The city will re-bid an improvement project for its corporation
yard after a controversy over whether some bids were received on
time
– meaning a delay of about two months in the project’s
start.
Corporation yard improvements could be delayed by two months
GILROY – The city will re-bid an improvement project for its corporation yard after a controversy over whether some bids were received on time – meaning a delay of about two months in the project’s start.
“This does not happen very often,” City Administrator Jay Baksa told the City Council Monday. “It’s not something we like to do, but it’s something that we feel in the sake of fairness is something we should do.”
According to a staff report from the city’s purchasing department, there were conflicting accounts about when the final two of 13 bids for the project were submitted and whether they met an April 9 due date and time.
Although one of the bids – which turned out to be the lowest – was initially rejected as late, the bidding company protested the decision. But when city officials said further investigation indicated that city’s decision may have been inappropriate, they didn’t have full copies of the bid package to review to ensure all requirements were met.
The subsequent recommendation to reject all bids drew a letter of protest – and threats of legal action – from the firm that would have apparently won the contract if the bid in question was rejected outright for being submitted late.
“This will set a bad precedent and will compromise the integrity of your project’s team and the city of Gilroy’s bidding process in general,” wrote James Moore, vice president of San Jose’s Robert Bothman Inc.
Baksa told Council Monday the confusion was the result of many bids coming in at the last minute and an inexperienced person involved in their receipt. New procedures have been established in the wake of the incident, he said.
“We will ensure this does not happen again …” he said.
The project at the Old Gilroy Street site will replace decades-old metal storage sheds that serve as offices and workrooms with a new administration building and a remodeled fleet building.
