Round Lake to hold another vote on vehicle maintenance contract

Round Lake village trustees Monday night agreed to hold another formal vote on whether to hire the lowest responsible bidder to handle police vehicle maintenance this year.

Last month, trustees voted 3-1 against Mayor James Dietz’s recommendation to accept Ingleside Auto and Tire Center’s offer to perform expected work on the police cars, SUVs and light pickup trucks.

Dietz said Ingleside Auto and Tire’s prices for a potential range of work were an average of 33 percent less expensive than the other best, responsible bidder, A-Tire County Service in Round Lake.

Based on A-Tire charging Round Lake roughly $30,900 for police vehicle work in the fiscal year that ended last April 30, Dietz said, the village would save more than $9,100 for the same jobs with the prices offered by Ingleside Auto and Tire.

After much discussion at Monday night’s informal committee session, the village board agreed to hold a formal vote at a future meeting on whether to award the contract to Ingleside Auto and Tire.

“Give them a chance with the lowest bid,” Trustee Sonia Sandoval said.

However, Trustee Donald Newby questioned whether Ingleside Auto and Tire’s prices were much cheaper because it doesn’t use original manufacturer’s parts. Ingleside Auto and Tire owner Jerry Pitts responded from the village hall gallery that Newby was wrong.

Pitts said he’s competitively pursued many jobs and that he stands by offering prices that are 33 percent less than A-Tire’s.

“I put a lot of time and effort into (the bid) to do a good job,” Pitts said.

Police Chief Michael Gillette led the preparation of documents that sought maintenance proposals from the businesses. Gillette received help from Round Lake department heads and other village employees in a detailed process that began last year.

Bidders were solicited from an 8-mile radius of Round Lake. Dietz said securing fair prices for potential police vehicle service in advance would relieve village staff of trying to find the best deals on a piecemeal basis.

A-Tire was a source of Round Lake government controversy in 2004. In September of that year, Trustee Danette Kohlmeyer resigned after a Daily Herald investigation found she had approved more than $105,000 in village payments to her husband’s A-Tire operation from January 2003 to June 2004.

Kohlmeyer sent a letter to all six Round Lake trustees Jan. 30, two weeks after the village board majority declined to accept Ingleside Auto and Tire’s low bid. In part, she questioned the village’s bidding process, according to the letter the Daily Herald received Monday through a Freedom of Information Act request.

“It was very hard to bid this maintenance package with the extras included,” Danette Kohlmeyer wrote. “We honestly feel the bid process put us at a disadvantage as we were instructed to properly state what our fees are on the village bid package for all services requested. When village vehicles have been in my shop for a reasonable amount of work, I have always done a complete wash and inside detail at no extra charge, as a courtesy.

“As we have done so much previously without charge to you, now added to the cost of service, it brought in a much higher bid. Therefore, I don’t believe you are comparing apples to apples.”

Kohlmeyer also reminded the elected officials of a A-Tire’s history of financial support to the Round Lake area’s organizations, schools and governments. For example, A-Tire has advertised in Round Lake High School sports programs and donated to the Mano-a-Mano Family Resource Center in Round Lake Park.

“When needed, wanted or called upon, our family has given support to our community and our village.,” she wrote to the six Round Lake trustees. “I feel this is an important value that I hope you have not overlooked but factored in. Even though there were no areas listing community support, they should not be left out of this bid process.”