Sylvania Twp. firehouse contract eludes low bidder

The Sylvania Township trustees voted last week to hire a Saline, Mich., firm to build the township's next new firehouse even though the Northwood-based con

tractor that built the recently completed Fire Station No. 3 offered to do the job for less.

Before voting with colleague Kevin Haddad to award the project to Midwest Construction, trustee Chairman Carol Contrada said that although she was generally happy with the firehouse that Harp Contractors Inc. recently finished on Whiteford Road, there were timeliness and workmanship issues she could not overlook in awarding a contract for Fire Station No. 2 on McCord Road just south of Central Avenue.

"We paid a premium to accelerate the construction of Station 3, yet it was still a month behind," Mrs. Contrada said. "The concrete was a disappointment. We had workers walk on the concrete before it was set. I am concerned about the ability to overcome some of those issues in the next contract."

Mr. Haddad, meanwhile, said he was worried by a cross-out in the Harp bid next to which a figure $500,000 lower was hand-written. Mrs. Contrada said such revisions are not uncommon in general contracting if a bidder gets a late estimate from a potential subcontractor, but Mr. Haddad still voted with her to favor Midwest over Harp.

Trustee John Jennewine was absent from the July 20 meeting because his wife had recently given birth.

The contract with Midwest is for a combination of general trades, plumbing, and climate-control construction worth $1,201,000. Separate contracts for the building's electrical and fire-suppression systems bring the total cost to $1,441,330.

Harp's bids included an offer to do the entire project for $1,390,000.

Liam O'Loughlin, Harp's owner, said he was consulting with an attorney about whether his firm would appeal the trustees' decision.

"We were low, and they're wasting the taxpayers' money out there," Mr. O'Loughlin said Thursday. "We can't understand their decision. We were recommended by their architect."

Mr. O'Loughlin conceded that concrete was damaged when workers walked on blankets that covered it while it hardened during winter construction, but said he spent $15,000 of his own money to polish out the footprints.

"That never went to the punch list," he said, referring to a list of touch-up items township officials compiled before accepting the building as finished.

"If we have rules on how to spend public money, why don't they follow them?" Mr. O'Loughlin asked.

The trustees noted before their vote, however, that state law does not obligate them to accept the lower bid if they believe a higher bidder will provide superior work.

Station No. 2 is to be the second of three fire stations the township will replace, along with renovating its Station No. 4 on Sylvania Avenue. Bonds for the construction program, budgeted for $8.2 million, will be paid off from the proceeds of a 1.25-mill continuing levy that township voters approved two years ago.

Mr. Haddad said he expects a renewed search for a site to build a replacement for Station No. 1, now on Monroe Street in downtown Sylvania, to be resolved soon.