Threat of legal action throws pier demolition bidding process wide open again.
The City of Gulf Breeze is relaunching its search for a company to demolish the defunct Gulf Breeze fishing pier to head off a threatened lawsuit over a bidding dispute.
This comes after the City Council on Monday took the advice of its attorney, Matt Dannheisser, and voted unanimously to rescind a previous decision to accept a bid from Alabama contractor Virginia Wrecking. The firm was the second-lowest bidder.
Gulf Breeze officials said they bypassed the lowest bidder, National Salvage & Service, because they believed National did not plan to dispose of the pier rubble as an offshore reef as outlined in the project documents. But National threatened legal action, saying its bid proposal did outline disposing of the rubble in the manner the city outlined.
Virginia Wrecking’s attorney, Davisson Dunlap III, was at the council meeting and argued that it would be unfair to rescind his client’s bid. He indicated, in doing so, it could lead to a lawsuit for breach of contract.
“Virginia Wrecking was compliant and played by the rules,” Dunlap said.
After the council’s decision, Dunlap declined to comment on whether or not he would take legal action against the city. He said he and his client needed to discuss the issue first.
Virginia Wrecking Vice President Daniel Schambeau said he was “disappointed” about the city’s action.
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