The Cookeville City Council expressed concern during a Monday work session after learning the city would be charged an estimated $1,900 in tariffs on a water meter bid approved in March.
Water and Sewer Director Barry Turner said he was unaware of the tariff charge until the company sent the invoice. Turner said the company also tried to charge tariffs on a bid that was approved in August, but after arguing with the company, he was able to get the company to remove the tariff charge.
“The one that we ordered in March, they want us to pay it, or I threatened to send the stuff back,” Turner said. “And I would have sent the other one back if we hadn’t agreed to it, but we can hold off on it for a while, but this one, we’re getting to the point where we get sort of lean in our inventory.”
Turner said other bids were much higher than the awarded bid. He recommended the council’s approval to pay the charge. Council Member Eric Walker said there is something to be said about the company making the city pay the tariffs.
“We did a bid, we bid something out, we were told what the price is for it, what we were gonna pay, and now we are having to pay more over something that we don’t control in that good process,” Walker said
Gas and Electric Director Carl Haney said he expects tariff charges on the city’s bid for gas meters.
“I would have to look and see that amount, it’s probably around $400,000 worth of meters, but they gave us that ahead of time, before they were being invoiced, that the total tariff cost was gonna be about $9,200,” Haney said.
The council will vote to approve paying the tariff charge at the council meeting this Thursday. The meeting will take place at Cookeville City Hall and will begin at 5:30pm.
