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July 10, 2009: Bill Clinton would be proud...it depends on what your definition of a 'bid' is...business as usual in the Shores
To answer Ron Frederick's question, it is not that the vendors who get 'beat' up by irate citizens which is the reason we seem to receive so few bids on contracts we put out: It is this:
From: Podolski, Kenneth <Podolski@scsmi.net>
Subject: RE: Code of Conduct
To: "Kathy Scruggs" , "Ahearn, Matthew" <mahearn@scsmi.net>, "Frederick, Ron" <rfrederick@scsmi.net>, "Hison, Robert" <hison@scsmi.net>, "McFadyen, Beverly" <mcfadyen@scsmi.net>, "Moffitt, Mark" <mmoffitt@scsmi.net>, "Rubello, Dave" <rubello@scsmi.net>, "Walby, Kip" <walby@scsmi.net>
Cc: "Ihrie, Bob" <Ihrie@scsmi.net>
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 3:09 PM
Ms. Scruggs,
Mr. Haney and Mr. Smith did not violate the Standards of Conduct in the cities Purchasing Policy. Section B states: Employees shall be prohibited from furnishing to any prospective bidder information that would give any vendor an unfair advantage over other prospective vendors. The key word is “bidder”. the city did not seek sealed bids for insurance, instead we issued a Request for Proposals which allows for open discussion of information with any person submitting the RFP. If we had solicited sealed bids, I would agree with your assertions.
Sincerely,
Kenneth R. Podolski
City Manager
St. Clair Shores
586-447-3311
Fax 586-445-4313
Mr. Podolski was responding to my e-mail which is below.
From: Kathy Scruggs
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 2:44 PM
To: Ahearn, Matthew; Frederick, Ron; Hison, Robert; McFadyen, Beverly; Moffitt, Mark; Rubello, Dave; Walby, Kip
Cc: Podolski, Kenneth
Subject: Code of Conduct
Both Mr. Haney and Mr. Smith must be called on the carpet for violating the Code of Conduct as it relates to the insurance fiasco, as should Mr. Dumas on the Waste Management Contract.
It is pathetic that, as council, few of you seem to have any sense of outrage at the antics of those who answer to you and in fact, go the extra mile to tell them what a great job they are doing.
Shame on you and shame on them. If you want to know why in the past so few companies have refused to bid on SCS contracts, perhaps it is because the double-dealing of such employees soon becomes know and bidders just refuse to spend all the time and effort it takes to submit bids because the word gets out that their bids will be used only as 'comparisons.' and that they haven't a chance in the world of actually getting the contract.
Such behavior is not only immoral,it is highly unethical.
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I'm sure that Mr. Ihrie is even now 'researching' the legality of what Mr. Podolski wrote and will have some long, convoluted response at the next city council meeting as to why it is perfectly 'legal' to take a competitors proposal and show it to their "favorite sons." And, of course, the "favorite" will lower their price and council members and department heads can crow that they "saved" us money!
This is repulsive.
As I answered Mr. Podolski, ..."as my daddy used to say, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig."
How long we will allow this to go on? Unless we change the make up of city council, we are going to be stuck with a hard core group who have never seen a favorite son contract they did not love...and worse, over the years, most likely have cost residents millions of dollars.
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