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Cheaper chairs settle seat debate
For $15,000, Redington Beach commissioners will not only have new chairs, but repainted and recarpeted quarters too.
By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published September 25, 2005
REDINGTON BEACH - The chair saga is apparently over.
Tuesday, the commission voted to buy themselves new chairs - at about half the cost originally proposed.
The chair controversy began last spring when the commission voted to buy 15 new chairs for both their dais and conference table.
The estimated $12,000 cost for full leather chairs raised such an uproar among residents, the commission backed off actually funding the purchase.
Residents had charged the cost of the chairs was "careless spending" of taxpayers' money and objected to the planned non-bid purchase.
One resident brought in sample chairs from area office supply stores - only to be rejected by the commission as "junk".
The chair debate continued over the summer as the commission continued to sit in damaged and deteriorating chairs, purchased in 1994.
The most damaged chairs were thrown out.
At one point Mayor Bob Fountaine complained that residents wanted the commission to sit in "cheap chairs." The issue had "become politicized," he said, making the commission "look foolish".
Tuesday, one day before the town's new budget was to receive final approval, the commission planned to authorize the repainting and installation of new carpet in town hall.
They did that and a bit more - they added the purchase of 13 new chairs to the project and capped the total cost at $15,000.
Concept Design Group, the same consultant that initially recommended spending $12,000 for the chairs alone was given the contract.
Vice Mayor Linda Wilson, who will supervise the color, fabric, and carpet selections, said it will cost about $8,000 for the painting and new carpeting, leaving about $6,000 to spend for the new chairs.
"Oh boy, is there going to be some backlash for this," said Mayor Fountaine after the vote.
[Last modified September 25, 2005, 02:15:40]
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