Rossford pays out $5,000 to settle dispute with construction firm

5/2/2012
BY GABRIELLE RUSSON
BLADE STAFF WRITER

The city of Rossford has paid a Perrysburg Township construction company $5,000 to resolve a contract dispute over installing downtown streetlights.

City Administrator Ed Ciecka said the $5,000 was paid because it would be cheaper than a court fight with U.S. Utility Contractor Co.

The company threatened to sue the city after it lost a contract despite being the lowest bidder to install energy-efficient streetlights on Dixie Highway from Bacon Street to Eagle Point Road.

Rossford City Council awarded the contract Dec. 12 to the second-lowest of the six bidders, Perram Electric, which bid $204,940 -- or $3,766 more than U.S. Utility.

Officials said Perram was chosen because a previous project with U.S. Utility, to install streetlights on another section of Dixie, has been delayed by more than three years.

In other Rossford news, the council approved spending $209,713 for new radios for the police and fire departments as well as upgraded equipment for the public works department.

The city is joining several other Wood County communities in switching to the stronger radio frequency 800-mhz system in Lucas County to improve communication with other departments. The system requires updated equipment, officials have said.

The city applied about $70,000 of a $200,000 donation from the Hollywood Casino Toledo to the new equipment. The rest of the expense came out of the city's general fund.

The equipment is expected to arrive in July, Mr. Ciecka said.