Here is what happened according to the The SunPost:“Despite the efforts of a county commissioner, a mathematical mistake and shoddy paperwork cost a construction firm a $134 million water and sewer contract.
“This is just a line we had to draw,” said County Manager George Burgess.
Skanka USA and the Poole & Kent Company both bid on an upgrade job at the South Dade Wastewater Treatment Plant that called for the installation of a deep bed filter system to further treat wastewater that is pumped underground. But the bid of Skanka USA, a company with branches all over the country, was deemed “unresponsive” and thrown out.
Skanka USA’s bid was $18 million less than Poole & Kent Company’s, Commissioner Carlos Gimenez said. However, Skanka’s arithmetic wasn’t right, Burgess said.
Sergio Pereira is the lobbyists for Poole and Kent Company and Miguel DeGrandy is working for Shanka(sic) USA (I believe the correct name is Skanska USA Building).
For you newbies, Sergio and Miguel are the Vile Natacha Seijas' two favorite lobbyist boys. Finding them on opposite sides...how often does that happen? I guess they get paid no matter what, so does it really matter to them who gets the bid? Here is more from the article:
“Someone put a decimal point in the wrong place,” Burgess said. The company’s revised paperwork, which was turned in at deadline, also didn’t correct the mistake, County Attorney R.A. Cuevas said.
“Just to reiterate it, I’m not a BAFO [best and final offer] crazy guy,” Gimenez said. “But there is $6 million left on the table.”
Gimenez was the lone no vote, saying he did not want to pay $6,000,000 more. Poole & Kent got the nod from the rest of the Commissioners present. I guess lobbyist Pereira did a better job. Here is an interesting footnote: Chairman of the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and developer, Rodney Barreto was once the Poole & Kent lobbyist.
4 comments:
Natacha's favorite lobbyists are often on opposite sides of the same coin.
So then why do you need lobbyists?
Well, from reading the article, it was apparent that several commissioners were taken off guard by the comments of Gimenez. Reconsideration of an approved motion rarely happens, and the fact that it did should give all pause for concern. Some voted because they were told to vote that way, and others, like Sorenson, voted for it because they have a very unhealthy confidence in the abilities of Burgess. I am sick of this!
Wonder why the lobbyists don't run for office? It would cost them too much money. And even if they are on opposite sides of the issue, they can all make money, so they are still happy, happy.
So when Natacha retires, will she become a lobbyist?
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