08/20/62 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Sessio~ 710, Minutes Au~ust 20, 1962 Page 8 anything improper in the permission to Mr. Schroeder to amend to conform to the specifications, that the award ought to be made to Mr. Schroeder. The Director.of Law stated it is a question of what Mr. Schroeder's in- tent was when he submitted that - if it is a typographical error, he thinks the Council may accept it as such -- if he is deliberately bidding something differently than the specifications called for and doing this with an intention to bid in this fashion, then he is not the best bidder-- doesn't have the best equipment -- doesn't meet the specifications, but Mr. Schroeder says he will meet the specifications. The Director of Law said he doesn't know what the details are as to what happened between Mr. Ellman and Mr. Schroeder. Mayor I~ufman, addressing himself to the Director of Law, said that as the general rule, this would be rather dangerous in bidding - there doesn't seem to be much variance here - there is only a $75.00 difference on each unit, but he can visualize many instances where an individual could intentionally make a mistake - submit a low bid and then decide to conform with the original bid, and the Mayor said this is the thing which disturbs him. The Director of Law said the best legal procedure would be to meet the bids exactly, and he added that supposing the City were to make a mistake in the specifications - that would be another problem. The CityManager said he thinks what Mr. Reis has stated - that it would be quite easy for a GMC bidder to put down a 13-inch clutch because there is no reference to a 14-inch clutch or he didn't happen to notice that a 14-inch clutch was asked for and in this particular GMC type of equipment they do not list as an option a 14-inch clutch and a little research is necessary in order to find out that it can be used. Mr. Reis commented that for some $15,000 worth of equipment he could afford to do a little research. Councilman Epstein asked the City Manager whether the bid when submitted clearly states that this meets the specifications set forth in the In- vitation to Bid, and the City Manager again explained that the Proposal Form says that. Councilman Epstein asked whether they would not normally list the same specifications that the City has set forth and the City Manager answered affirmatively. Councilman Tandler said that in other words the specifications did show that he (Mr. Schroeder) proposed to furnish a 13-inch clutch, but he did not necessarily take exception to the 14-inch, and Councilman Tandler asked whether Mr. Schroeder had taken any formal exception to the size clutch in the specifications. The City Manager said Mr. Schroeder sub- mitted a form which says,"I will comply with specifications and supply a truck for so much money, period. Then attached to it he had a list which instead of listing 14-inch listed 13-inch and that's where the conflict is." The City Manager said Mr. Schroeder did not,on the bid ~roposal Form, take exception. Mayor Kaufman said that an employee of the City told Reis Automobile & Truck Company then that apparently Schroeder did not submit the low bid, and the Mayor asked the City Manager whether that is correct. The City Manager 8ilswered, "Evidently - I don't know what he told him." Mr. Reis said he learned from the bid opening that Schroeder was the lowest bid - then, when he was called from the Garage, at his place of business, asking whether his truck met specifications he was specifically asked about the