Norman M. Guerra, executive director of the Hudson County Improvement Authority, told the Board of Freeholders at the March 10 caucus meeting that the low bid on a trash contract was rejected because the company failed to supply critical information with the bid.
The bidder filed a lawsuit in Superior Court in March against the county, saying the county should have accepted its low bid. Interstate Waste Services of Ramsey had bid on a $150 million five-year trash disposal contract.
The HCIA awarded the contract to EnviroSolutions of Virginia, even though IWS’s contract was $2 million less.
The suit claims that one of the criteria used to reject IWS’s suit was that the HCIA thought they were in questionable fiscal standing, but the suit contends that the company is in a better financial position than EnviroSolutions.
The Board of Freeholders is involved with the situation because it has to vote to amend the county’s solid waste management plan in order for the contract to move ahead.
Guerra said the IWS’s bid failed to meet two of the five necessary requirements of the bid specifications in order to comply, forcing the HCIA to seek the next responsible bidder.
He said four companies bid on the contract.
Freeholders may purchase Pavonia Avenue building
In other county news, Freeholder Bill O’Dea said that leasing the existing county annex building was a mistake without a clause allowing the county to purchase the building afterward. O’Dea praised the Hudson County Administration for including a purchase provision with the new lease.
“At that rate, we paid most of his mortgage on the building.” – Bill O’Dea
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The county leased the building at 567 Pavonia Ave. in 1992 from outgoing Hudson County Democratic Organization Chairman Joseph Panapinto at a total cost of more than $1 million, county officials said.
“At that rate, we paid most of his mortgage on the building,” O’Dea said, noting that a new leasing agreement will include a buyout provision.
But O’Dea said the county has another option, and he has proposed hiring an architect to see if the county can construct a new building as part of the County Plaza complex currently being renovated for county uses. Because of the economic downturn, prices on construction are lower than in the past, and the currently leased facility lacks enough parking.
“We should remain where we are for as long as it takes to build the new building,” he said.
County support for JC Museum to be reviewed
Attempting to ward off a possible influx of requests from various art groups around the county, the freeholders held back approval for a $25,000 grant to the Jersey City Museum in order to set up possible additional criteria.
Freeholder Bill O’Dea questioned the funding, looking to get more details on how the museum benefits residents countywide.
In flusher financial times of the past, the freeholders agreed to fund the museum after an appeal from the museum. But O’Dea said with cutbacks on every level of government, other groups will also seek funding, and the county will need to set up stricter guidelines as to which groups will get funding.
Freeholder Jose Munoz said art groups in West New York are also asking for funding. He said if the freeholders approve the museum funding, it will be difficult to argue against funding other groups on the basis that the county lacks money.