The N&R reports the Greensboro City Council threw out all nine bids from companies submitting proposals to transform the city’s White Street landfill into some semblance of money-making venture.

Evidently this rather dramatic turn of events occurred in the wee hours of the morning. I didn’t catch it, but there was another interesting discussion that rated a sidebar in this morning’s write-up on the DOE grant. City staff submitted a proposal for the nonprofit East Market Street Development Corp. to be the lead agent in the development of the Bessemer Center, a rundown shopping center in East Greensboro that the city has been looking to redevelop for a decade now. Council member Zack Matheny expressed concern that the lead agent wasn’t sent out to bid, setting off a heated debate over whether or not East Market Street Development qualified as a sole source provider.

Within that debate was yet another debate on Robert’s Rules of Order, with Matheny instructing City Manager Rashad Young to hold a seminar on Robert’s Rules during the next council retreat. After all that, council member Robbie Perkins made a motion out of thin air to set up an RFP process for Bessemer Center. I’m no expert, but I’ve watched more than few government meetings and I don’t see where Perkins’ motion was within Robert’s Rules of Order. And interim City Attorney Becky Jo Peterson-Buie was absolutely no help.

But here’s the bottom line: Perkins went on and on about how Bessemer Center would have be a “labor of love” that will take an incredible amount of political and financial support from the city. Pretty incredible statement given the financial state government at all levels will find itself in 2011.

East Market Street Development Corp. will more than likely still be the lead agent following the RFP process. for what it’s worth, note that the nonprofit already receives funding from the city.