Council Chooses MEDC over Mays & Associates for $280,000 Economic Development Contract
December 19th, 2014 by Joe BurgessThursday night the Monticello City Council accepted the bid of the Monticello Economic Development Commission, better known as the MEDC, of $280,617 for economic development services to the city over P.F. Mays & Associates, LLC’s bid of $264,000.
The problem for that decision, (which has no correct answer) comes back to the way the contract was advertised in its legal annoumcement.
Mays’ response to the “request for proposal” addressed everything that was listed in the request. Plus she had the lower submitted bid.
The MEDC’s bid also addressed other issues, such as the $65,000 Spec Building payment and the property inspection service, that the MEDC currently provides to the city. These items were not included in the bid advertisement.
Mays told the council that her proposal was based on the requirements stated in the advertised request, and property inspection was not included as a requirement.
The “ad for bids” reportedly used the same wording that it has for 3 years, all of which led to yearly MEDC contracts based on the ads, as they were printed.
Patricia Mays then told the council she responded to the bid request as advertised, submitted the lowest bid, and is qualified to do the work.
Mays, a Monticello native, has an industrial engineering PhD from Texas A&M and years of experience in that several other business management and related entineering psotitions.
After they had reached their 7-1 decision, Mays stated, “According to Arkansas state law you are required to accept the lowest bid from a qualified bidder. So, unless you can explain to me why I’m not qualified, I think you need to accept my bid.”
Joe Meeks again mentioned that her bid didn’t include the spec building or the city insptection. Mays responded, “I understand, but that is not part of the RFP (request for proposals) and the accountability would be with the council, that’s the oversight.”
Meeks also mentioned his concerns about effects that a change could cause with Zilkha Biomass, and their upcoming $90 million industrial investment.
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So, basically they City Council advertises for bids, leaves out parts of the contract they expect to be fulfilled and then goes with the highest bidder who has been working on most of these same issue for years. EX: The spec building that has been sitting vacant from day 1 with no prospects.
What? Are you kidding me? So being more than qualified, and submitting a (lower) bid per the requested criteria gets you no where! Is that a little or a lot shady?
Dr. Mays is certainly highly qualified, and she did submit the lowest bid for the advertised service. Adding services which Dr. Mays was deprived the opportunity to bid on, and which resulted in the selection of the MEDC bid, sounds illegal and like old-time Southern politics in action. This certainly is a clear violation of State law, yet the Monticello City Council still chose to select the highest bidder. I can’t help but wonder if this will be yet another contractual mess like the City Council managed to get us in with the water project. I hope we have an opportunity to hear a legal ruling on this matter.
Why did the City Council ask for bids if they knew who they wanted to run MEDC? Patricia Mays is correct about what she is saying. Again the Monticello City Council is a day late and a dollar short. (Remember the water meter fiasco?) They cannot advertise what they want to give others an opportunity to do a much better job than what has been done in the past. The way the City is run is a shame. Come on people can’t you elect City Council members who have a brain and know how to use it?
Thank you Sandra, remembering, and Mary Ann.