For the past year and one-half, the City of Brownsville has been evaluating the response to its Request For Proposals for commercial waste disposal in the city.
It is a lucrative contract, carrying a potential $60 million over five years.
That RFP was let out July 2017 partly as a result of complaints about the level of service and the condition of the rolling stock and dumpsters from GMS Waste Disposal, which held the contract to serve the thousands of customers in the city. The cutoff for RFPs was that November.In the meanwhile, GMC continues to serve the city on a month-to-month basis.
Yet, after one provider (Redfish Recycling) was told in March 19, 2018 it had submitted the highest-ranked proposal and entered into negotiations with the directors of the purchasing department and staffers, they suddenly found out that the city was also in negotiations with its competitor (Allied/Republic).That company was told that a vote by the city commission after meeting in executive session had chosen it for the award.
But it wasn't until after the commission voted to give it to Allied/Republic that Redfish filed a post-award protest (sour grape) with the city and threatened litigation regarding the proposal process.
Now, with new City Manager Noel Bernal on board, the city commission Tuesday voted to vacate its vote and to authorize him reject all the proposals and restart the bidding process.
That will probably trigger lawsuits from the responders to the city's original RFP. And it will also allow GMS to continue to perform the service until the bidding process is complete, or the case ends up being resolved in court.
GMS has been good to the city and its administration. It has made donations to city events like Charro Days, made repeated contributions to the city manager's fund for student scholarships and contributions to recipients considered worthy by that official.
GMS has handled the city's commercial and industrial waste work worth some $60 million over a five-year contract and was a frequent contributors over the 2015-2017 to the so-called Benefit Youth Recreational Program funded through donations to the annual City Manager's Golf Classic.
That fund total stood at $318,160 in Acct. # 01-9115848 in 2018.
GMS, which has handled the city's commercial and industrial waste work worth some $60 million over a five-year contract, was notable as one of the main contributors multiple times over the 2015-2017 period as were Spawglass Contractors, Estrada Hinojosa & Co., the city's financial consultants, Linebarger Goggan Blair & Simpson, the city's delinquent tax collectors, Terracon, Republic Services, the Public Utility Board, and SCS Engineers, the firm charged with keeping the city landfill in compliance with state regulatory agencies, EPA and others.
GMS's contributions for that two-year period was $17,250, each time at $750 a pop (23 times multiplied by $750= $17,250).
Allied/Republic Services' contributions were of $10,000 each time (2) as were PUB's.
No city commission candidates have reported that they had received political contributions from either GMS or Allied, but contributions can take many forms. In the case these three companies again submit proposals to the city administration, will past public donations to the scholarship fund and the city (or to candidates in-kind) carry weight in the final selection?
18 comments:
Juan do your homework or do you want me to do it for you, check it out but GMS has been collecting city of Brownsville trash since when Mayor E Hernandez was in office in the 1980's compadre
juan just look at the GMS Website, they have been in business for 33 years, since 1986, that's how the sausage is made.
The late Sam Perl used to say "I do love everybody" or something along that effect.
I wish everybody could love everybody.
When Pat was mayor he tried to.
But after awhile if you get everyone settled down the evil ones get stronger like a storm they bite you back for fun.
Any purchasing person with any kind of degree? No. Just like the finance dept with no CPA ever has or ever will work there. All cronys. Public works? No engineer, a Cabler crony incharge, don't even think he has any degree whatsover. Planning? All kinds of non-planners in there. City auditor? He's a nurse or something, no audit or accounting degree whatsoever. What exactly has the new City manager done to get rid of the calbler cronys? Nothing. BPUB 50K per year for those guys raise voted by the Golansky woman year after year...
"Look out for number one and try not to step in number two.”
― Rodney Dangerfield
Is there a way to let the citizens choose their own provider? Can we have a choice? Does it have to be that the city chooses for us?
for 8.20am its always who the city commission wants and agrees with (Mordida) that gets the contracts just ask the redfish owners, they can tell you who is asking for a handout (envelope with money) thats the way the sausage is made.
this IS WHY ALL THREE INCUMBENTS MUST BE VOTED OUT
You're right Juan. GMS has done a decent job, but just lacks the necessary political connections.
Thanks,
\
Dirty Perverted Mofo
You can choose your own electricity company, as far as water/waste water we are stuck with PUB.
for 8.49 pm, calmate public works director Santana torres guy graduated from Porter high school, no college but makes $78k plus %5000 car allowance, que bonito, now we know why brownsville streets are all shotup with potholes etc, this guy doesnt know shit from shinola. Son buena gente
Vote everybody OUT start new
Potholes are driving Brownsville mad. They cause rage, rows of road works, costing millions to repair, and are responsible for injuring hundreds of people each year. The public works dept is being pushed to the max and for the workers on the frontline, it can be like going into battle. Some city commissioners say they're at financial breaking point, struggling to cope with the pothole problem while 'pothole vigilantes' are taking matters into their own hands like voting all the commissioners and mayor OUT of office…
Show me a street without a pothole and I will show you paradise, said a local.
Juan every one knows that Cabler is still pulling the strings in the City, he has too much on the Commissioners and he is pulling their strings. We all know who is pulling Cablers strings that is Mr Big, he has been out of the limelight since Armando Villalobos was jailed, but he will say who wilnl get the green bin contract and he will decide not the commissioners but Mr Big.
Mr. Big? just who the hell is mr BIg? live and let die movie? james bond, felix leiter?
They just spent millions to renovate that canning building for the gringas and the elite of brownsville Y LOS POT HOLES QUE??? That idiot stated that he has seem 100's of similar flea markets my question here is at who's expense? He's or ours? Check it out Juan?????
folks with new tax bill in the legislature right now, which limits cities to increase taxes to 2.5 per cent only, city of brownsville will never fix the streets, on the other hand a new Public Works director would be great a guy with an engineering degree and not a high school diploma, same thing that happen to weslaco last june with all the rain- public work guy there pete garcia in not an engineer only has a high school diploma use dto be the parks director. Es muy amigo de Commish Tafolla el water pant bribe guy- puros compadres.
The so call local newspaper is advocating for more bike trails and to bring back plastic bags. Now they are spending 1000's of dollars to plant trees and other luxuries for "NOBODY" Y LOS POTHOLES QUE??? That NYC idiota wants to bring back the plastic bags. COB has already spent all the funds generated by the ban where did it all go to? NOT POTHOLES REPAIRS!!!
GRINGA PET PROJECTS THAT'S WHERE!!!
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