Chesterfield Goes High Bidder for Pool Management

At a recent Chesterfield City Council meeting the Council voted 7-0 to award a three-year contract for management of the Chesterfield Family Aquatic Center to a company that was not the low bidder.

I have seen this often in government and sometimes the second-lowest bidder can offer something the low bidder can’t. Or the low bidder has had problems somewhere in the past or a general lack of experience.

However, after the vote, I was interested in seeing the overall bids.

But the winning bid from Midwest Pools of Maryland Heights, MO was not the second lowest bidder, it was actually the HIGHEST bidder. Midwest Pools was $23,966 higher than the second place bidder, and $53,363 higher than the lowest bidder.

There does not appear to have been a thorough investigation before a contract was awarded to the highest bidder.

Location, experience

In a memo from Parks Director Thomas McCarthy, the first concern is that the two lowest bidders are out-of-state. (They are both from Georgia.) He wrote the Georgia companies don’t manage swim centers as large of Chesterfield's.

He said Midwest Pool has just completed a three-year contract and provided excellent service. He admitted that a check of the competing bidders’ references also showed good recommendations. He also wrote that both companies propose to hire fewer lifeguards than Midwest Pool, which was a red flag for him.

Director of Public Words Mike Geisel also sent a memo to City Administrator Mike Herring, recommending City Council accept the high bid from Midwest Pools. Geisel wrote that Midwest Pool Management has a better training program for lifeguards, that requires annual certification.

Second lowest bidder Scott Blevins of Pool Management, Inc., told me that his company is 17 years old, and has managers with over 30 years experience in managing aquatic centers. Blevins said Pool Management actually manages some water centers larger than Chesterfields, including some further away from their Georgia office than Chesterfield.

Lifeguards

Concerning the number of lifeguards, Blevins said Pool Management hires more seasonal fulltime lifeguards, while some companies will hire mostly part-time lifeguards (10-20 hours weekly.)

About lifeguard training, Blevins said they require Red Cross lifeguard certifications which are good for two years. He added Pool management has monthly in-service qualification and certification. He said no one from Chesterfield ever asked him about the company’s in-house lifeguard training.

The lowest bidder, USA Pools manages pools in 25 states, including Missouri, Kansas and Illinois.    

So while Midwest Pools is local company, all three bidders would be hiring local people to run the aquatic center.

Blevins said Midwest Pools had most of Missouri locked up, so losing one city contract would not mean layoffs at corporate headquarters.

On the written claims from Mike Geisel that lifeguards under the Starfish program are better than those certified by the American Red Cross, I asked Gustine “Gussie” Crawford for her opinion on the matter.

Crawford is the former national president of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) who for 40 years has been the regional chairwoman for the AAU. Almost any kid who participated in an AAU swim program in the last 40 years has carried a membership card with Crawford’s signature on it.

“Oh baloney,” said Crawford when asked if Starfish certification for lifeguards was better than the Red Cross.

“I am familiar with both. We require our swim coaches and people doing lifeguarding duties at our meets to be American Red Cross certified lifeguards, if that answers your question.” 

Many cities are known for developing a strong relationship with a service contractor and are reluctant to lose that relationship and institutional knowledge. 

Spare change

However, how much does the cost savings have to be before city officials request more information from the lower bidders? Is it $100,000 or $200,000 before you look harder at low bidders? 

Apparently $53,363 during a recession is not a sufficient amount to look further at the lower bidders. 

I am half-Scottish…so $53,000 would be enough for me.