Noncompetitive purchasing proposal fails in 4-2 vote

MONCKS CORNER -- The Berkeley County Council killed a proposal Monday to let department heads buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of heavy equipment without competitive bidding.

County Engineer Frank Carson and Solid Waste Director Mark Schlievert asked the council's Public Works Committee to let them buy Caterpillars without seeking bids from other manufacturers.

Carson and Schlievert said that, based on their experience, standardizing with Caterpillar would save money. They based their argument on such factors as resale value and maintenance costs.

Councilman Clemente Pinckney asked Carson and Schlievert if they were trying to save money.

"That in a nutshell is exactly what we're trying to do," Carson said, adding that would be best accomplished through standardization.

Carson and Schlievert offered to come back to the council each year so members could evaluate whether their plan was saving the county money.

The committee voted down the request 4-2.

"I would prefer to keep things competitive," Councilman Tim Callanan said before the vote.

Schlievert said that when he sought bids four years ago, Caterpillar was the only company that could meet specifications. But he said he could go through the bidding process again.

In other business, the council gave second-reading approval to eliminating a rule that requires residents to hook into new waterlines that come near their houses.

Dozens of residents who live near new county waterlines north of Moncks Corner have been saying that hooking into the county system would cost them thousands of dollars, and many already have spent thousands installing new wells.

Reach Dave Munday at 937-5553 or dmunday@postandcourier.com.