City official that barred contractor for being two minutes late is our latest winner.
As a career journalist, I understand better than most that a deadline is a deadline. But when a demolition contractor loses out on a contract for being two minutes late, and when that tardiness is then proven by affidavits from city officials, then we believe it’s our duty to award such over-zealousness with a (not so) coveted Jobsworth Mug.
City officials hope the First Baptist Church demolition project finally will begin after the latest delay – a lawsuit brought by a contractor that lost the project because its bid was minutes late – was dismissed by a judge. State Supreme Court Judge Richard T. Aulisi ruled Thursday to dismiss the request by Dan’s Hauling & Demo of Rensselaer County that he issue an injunction on the demolition.
The company claimed through its Oswego-based attorney, Kimberly A. Steele, that its representative had arrived at City Hall to hand in the company’s bid at 1 p.m. according to the person’s cell phone. But affidavits from people at City Hall maintained the person had arrived in the parking lot at 1:01 p.m. The bid was time-stamped 1:02 p.m. The deadline was 1 p.m.
The Common Council unanimously approved a $499,400 bid by Stamford Wrecking of Trumbull, Conn., on Oct. 12. A state grant awarded in 2008 for about $434,000 will cover most of the cost.
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