Kudos to the members of the Niles Township Board of Trustees who went against the grain in deciding to get competitive bids for an expensive well replacement job, rather than going with the same company the township had been using for years on similar work.

Peerless Midwest — by all accounts a very professional and well-run company that has been doing great work for the township for many years — gave the municipality an estimate of more than $100,000 to replace a broken well at Fulkerson Park.

At Monday’s regular meeting, the township was in the process of contracting with the company prior to Trusteee Herschel Hoese asking a simple question:

Why can’t we get some competitive bids to see what other options are out there?

That is no slight to Peerless Midwest. It is just responsible governing.

In all likelihood, the township might wind up contracting with Peerless Midwest for the work after it is all said and done.

However, it makes sense to at least get quotes from other businesses. You never know what you might get back.

While choosing to go through the bidding process will draw out the project longer than if the township had simply gone with Peerless, it is worth the delay for the peace of mind that comes with knowing you got the best possible company for the job at the best possible price.

Let us just hope that the township’s other two main wells hold up while they are working on fixing their third.

 

Craig Haupert is the community editor for the Niles Daily Star. He can be reached by phone at (269) 687-7720, or by email at Craig.Haupert@leaderpub.com.