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$2 million bid question gets new answer
(by Mike Klimko - October 09, 2008)
$2 million bid question gets new answer
By MIKE KLIMKO
Risking $2 million in Federal Highway Administration funds earmarked for improvements planned on Pettibone Road was too much Monday for Solon officials.
City Council took a step to safeguard the grant toward the $12.6 million in improvements planned for the length of Pettibone Road within the city limits, awarding the contract to Kenmore Construction.
The Akron company turned in the lowest bid for the project. But last month, citing residents complaints over the Aurora East sewer project done by Kenmore, council voted for second lowest bidder on the Pettibone Road project, Fabrizi Trucking & Paving, of Middleburg Heights.
Informed by letter of the city's reasons for not awarding the contract to the lowest bidder, the Ohio Department of Transportation responded that the decision could result in the loss of the $2 million.
Federal and state officials agreed that the justification for the selection of the second bidder was not sufficient grounds to reject the low bid, district design manager Gary Benesh said in an Oct. 6 letter to city Engineer John J. Busch.
"The City of Solon may choose to award the contract to the second bidder. However, in doing so, the city will risk federal participation in the Pettibone Road project," Mr. Benesh said.
The letter carried plenty of weight for council. After voting 5-2 for the Fabrizzi bid last month, all seven members voted Monday for Kenmore.
Councilmen Robert N. Pelunis and William I. Russo cast the dissenting votes last month. Mr. Pelunis opened the discussion Monday with a motion to award the contract to Kenmore.
At issue for council was the funding, Councilman Edward K. Kraus said. Problems with the previous improvements were well documented by council members Susan A. Drucker and John T. Scott, he said. The complaints lodged by residents were legitimate, he said.
The city should get an answer on how the fulfillment of the new contract would differ from the previous contract, Mr. Kraus said.
A new set of inspection consultants and project manager are in place, including the addition of former sewer division manager Daniel Driscoll to the construction division, Public Works Director James S. Stanek said.
The letter from the state was troubling, Mr. Scott said. In light of the treatment of residents by the Kenmore crews and the quality of work, he said, it's unknown what standards are applied by the state.
City officials should be provided with contact numbers in order to report problems directly to Kenmore as a way to cement a partnership in the project, Mr. Scott said.
The company can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a week via numbers posted on its Web sight, Kenmore President William Skala said. In two years in Solon, the company received one late-night call, he said.
Mr. Suit requested a direct contact number for himself, Mrs. Drucker and Mr. Scott. He said Mr. Skala's refusal "spoke volumes" of the way Kenmore operates.
Direct numbers have not been provided in the 53 years that the company has been in business, Mr. Skala said, but he would provide all members of council with the number, if necessary.
Kenmore bid $12.3 million in infrastructure improvements, with an alternate bid of $308,208 for sidewalks. Fabrizi bid $12.4 million for infrastructure and $381,178 on sidewalks.
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