FlintConservative
F L I N T O I D
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I wonder if that $600,000 of art work was low bid?
Mr. Foy had no comment on why this time low bid is the defining issue when it wasn't two years ago? (And of course the Urinal let him slide on that.)
And do you suppose Securitas is paying it's employees more or less than Teachout?
"MTA shuns local firm for cheaper bid
FLINTTHE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITIONFriday, February 22, 2008By Holly Klafthklaft@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6249
FLINT - Keep it local.
It was a message one area company tried to drive home Thursday as Mass Transportation Authority officials wrestled with a decision of whether to hire a security contractor headquartered in Sweden or rehire their Flint-based provider.
"We know the ins and outs," said Tom Gruno, executive vice president of Teachout Security Services, Inc., which has been MTA's security contractor for 15 years and employs about 200 area residents.
Board members voted 4-2 to hire Securitas Security Services as its security provider after it submitted the lower bid for a two-year contract. However, the decision may have needed the support of five board members to pass. MTA officials said the vote will be reviewed to determine if the decision will stand, or it could return to the board's agenda at the next meeting.
"I think we're doing a disservice to this community by making another contract," said board member Carolyn Sims, who supported giving the work to the Flint company. "If they perform to service and there's been no problem, then why change?"
Securitas operates in more than 30 countries and has about 450 offices in the U.S., including Flint. It also provides services for General Motors.
Securitas area Vice President Terry Sowers said the security company would hire local residents if awarded the contract. Teachout's two-year contract with MTA expired at the end of January, but the company has continued to provide security for the transportation agency, Gruno said.
Both companies ranked similarly in an MTA analysis of their abilities and experience, but Securitas had the lower costs. It submitted a bid for services set at about $415,000 compared to Teachout's $449,000 bid.
Teachout also would raise its pay by about 3 percent in the second year of the contract.
MTA General Manager Robert Foy said cost was the determining factor in his recommendation to hire Securitas.
"We can't do this based just on the fact that this is a local firm," Foy said. "It all comes down to trying to get the absolute most for the people of this community with the money we have available." Because MTA receives government dollars, it must follow federal guidelines for awarding contracts by hiring the lowest qualified bidder, Foy said.
But in 2006, MTA handed the security contract to Teachout after four other companies, including Securitas, submitted lower bids.
Foy would not comment on the 2006 decision to award the contract with Teachout." |
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