Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Springfield’s city council Tuesday will be asked to approve a nearly $1 million demolition contract that’s 40 percent more expensive than the lowest bidder. Staff is recommending Greentrac.
“The Salvation Army building, they had that contract, ten percent for minority subcontractors, and 48.51 percent for female contractors,” said public works director Dave Fuchs. “Poplar Place demolitions, it was eleven percent minority,”
Sam Shafer underbid Greentrac by $300,000.
“We were low bidder, and now there is a bunch of stuff coming up, and I believe it’s all based on wrong information,” Shafer told aldermen Nov 25. “We have the exact same asbestos minority contractor, female-owned, that the other company has. But yet (city staff) said (Greentrac) had it and we didn’t.”
Shafer’s not the only one seeking an explanation.
“I just don’t know why we didn’t go with the lowest bid and save the money,” Ald. Roy Williams told Fuchs.
“The track record that we have with Greentrac shows their commitment to our minority and female labor,” said Fuchs.
“Past performance is good,” said Ald. Jennifer Notariano, “but I don’t know that it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars better.”
“That’s what we rely on, is the labor reporting of it,” responded Fuchs. “Of course, when the contract is bid out, the expectation is in the contract.”
The contract is to tear down forty buildings.
