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6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont'd from past, previous contacts with contractors, and that we also try to update it with new contractors as they bid on a job, and then try to contact new contractors. Commissioner Robinson said that perhaps because he is involved in this type of occupation that he is being extra nosy and. asking these questions. "I want to know to what extent and why there isn't more, to give the citizens of our community - -so to speak- -more opportunity for the employers to get work, be- cause I know there is a terrific amount of unemployment. I want to know to what length are you going to try to get and make other employers aware of this condition- -that the jobs are ready for bid- -and so on and so forth. If you are going from a past list, and are not doing much to update it, I can't see where we are doing the citizens of the community that much good." Mr. Schaller said that we are trying to update it, but as far as answering the Commissioner's question, that he can't do it at this time, but that Mr. Crighton will be able to answer all his questions. Mr. Crighton is presently attending another meeting. Mr. Brownell added that they have taken the list of contractors from the other projects too, but these are the first bids for the Northwest Project, and that it is very difficult to get very many contractors to bid on rehabilitation work, he is told. Commissioner Wiggins said, generally speaking, aren't contractors aware of the advertising for these things and don't they check the newspaper classifieds for these things? Commissioner Robinson said he can't answer for the contractors, but that he would imagine there are a lot of them who do not. The Chair said that he believes there is a reluctance on a number of the contractors to bid on these things, because there are always these unseen things when they get into the actual work, and then, of course, it is either they stop work and come back for approval, or go ahead and do it, and then hope that the Commission will approve the work that was done when something went wrong - -when they run into damage or diffi- culty that the inspector just couldn't see at the time of the inspec- tion. Mr. Butler advised the concern that Mr. Robinson raises is something that the Commission, on various projects, has had to deal with all along, and we got burned on some of the earlier projects, as we know, by getting some fly -by -night contractors, who opened up quick shop simply to make a few dollars in the project. He felt it might be a good idea for Keith Crighton - -maybe at the next meeting - -to explain or maybe talk to Mr. Robinson and explain what he has done. "I know with this one, Wayne and I made a recommendation to the staff -- primarily to Keith -- directly to Keith Crighton that they contact all contractors in the area and let them know. On the first couple of contracts, we only had one or two bidders and then after that it opened up a little bit and we started to get five, six and seven bids on these projects." Mr. Brownell said that one of the reasons that some of the contractors do not bid is that they - 15 -