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Chillicothe council waives bidding requirement to speed emergency pump-station repairs after fire
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Summary
Mayor Feeney told council a flood-wall pump station suffered a complete loss in a fire and asked council to waive the formal public-bid process to accelerate repairs; council voted to waive the requirement and the mayor said staff will seek an appropriation after quotes are obtained.
Mayor Joe Feeney told Chillicothe City Council on March 9 that a flood-wall pump station in a city park suffered a “complete loss” in a recent fire and asked the council to waive the traditional public-bid process so repairs could proceed under an emergency authorization.
Feeney said the law director’s office reviewed the situation and verified that council may waive formal bidding in an emergency. “We reached out to the law director's office. They verified our ability to do this,” he said. The mayor said insurance is expected to cover the cost, and that staff will request a formal appropriation after they have obtained quotes.
Councilmember Creed moved to waive the bidding requirement and Councilmember Dunn seconded the motion. The clerk called the roll and the motion received the required two-thirds vote and was approved. The mayor said waiving the formal bid process would shorten procurement time by 60 to 90 days and help avoid supply‑chain delays for electrical components.
The council did not adopt an appropriation at the meeting; Feeney said an appropriation request will follow once the city has multiple quotes. The law director (Mr. Anastasia) said his office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol have been consulted on related procedural issues during other matters, but no specific statute was cited on the record for the procurement waiver.
Next steps: staff will solicit multiple quotes, return to council with an appropriation request, and proceed with emergency repairs once funding details are in place.
