HOW TO CHARACTERIZE PROGRESS ON THE BIDDING FOR THE NEW OIL CITY SWIMMING POOL: GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS OR 1 STEP FORWARD 2 STEPS BACK. THE GOOD NEWS IS ALL OF THE BIDS CAME IN UNDER COST PROJECTION. THE BAD NEWS IS THE TOTAL BID COST IS STILL MORE THAN WHAT’S IN THE COFFERS FOR THE POOLS. NOW 1 STEP FORWARD. OIL CITY COUNCIL AWARDED THE GENERAL CONTRACTING BASE BID TO L.O. BOQUIN FOR DEMOLITION & RELATED WORK. AT $211,864. WORK IS SET TO BEGIN IN EARLY MARCH. 2 STEPS BACK. ALL 4 BIDS FOR THE AQUATIC WORK ON THE NEW POOL WERE REJECTED. THE BID APPLICATIONS WERE NOT COMPLETED CORRECTLY. OF THE 2 BIDS FOR ELECTRICAL WORK, THE LOW BIDDER, PENN OHIO ELECTRIC IMPROPERLY COMPLETED THE BID DOCUMENTS, LEAVING ONLY KANYUK ELECTRIC BIDDING FOR THE WORK. PENN OHIO CAME IN AT 46 3 & KANYUK CAME IN AT $54,000. COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO REBID THE AQUATIC & ELECTRICAL BIDS. COUNCIL IS HOPEFUL OF ATTRACTING MORE INTERESTED BIDDERS & A LOWER DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR THE PROPOSED WORK. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER JANET GATESMAN SAYS THE BIDDING WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED IN AN ABBREVIATED MANNER WITH ADVERTISING BEGINNING THIS WEEK & BID OPENING SET FOR EARLY MARCH.