Photo is courtesy of Ridgewood Tax Assessor’s Offfice
Council will accept “secret” bids for Gilsenan/Gap property
August 31,2013
Boyd A. Loving
12:40 AM
Excerpted verbatim from the RFP for development of property on East Ridgewood Avenue between Gilsenan Insurance/Real Estate and The Gap:
“As all elements of proposals are considered negotiable, the Village does not expect to disclose the identity of competing parties or details about their respective proposals until such time as the public purpose for doing so no longer exists, i.e., when contract negotiations are concluded and Village Council approves of proposed award of lease. Thereafter, all proposals and a joint report of the Village Manager and Village Engineer will be available for public inspection.”
https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2013CompleteRFP.pdf
It has been common practice to make bid submissions available for public inspection immediately following the advertised bid opening. Why not in this case? Who is bidding on this project; the CIA and NSA? Is this even legal?
So much for “transparent” municipal government.
Boyd, thanks for the Link you provided here….. But, I cannot open it…. shucks.
A little historical note: with the Daily Treat in the news lately. Did you know that the Daily Treat was own by the Gilsenen Real Estate (two older Brothers Bill and Dick) before Gus… OH…. to be old………and know all this stuff.
How can public bids be private? Who is (are) the bidder? Sounds like insider shenanigans to me.
Once again our mayor is permitting, more like enabling, underhanded activity.
“As all elements of proposals are considered negotiable”….this sounds like a reasonable attempt to prevent collusion among the bidders. Sounds lke a smart plan to me and all will be revealed upon an award.
Smart plan to prevent collusion among the bidders?! I think not! More likely a plan to let a particular bidder win. It smells. Why else would they change from the usual procedure?
Ok I’ll bite, who is the bidder?
Why can’t Ridgewood just have some good news postings?? Been here 67 years and everyday I’m told to leave while I can. Beginning to believe it. Gabbert gone, next should be Aronson. I love my town but what is going on? ( please blogger, there isn’t a photo by your buddy Boyd to go along with this post, but try for a change to post comment )
Mr Mayor where is the Transparency? Or do you use that word only when you want to attack someone. What a hypocrite we have elected by an overwhelming majority
All bids are sealed how can there collusion?
#9….terms can be negotiated after the bid openings. If bidders are announced then it’s easy for them to contact each other to set their own terms.
#9 – Correct. All bids are sealed and no changes to bids can be made after they are opened. So why is it that the public will not be told who submitted a bid until after a contract is awarded? Who is planning to submit a bid that Village Council members don’t want the public to know about?
#10 – I’ve never heard of terms being negotiated following a bid opening and this is the first case I can recall in which the bidders’ names will be kept from the public.
I smell the Chamber’s Parking Garage Committee involvement here.