Wednesday, December 11, 2013

City Council tired of eager PGW suitors



The bidding war for the Philadelphia Gas Works has stepped on the toes of some City Council members when lobbyists began contacting them directly, violating the confidentiality agreements designed to prevent details of this sale going public.

The lobbyists claim to represent the bidders and have been issued a warning to fall back from Suzanne Biemiller, Mayor Michael Nutter’s first deputy chief of staff, according to this story from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Here's more:

Guessing which utilities or private equity firms are vying to buy PGW has turned into a City Hall parlor game.

"I should say there are certainly many rumors floating around the city," Biemiller said. "We certainly haven't confirmed any of those rumors. You can't keep people from talking and speculating, but the bidders themselves are eager to keep their names confidential at this point."

In November a pool of 30 bidders was narrowed down for the final round of bids to be developed for submission in January. Net sales proceeds could award the city between $400 and $900 million, which Mayor Nutter has suggested be used to benefit the city’s pensions fund.

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