Committee recommends accepting low bid for groundwater analysis

Fortunately for Peru taxpayers common sense prevailed at the Public Property Committee meeting last night. The committee made the only logiclal decision they could have by formally recommending to the full city council that the low bid from PDC Laboratories, Inc. be accepted. Leading up to the meeting there had been much speculation about the possibility of committee member Bob Ankiewicz attempting to obstruct the process of awarding the low bid in an effort to steer the contract to "high bidder" TEST, Inc. The difference between low bidder PDC and high bidder TEST was just shy of $17,000 per year. A group of TEST supporters consisting of at least two aldermen, including Ankiewicz, as well as one current and one former TEST employee had been considering tactics to discredit the bidding process as well as the low bidder in hopes of causing the contract to "default" back to TEST, Inc. Thankfully for the taxpayers of Peru, this group was clearly outmatched and overwhelmed by a professionally conducted and honest bidding process that will start saving the city money right away as it appears TEST has decided against performing what would have been it's final quarterly sampling event for the first quarter of 2012. The strategy of those who had hoped to corrupt the process of awarding the low bid appeared weak and primitive at best. Their intention was to "muddy the waters" or "groundwaters" if you will by trying to create the impression that the PDC bid was not as some like to say, Apples to Apples in comparison to what TEST has been providing for fifteen years. The groups focus was to use the committee meeting to cast doubt on the low bid by claiming that there might be additional "hidden" costs not apparent in the PDC bid. After all, Alderman Ankiewicz had been assured by TEST President Chris Perra that any other contractor would "never" be able to compete with TEST, Inc. Therefore, those other bidders must be trying to pull a fast one on the city of Peru. Upon hearing about the doubt being cast upon the low bid and low bidder, Clerk Bartley took the initiative to contact PDC in order to alert them that they may want to have a representative at the Public Property Committee meeting in order to address the rumors of "hidden costs". I also contacted PDC Laboratories late last week and urged them to send someone to speak at the committee. Last night, Gail Schindler, a Project Manager with PDC answered all questions and assured the committee that the bid they presented contains no hidden costs and that they stand by that bid as presented. Alderman Bob Ankiewicz was unable to provide any legitimate reason not to accept the PDC low bid and former TEST employee Kristy Mrowicki was unsuccessful in her attempts to suggest that PDC would charge the city more than their bid price. Mrowicki did verify that TEST's lab doesn't even perform much of the groundwater analysis at their Peru facility. It seems TEST actually "sub-contracts" a considerable amount of that work to other private laboratories throughout the midwest and as far awy as Ohio and Texas. I guess that explains why they have been charging the city so much for these services for all these years. Alderwoman Sherry Mayszak and Chamlin Engineer Mike Perry then agreed the low bid from PDC Labs was the best course of action for the city and suggested the committee recommend to the full council that the low bid be accepted. When Mayszak asked Ankiewicz if he concurred with that all I heard was a muffled grunt. I'm going to take that grunt as a yes. We are very fortunate in Peru these days that we have some elected officials who understand the importance of doing things the right way, and doing them in a professional manner as well. A special thanks to Alderwoman Mayszak for recognizing the importance of competitive bidding and pursuing this matter without being influenced by the status quo. Also, we need to thank Clerk Dave Bartley for preparing bid specifications and ensuring an open and honest bidding process. I remain hopeful that we will continue to move forward on these and other issues.