The parking service in Blue Ridge will not go out to bid as a result of Mayor Donna Whitener’s tie-breaking vote during a Friday, May 21, special called meeting.
After months of battling back and forth amongst council members over the legalities and appearance of having not bid out the service to begin with, council members Harold Herndon and Mike Panter agreed to keep the service with Executive Parking Systems.
With council members Nathan Fitts and Rhonda Haight advocating for bids, and in Councilwoman Robbie Cornelius’ absence, the council split and left Whitener to break the tie.
Members in favor of keeping the current agreement believed it would be hard to find another company to provide the same level of service as the current provider, and they felt the company was doing a decent job.
Panter noted that City Attorney James Balli had said that bidding the service out was not necessary and having not done so is not illegal despite Fitts and Haight claiming it is a violation of the city’s charter.
In a special called meeting just prior, city council members discussed adopting a personnel policy, which ended up being tabled as a result of every member not having the document.
Although an executive session was on the agenda, members did not go into one and instead discussed in public.
Members and mayor were unsure whether or not an executive session was needed in order to discuss moving each police officer up in rank as a result of Mike Presswood’s retirement.
“Everybody’s moving up in rank, so we just need to approve everybody moving up rank ’cause obviously their pay will be affected because they’re all essentially going up one rank,” Fitts said.
The pay scale is the same as the one that has already been approved.
Whitener said since the pay scale is already in the policy, it doesn’t need to be voted on.
“I can’t see why you would,” Whitener said after Fitts questioned whether or not a vote is needed. “And if we find out you do (need to vote), then we fix it the next time.”
She said the pay would go back to the date of Presswood’s retirement.
A meter order ratification was approved. The meters cost $22,194.40.