Putnam county commissioner votes against demolition order over low wage concerns.
We would like to personally nominate Putnam county commission Gary Tillis as our hero of the week after he voted against a low bid for the demolition of a 353 square metre (3,800 square feet) building that, he believed, might impact upon demolition workers’ wages.
Tillis’ concerns were triggered by a disparity in the high and low bids for the project. “It seems like a big gap if you are going to comply with all state laws,” Gary Tillis said Tuesday in considering three bids that ranged from $8,850 to $79,907.
The low bid by D.Carter Inc. of Milton was accepted 2-1 pending a review by the commission attorney and staff, with commissioner Steve Andes asking that the review address the wage question. Hinzman Construction Inc. of St. Albans submitted the high bid. Wiseman Excavating of Liberty submitted a $20,000 bid and a fourth bid was rejected for lack of a bond.
Tillis suspected the disparity in bids could suggest the low bidder would avoid paying prevailing wages, a suspicion that wasn’t eased by reassurances that the issue had been discussed in the pre-bid meetings with contractors.
Gary Tills, we salute you.
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Have your say – Is low bidding driving down or keeping down worker wages?
