Aquatic bidder tries an end-around

If our readers are tired of the drama that the Columbus Aquatic Center has created, rest assured, we who serve as the conduit through which it flows are equally anxious to see it resolved.

That said …

One of the companies that responded to the city’s long-ago request for bids to operate the Columbus Aquatic Center and was not chosen to be presented to Columbus Council took it upon itself to contact each individual councilor and Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, pleading its case.

That’s a major no-no.

It’s a violation at least of the city’s procurement protocol and possibly state law for vendors to circumvent the process and reach out to the elected officials who would make the final decision.

I got a little wind of this a while back, but I couldn’t confirm it because no one besides the company was willing to talk about it on the record. I couldn’t confirm the validity of their claims because the process was not yet subject to open records laws. And the city was clammed up tighter than a tick. (Pardon the mangled metaphor.)

But the issue came into the public realm Tuesday when Councilor Glenn Davis made reference to the emails in an open council meeting.

When he did, Tomlinson stepped in and explained the legalities of such communications and suggested she might refer the matter to the state attorney general. That slowed down the public discussion considerably.

But the point is moot now anyway, because after an exchange with the city’s purchasing department chiding the company for circumventing the legal process, it reportedly has chosen to withdraw from it.

Ground rules

Let’s clear something else up, while we’re on the subject of the aquatic center.

The lightning protection system that was value-engineered out of the project during construction was not and was never intended to have anything to do with swimmer safety.

Swimmer safety is ensured by the fact that the pool is grounded, which is required by law. The place never would have opened its doors without grounding that meets International Building Code.

Tough budget season looming

Meanwhile, if the $500,000 shortfall for the Aquatic Center has city leaders so wrapped around their axle, what’s the looming budget session going to look like, when they’re dealing with literally 500 times that much money?

Stay tuned.

This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Aquatic bidder tries an end-around."