PORTSMOUTH — WP Management Group, LLC, which owns and operates Whispering Pines Campground in Hope Valley and the Ashaway RV Resort, was unanimously selected by the Town Council Monday night to run the Melville Ponds Campground operations.

Dissatisfied by the lack of revenue being generated by the town-owned campground, the council decided last spring to heed Town Administrator John Klimm’s recommendation to put the campground consession out to bid by way of a request for proposal (RFP). WP Management will succeed the campground’s previous resident managers, Bill and Lisa Bryant.

The campground, part of the 153-acre Melville Recreation Area, ran at a loss of $5,745 for the last fiscal year — $226,000 in revenues, with $231,745 in expenditures. In 2012, the campground’s losses were over $12,000.

On Monday, Mr. Klimm said the Melville Ponds Campground Committee reviewed six proposals in response to the town’s RFP. The panel judged them on a predetermined scoring matrix that gave extra points for being a local business, and selected three organizations to interview.

After the interviews, the committee recommended WP Management. “The selection of this entity brings a very high level of management expertise,” said Mr. Klimm, who also predicted that the new operators will  bring in a “significant increase in the amount of revenue” to the town that will benefit local youth and recreational programs.

James Lathrop, the town’s director of personnel and finance, said he projects that the revenue to the town under the new management will result in about $31,000 in the first year and increase to $57,500 by the fifth and final year of the contract.

In addition, WP Management will make significant improvements to the property, including the installation of wireless internet, an online reservation system, operational camp store, onsite laundry facilities, security gate, renovated bathhouses and an upgraded electric system.

“This is changing the model,” Mr. Lathrop said. “We are no longer in the campground business. We’re not taking the risks or dealing with infrastructure. We’re accepting the payments.”

Justin May, owner of WP Management Group, said since his company already has two established campgrounds in Rhode Island, it will be easy to plug campers into its existing online system “to start making reservations immediately.”

Answering council member David Gleason’s question about the badly rutted Sullivan Road, one of the campground’s access routes, Mr. May said it’s definitely an issue that needs to be addressed. “It’s something that we’ll just have to work through as time goes on. I don’t have an answer for you right now,” said Mr. May.

Bidder complains over process

In a separate agenda item Monday night, a bidder on another RFP objected to the town’s ultimate selection of a company to conduct a “feasibility and space need study” on the police station and possibly the fire station and public works facility.

The town received six responses to the RFP and the council voted unanimously to award a contract to Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc., which was the low bidder at $20,000. Mr. Lathrop recommended Drummey, citing its low bid, prior experience and references.

But another bidder, Gary Graham and architect and associate professor at Roger Williams University, objected to the process in which Drummey was selected.

Mr. Graham said the proposals were due Dec. 1, yet Mr. Lathrop’s memorandum recommending Drummey is dated Dec. 2 and that his understanding was that interviews were to be scheduled with the highest-rated bidders.

“I’m suggesting that that did not happen,” Mr. Graham said. “This is not consistent in the way it was supposed to be done.”

Mr. Lathrop said he and his deputy used scoring metrics based on their own criteria, and that Drummey came out on top. Mr. Graham’s bid was for more than $30,000, said Mr. Lathrop, adding that he was under a time crunch to get the item on the next council agenda.

Mr. Klimm also said Police Chief Thomas Lee spoke to other chiefs regarding Drummey and they all had positive things to say.

Solicitor’s job goes to bid

In other business Monday, the council voted 4-3 to put the town solicitor’s job out to bid, breaking with recent past practice to appoint someone based on the political majority of the council.

“History has shown that we’ve hired (solicitors) on a partisan basis,” said Mr. Gleason, who recommended that the town issue an RFQ (request for quotation) from applicants for solicitor. The job should go out to bid, he argued, because the solicitor’s expenses have typically been around $100,000 annually.

The solicitor’s job is currently held by Kevin Gavin. “It doesn’t preclude our current solicitor from applying; he may be the most qualified,” Mr. Gleason said.

Mr. Seveney, while agreeing the process has been partisan, also said he doubts the town will find as good a bargain as it has from recent solicitors. “While I agree RFPs are good … what we’ve found sometimes is that this is not a competitive environment,” Mr. Seveney said.

He and the other two Democratic members of the council — Michael Buddemeyer and Kevin Aguiar — also argued the importance of retaining a familiar face in the solicitor’s chair due to ongoing legal issues faced by the town.

“We do have some daunting tasks coming up and I’d like to keep some continuity,” said Mr. Buddemeyer.

Council member Elizabeth Pedro, however, said it was important that the decision to hire a solicitor is based solely on an applicant’s merits. “I just don’t want to see another political appointment,” she said.

Voting to issue an RFQ for the job were Mr. Gleason, Ms. Pedro, Council President Keith Hamilton and council member Joseph Robicheau. Voting against were Mr. Seveney, Mr. Buddemeyer and Mr. Aguiar.

The council voted unanimously, however, to retain Cort Chappell as the town’s prosecuting attorney in criminal matters.