Glen Cove City Council hits snag in Morgan Park bathroom renovations

The Glen Cove City Council hit another snag this week in its effort to renovate the bathrooms at Morgan Park by the summer.

Lou Saulino, the city’s Department of Public Works director, presented at the pre-council meeting Tuesday a proposal for a firm to prepare plans and specifications for the renovation and a cost estimate.

Glen Cove Mayor Timothy Tenke said the city asked three on-call consultants for estimates. Oyster Bay-based Newport Engineering had the lowest bid and under the resolution would receive $24,970 for the job.

Some councilmembers were quick to question the move, saying the city should instead issue a request for proposals. A similar resolution was shot down at a meeting last month with councilmembers requesting the project go out to bid.

But at Tuesday’s meeting, Saulino refused to do so, saying Wednesday that he believes that “no one can compete” with Newport’s bid and that an RFP would further slow the construction, which has been stalled since last year.

“I’m not going to do an RFP, so you can find a new Director of Public Works,” Saulino said to the city council at the meeting, which grew heated.

Councilman Joseph Capobianco said an RFP would be the “safest course of action” considering previous problems with the project. The city last year dismissed a Queens construction company for its alleged “poor performance” of the construction.

“What’s going on here?” Capobianco said at the meeting. “It’s like the gang that couldn’t shoot straight.”

Tenke said he believes Saulino is “acting in good faith to obtain reasonable estimates” for the project. He added that issuing an RFP would make it less likely they’d be able to open the restrooms for the summer.