Paperwork submitted by the mayor notifying the Pine Bluff City Council of his veto of legislation concerning the Chester Hynes Community Center gym floor does not contain a reason for the decision.
“An explanation of my reasons for this veto will be submitted prior to the next regular council meeting,” Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr. stated in his veto notice, which, according to the cover letter, was received by the city clerk’s office at 4:45 p.m. Friday.
The resolution, approved by the council at its June 18 meeting, awarded a contract to re-do the gym floor at the Chester Hynes Community Center to Sports Court of Arkansas for $41,520.
By city ordinance, Redus has until “prior to the next scheduled council meeting” to provide a written statement of his reasons for the veto, to be filed with the city clerk’s office.
In a poll of the City Council members conducted Friday evening by The Commercial, the group had enough votes to override the mayor’s veto at the July 2 council meeting, although a couple of the aldermen said their vote could change if new information about the situation emerges.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Redus has not returned a phone message left Friday evening asking for his reason for the veto.
At the June 18 council meeting, Alderman Steven Mays accused Redus of delaying the gym floor bid out of anger with Parks and Recreation Department Director Angela Parker, who was involved in a disciplinary action in May against Redus’ wife, a parks department employee. Redus denied the charge and said he thought the council’s action to accept the Sports Court of Arkansas bid would open up the city to potential lawsuits.
Sports Court was one of two original bidders to the project, with was put out to bid by the Parks and Recreation Commission, one of the city’s independent commissions. Expressing a desire to attempt to get a lower price for the project and research different types of flooring, Redus re-bid the project, resulting in four bidders.
None of the new bidders bid on the same type of flooring as Sports Court, however. Parker has said she and other Parks Department staff selected the type of flooring because it is easily repairable, among other qualities.
The bids from the second round were presented at the June 18 meeting, but the council voted to go with the original low bid from Sports Court, despite protests from Redus.
Parker and Alderman Wayne Easterly and Alderman Bill Brumett have made statements that they believe it is instead Redus’ actions that will open up the city to potential lawsuits because he put the original bidder in an unfair disadvantage by allowing other bidders to bid against them after their bid had been made public.
Parker said Friday that she was not surprised by Redus’ decision to file the veto.
“I knew he’d wind up doing it,” Parker said. “But hopefully, the council will override him at the next meeting. I still think that it’s the best choice for what we want to do. … I’m trying my best to do the right thing and get this done.”
Alderman Irene Holcomb, who started raising concerns in 2011 about the conditions at the Chester Hynes and Merrill community centers, said she will be back from a medical convalescence at the July 2 council meeting and will return to her role of being vocal about the projects getting finished in a timely fashion.
In Friday’s poll, Holcomb, Alderman Thelma Walker, Brumett and Mays said they would vote to override the mayor’s veto. Alderman George Stepps and Easterly said they would likely vote to override the veto unless further information emerged to change their positions. Boyd was surprised and said he would like to hear Redus’ reasons and the full council discussion before making a final decision. Brown — who was the sole vote against accepting the bid on June 18 — did not return a phone message asking for comment.
Six votes are required to override a mayoral veto.