Like county government, city government and the City Council also need to ensure transparency of public records and operations to secure public trust. That’s why the city should justify and openly rebid its share of a contract for a $1.3 million storm water renovation project that would require the city to pay $750,000 to help the venerable Chattanooga Golf and Country Club in Riverview, a distinguished private golf club, rebuild its storm water drainage system.
The Public Works Department originally requested closed bids for the work, and received five. When the bids for the contract came before council members for review in a committee meeting last Tuesday, Councilman Jack Benson rightly cautioned that it seemed wrong to have closed bids, especially for a job at the exclusive private golf club. The balance of the $1.3 million project would be paid by the golf club.
“We’re using the public’s pocketbook,” Benson asserted. “I don’t understand not advertising that bid.” He drew support from City Attorney Mike McMahan, who said he would strongly encourage an open bid, and fellow councilman Andrae McGary. City Engineer Bill Payne told the council committee that he had no problems with the project being rebid with openly disclosed bids.
All of which raises the question, why was the project originally bid as a closed bid, and why is the city involved at all?
Public works officials told council members the project involved some public responsibility because the golf course’s drainage ditches were originally built by the federal government during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and are considered to be in the public domain.
Why that remains so – whether under an old contract or, perhaps, a legacy of favoritism for the club’s privileged patrons – is a question worth exploring. The reason certainly needs to be verifiably justified. In any case, it is unquestionably proper procedure for the city to make bids for work funded by taxpayers entirely public and transparent. It’s also worth discovering why the bid was initially kept closed. What’s to hide?