Posted on October 25, 2017
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Starke County Commissioners have chosen a contractor to replace two of the county’s bridges, but not before some concerns were raised about the county’s responsible bidding ordinance. LaPorte Construction was selected Monday to replace a bridge on County Road 25 North over Eagle Creek for just over $325,000. The company will also replace the bridge on 800 South over Bogus Run for just under $297,000.
Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler explained that LaPorte Construction was not the lowest bidder, though. Another company offered to do the work for thousands of dollars less, but Ritzler said it didn’t provide enough proof that it takes part in apprenticeship and training programs, as required by the responsible bidding ordinance. “They basically said that they don’t have any employees eligible for it, and even though they have them available, it did not state that they were part of that program,” he explained. “And in an effort to make these things equal across the board, we felt that that did not adhere to the ordinance that was passed.”
But before the commissioners even made their decision, one of the bidders filed a protest, according to Commissioner Kathy Norem. “So either that says they have a lack of confidence in our ability to read the ordinance and apply it correctly, or they think we’re going to try to circumvent it after we passed it, which I don’t know why we’d do that,” she said. “I want that in the record because that really upset me, that that protest came before they even knew what we were going to do.”
County Attorney Marty Lucas noted that this was the first major public works project Starke County has undertaken since adopting its responsible bidder ordinance back in March. “There are a couple other things that I think, maybe, we need to improve on our end, a little bit, to give a little better instructions, one of those being ‘drug-free workplace,'” he said. “We’re going to work to make that a little more clear, what’s expected out of the bidders in that area, too. What we got was kind of boilerplate that says, ‘We do that,’ but I feel that we need to go beyond boilerplate that says, ‘We do that,’ to actual evidence that they are, in fact, doing it.”
Norem added that a lot of work went into the responsible bidder ordinance, and she didn’t want to give the impression that the commissioners chose a contractor based on the bid protest itself. The cost of the bridge replacement will be covered, in part, by Community Crossings grant money from the state.
Showing posts with label Responsible Bidder Ordinance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Responsible Bidder Ordinance. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Starke County Commissioners Pass Responsible Bidder Law
Posted on March 22, 2017
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Starke County now has a responsible bidder law on the books. The county commissioners adopted the measure Monday evening following a brief public hearing. It sets clear and objective criteria contractors must meet in order to be eligible to bid on public works construction projects.
They include proof of licensure to do work in the state, disclosure of any federal or state law violations, tax liens or delinquencies, description of the project management team’s qualification and experience, proof of participation in construction apprenticeship training programs and assurance the workers’ employment status will be properly classified.
Prospective bidders must also show proof of an employee drug testing plan as required by state law and proof of any required professional licenses. They must also list any projects of similar size or scope that they’ve completed and provide proof of adequate surety coverage.
Representatives of the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting say defining “responsible bidder” ensures all contractors are able to compete on a level playing field. Such policies also protect employees from exploitation and ultimately lead to greater taxpayer value.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Starke County now has a responsible bidder law on the books. The county commissioners adopted the measure Monday evening following a brief public hearing. It sets clear and objective criteria contractors must meet in order to be eligible to bid on public works construction projects.
They include proof of licensure to do work in the state, disclosure of any federal or state law violations, tax liens or delinquencies, description of the project management team’s qualification and experience, proof of participation in construction apprenticeship training programs and assurance the workers’ employment status will be properly classified.
Prospective bidders must also show proof of an employee drug testing plan as required by state law and proof of any required professional licenses. They must also list any projects of similar size or scope that they’ve completed and provide proof of adequate surety coverage.
Representatives of the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting say defining “responsible bidder” ensures all contractors are able to compete on a level playing field. Such policies also protect employees from exploitation and ultimately lead to greater taxpayer value.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Starke County Commissioners Advance Responsible Bidder Ordinance
Posted on March 9, 2017
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The Starke County Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on a proposed responsible bidder ordinance during their March 20th meeting. The measure is also slated for adoption that night.
Such policies set clear and objective criteria contractors must meet in order to be eligible to bid on public works construction projects.
They include proof of licensure to do work in the state, disclosure of any federal or state law violations, tax liens or delinquencies, description of the project management team’s qualification and experience, proof of participation in construction apprenticeship training programs and assurance the workers’ employment status will be properly classified.
Prospective bidders must also show proof of an employee drug testing plan as required by state law and proof of any required professional licenses. They must also list any projects of similar size or scope that they’ve completed and provide proof of adequate surety coverage.
Representatives of the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting note while state and local laws require public construction contracts to be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, the law rarely defines “responsible.”
They contend that adopting a Responsible Bidder Ordinance ensures all contractors are able to compete on a level playing field, and employees are protected from exploitation, which in turn leads to greater taxpayer value.
Several local governing bodies in Indiana have RBOs on the books, including the Town of North Judson, LaPorte County and the LaPorte Community Schools.
Click Responsible Bidding Ordinance to read a copy of the proposal.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The Starke County Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on a proposed responsible bidder ordinance during their March 20th meeting. The measure is also slated for adoption that night.
Such policies set clear and objective criteria contractors must meet in order to be eligible to bid on public works construction projects.
They include proof of licensure to do work in the state, disclosure of any federal or state law violations, tax liens or delinquencies, description of the project management team’s qualification and experience, proof of participation in construction apprenticeship training programs and assurance the workers’ employment status will be properly classified.
Prospective bidders must also show proof of an employee drug testing plan as required by state law and proof of any required professional licenses. They must also list any projects of similar size or scope that they’ve completed and provide proof of adequate surety coverage.
Representatives of the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting note while state and local laws require public construction contracts to be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, the law rarely defines “responsible.”
They contend that adopting a Responsible Bidder Ordinance ensures all contractors are able to compete on a level playing field, and employees are protected from exploitation, which in turn leads to greater taxpayer value.
Several local governing bodies in Indiana have RBOs on the books, including the Town of North Judson, LaPorte County and the LaPorte Community Schools.
Click Responsible Bidding Ordinance to read a copy of the proposal.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Starke County Commissioners to Consider Responsible Bidder Ordinance
Posted on March 6, 2017
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The Starke County Commissioners will consider adoption of a responsible bidder ordinance on first reading when they meet tonight. Such policies set clear and objective criteria contractors must meet in order to be eligible to bid on public works construction projects.
They include proof of license to do work in the state, disclosure of any federal or state law violations, tax liens or delinquencies, description of the project management team’s qualification and experience, proof of participation in construction apprenticeship training programs and assurance the workers’ employment status will be properly classified.
Prospective bidders must also show proof of an employee drug testing plan as required by state law and proof of any required professional licenses. They must also list any projects of similar size or scope that they’ve completed and provide proof of adequate surety coverage.
Representatives of the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting recently approached the commissioners to discuss the proposed ordinance. They note while state and local laws require public construction contracts to be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, the law rarely defines “responsible.”
They contend that adopting a Responsible Bidder Ordinance ensures all contractors are able to compete on a level playing field, and employees are protected from exploitation, which in turn leads to greater taxpayer value.
Several local governing bodies in Indiana have RBOs on the books, including the Town of North Judson, LaPorte County and the LaPorte Community Schools.
Other items on the agenda for tonight’s Starke County Commissioners agenda are monthly reports from the EMS and highway departments. Tonight’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the annex building.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The Starke County Commissioners will consider adoption of a responsible bidder ordinance on first reading when they meet tonight. Such policies set clear and objective criteria contractors must meet in order to be eligible to bid on public works construction projects.
They include proof of license to do work in the state, disclosure of any federal or state law violations, tax liens or delinquencies, description of the project management team’s qualification and experience, proof of participation in construction apprenticeship training programs and assurance the workers’ employment status will be properly classified.
Prospective bidders must also show proof of an employee drug testing plan as required by state law and proof of any required professional licenses. They must also list any projects of similar size or scope that they’ve completed and provide proof of adequate surety coverage.
Representatives of the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting recently approached the commissioners to discuss the proposed ordinance. They note while state and local laws require public construction contracts to be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, the law rarely defines “responsible.”
They contend that adopting a Responsible Bidder Ordinance ensures all contractors are able to compete on a level playing field, and employees are protected from exploitation, which in turn leads to greater taxpayer value.
Several local governing bodies in Indiana have RBOs on the books, including the Town of North Judson, LaPorte County and the LaPorte Community Schools.
Other items on the agenda for tonight’s Starke County Commissioners agenda are monthly reports from the EMS and highway departments. Tonight’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the annex building.
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