OILTON—Duringabriefspecialmeeting held on May 1, the City of Oilton approved repairs for two police Dodge Chargers after discussion surrounding delayed bid submissions and repair estimates, according to Mayor Julia Bagwell.
Bagwell said the councillors voted to move forward with a quote from One Degree Auto to repair both vehicles for approximately $4,600 each. The work includes installing rebuilt motors in both Chargers which Bagwell described as “zero mile motors.”
Bagwell said no formal action was taken regarding the vehicle repairs during a previous special meeting held on April 29 because the necessary bid information had not been properly submitted to city offices in time to be included on the agenda.
“If they would have followed the rules, it could have been on our meeting on the twenty-nineth and we could have discussed both and decided on one or the other,” Bagwell said. “Instead, they decided to hold on to it for two weeks.”
Bagwell stated firmly that all bids and supporting documents must be submitted directly through city offices in order to be placed on a meeting agenda.
“It doesn’t matter who you turn it into,” she said. “If it does not come through the city office it will not be on the agenda.”
During the April 29 meeting the council also discussed an alternator replacement for another police vehicle. However, because the repair cost fell within the mayor’s authorized spending limit, no council action was required. Bagwell said the city received an estimate of nearly $1,000 from one repair shop, but One Degree Auto said they could complete the work for approximately $450.
“The council didn’t have to approve it because it was within my allowed expense,” Bagwell said.
She said the May 1 lasted only a few minutes and expressed frustration that the additional meeting could have been avoided had the bid process been followed correctly.