Kohler to City: ‘If you want to take other people’s money, you should at least have them in the room’

In the unfolding story about the Baptist Hospital demolition project, Escambia County Commission Chairman Mike Kohler has responded to Mayor D.C. Reeves’ comments about the selection of North Star for the demolition contract instead of the lowest bidder.

Phone Conversation

In a conversation with Chairman Kohler this morning, he shared his perspective on the situation, which adds context to the growing controversy.

Kohler revealed that county commissioners had received the bid information last Friday, well before the city publicly released it after midnight last night.

• “We’ve had them all since Friday,” Kohler explained, noting that the bids ranged from $10.6 million to $14.4 million, with Independence Excavating offering the lowest bid.

The chairman expressed confusion about why the city didn’t select the lowest bidder for what is essentially a demolition project.

“Why would, for a demolition project, why would they not just take the lowest bid? I mean, we’re not building, we’re tearing down.”

Blindsided

Contrary to Mayor Reeves’ suggestion that Kohler should have reached out before speaking to the press, the chairman explained he was blindsided by the mayor’s comments. He was surprised that a comment at the end of an interview with PNJ reporter Mollye Barrows about the Escambia Children’s Trust ended up in the mayor’s press conference. He said, “I never talked with Jim Little (another PNJ reporter) late yesterday afternoon” – the presser was at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

• Kohler raised concerns about the city’s process, noting that neither Baptist Hospital representatives nor county officials were included in the bid evaluation process despite being asked to contribute financially. “If you want to take other people’s money, you should at least have them in the room in the bid process.” 

Willing to Help

Despite his criticism, Kohler emphasized that the county remains willing to help with the project, though perhaps not at the full $2 million level originally discussed.

• “I don’t want you to think that the county is unwilling to help,” Kohler said. “We are willing to be a partner with the city.”

The Escambia County Commission is expected to discuss the matter next month. However, Kohler indicated he’s waiting for more detailed financial information from the city before placing it on the agenda.