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245 <br />SPECIAL MEETING AUGUST 16. 1989 <br />A Special Meeting of the Board of Public Works was convened at <br />10:05 a.m. on Wednesday, August 16, 1989, by Board President John <br />E. Leszczynski, with Mr. Leszczynski, Mrs. Patricia E. DeClercq <br />and Ms. Katherine Humphreys present. Also present was Assistant <br />City Attorney Jenny Pitts-Manier. <br />AWARD BID - TWELVE (12) LEAF VACUUMS FOR CITY OF SOUTH BEND <br />OPERATION RELEAF <br />Mr. Leszczynski indicated that the bids of the Brown Equipment <br />Company and the Best Equipment Company had been referred to the <br />Street Department for review and recommendation. Mr. Leszczynski <br />indicated that Bill Penn, Director of the Division of <br />Transportation within the Street Department, had reviewed the <br />bids and had spoken with both bidders as well as with other <br />municipal customers of each bidder, and had put his <br />recommendation to the Board in his letter dated August 16, 1989, <br />which letter Mr. Leszczynski presented to the Board. <br />Mr. Leszczynski informed the Board that it was the recommendation <br />of the Street Department that the bid of the Brown Equipment <br />Company for 12 TARCO Big-T-Vac Model TTL-4 95 W, equipped with a <br />Hercules Diesel D-3400 engine and at a cost of $14,979.00 apiece, <br />for a total cost of $179,748.00, be accepted. Mr. Leszczynski <br />indicated that although the bid -of the Brown Equipment Company <br />exceeded that of the Best Equipment Company, the Brown bid was <br />more responsive, as it more closely met the City's <br />specifications. <br />Upon a motion made by Mrs. DeClercq, seconded by Ms. Humphreys <br />and carried, the bid of Brown Equipment Company as indicated <br />above was awarded. <br />Subsequent to the award of the indicated bid to the Brown <br />Equipment Company, Mr. Terry O'Brien, of the Best Equipment <br />Company, asked to address the Board. Mr. O'Brien expressed his <br />opinion that the Best Equipment Company had offered the Board a <br />comparable product, meeting or exceeding all bid specifications, <br />for a total cost of $35,825.00 less than the total cost of the <br />bid awarded to the Brown Equipment Company. Mr. O'Brien <br />indicated that the bid of the Best Equipment Company included an <br />extended warranty not included in the bid of the Brown Equipment <br />Company. <br />Mr. Leszczynski responded to Mr. O'Brien's concerns by indicating <br />that the product offered by the Best Equipment Company was made <br />with welded liners rather than the removable liners called for in <br />the specifications, and that the Best Equipment Company product <br />was not configured as requested by the specifications. <br />Additionally, Mr. Leszczynski indicated that conversations with <br />current municipal users of the Best Equipment Company product <br />indicated a variety of problems with that product, including gas <br />tanks which leak and hoses which need to be replaced more <br />frequently than should be the case. <br />Mr. Leszczynski indicated that the City has had success with <br />street sweeping equipment purchased from the Best Equipment <br />Company in the past. Mr. Leszczynski indicated, however, that <br />the comments received from current municipal users of the Best <br />Equipment Company leaf vacuum, along with the failure of the Best <br />Equipment Company product to meet the indicated specifications <br />warranted the award to the Brown Equipment Company. <br />ADJOURNMENT <br />There being no further business to come before the Board, upon a <br />