a.m. during March until Bay County and Panama City take action on the issue.
- Approved the waiver of transportation impact fees, saving residential developers as much as $3,000 on building permits.
