Open up the fire station deal

Just because legally you can do something doesn’t mean that you should. Beaufort and Port Royal have negotiated behind closed doors and and are accepting a single source bid for the Burton fire station. They shouldn’t.

Would you go with the first bid to build your house or to replace an expensive mechanical system? You could, but you shouldn’t if you want to ensure getting the best value. To allow this $5 million-plus, no-bid project to move forward is fiscally irresponsible. The new station on Ribaut Road was built for about $3.3 million. Council members campaigned on transparent and responsible government. Is this form of governing even remotely close to the promises made?

A 30-year lease is tantamount to a purchase. Under the State Procurement Clause, if Port Royal and Beaufort own the building, they would have to open the process for competitive bid. But since they lease it, your elected leaders can enter into executive session and award a sweetheart deal to the person of their choosing. The lease is so one-sided in the developer’s favor, it is hard to believe anyone has negotiated at all on the municipality’s behalf.

Let’s take 120 days, have an open process, and let the chips fall where they may. Perhaps the current developer will still get it. At least the municipalities would have done what they should do for us and not what they can do to us. It is what the voters expect and deserve.

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 10:18 AM with the headline "Open up the fire station deal."