Mayor Names IBTS City Services Contractor

CENTRAL —  The Institute for Building Technology & Safety (IBTS) has won the City of Central’s City Services contract, the Mayor’s Committee on City Services decided at a meeting last Tuesday night.  Mayor Mac Watts confirmed their decision and presented it to the Central City Council last Thursday.

Photo: David Ratcliff of IBTS

Now IBTS and the City of Central are working on details of the contract and the transition, which is supposed to occur July 1.

CH2MHILL, the $6 billion international corporation based in Denver, Colorado, which has provided City Services since 2008, was expected to receive the contract.  Central is the only city in Louisiana that has completely privatized all city services.

The committee adopted a system for rating the four bidders in eight different categories — Type of Organization, Years of Experience, Information Technology, Emergency Response, Price, Relevant Experience, Staff, and Transition.

IBTS, a non-profit organization founded by the National Governors Association, had the highest point totals among the four bidders for the contract. IBTS also had the lowest bid.  IBTS bid $16.2 million for the five-year contract, Severn Trent bid $17.4 million, CSRS bid $18.0 million, and CH2MHILL bid $18.9 million.

In the committee ratings, 225 was the highest possible score.  IBTS had 210.72 points; CH2MHILL, 194.86 points; Severn Trent, 187.00 points, and CSRS, 182.28 points.

Mayor Mac Watts had said in advance that he would follow the recommendations of the committee, which he appointed.  The committee members were Wayne Leader, chairman, Ti Barnes, Rodney Bonvillain, Pete Firmin, Louis DeJohn, Fred Raiford, Ralph Washington, Gil Matherne, and R. J. Saucier.

According to the committee’s rating system, IBTS had the highest scores for IT (information technology), Emergency Response, Price, and Transition.

CH2MHILL ranked the highest for Years of Experience, Relevant Experience, and Staff.

Severn Trent, which ranked 3rd overall, scored the best on Type Organization and was tied with CH2MHILL for Years of Experience. All four companies have over 30 years’ experience.

The maximum which could be achieved for each of the eight categories was as follows:

Type Organization 10

Years Experience 10

Information Technology 35

Emergency Response 25

Price 50

Relevant Experience 35

Staff 35

Transition 25

Total 225

The committee adopted a procedure under which the nine members of the committee rated each bidder in each category.  The committee then eliminated the highest and the lowest ratings and averaged the remaining seven.

The committee members worked through each category and rated each company in that category.  Then they went to the next category and rated the companies in that category.

At last Tuesday night’s meeting, the committee met in Executive Session over the objections of Councilman Tony LoBue and several other residents. The Executive Session was called to discuss three categories of evaluation — Relevant Experience, Staffing, and Transition.

Speaking in favor of the Executive Session were Russell Starns, Dave Freneaux, and Kandi Jones.

Speaking against barring the public were Dr. Kim Fralick, Mike Mannino, Mike LeClerq, and Woody Jenkins.  Jenkins said that, under state law La. R.S. 42:17(A)(1), the committee could meet in Executive Session only to discuss the qualifications and character of individuals and not other matters.

The vote was 8 to 1 in favor of the Executive Session, with only Councilman Ralph Washington voting no.

CH2MHILL’s contract with the City of Central ends June 30, 2011.  The City Council adopted a resolution approving that contract at its meeting March 2, 2008, and adopted a resolution for the funding of the contract.  However, the new City Council, which took office last July, voted to give notice to CH2MHILL that it would not renew the company’s contract.

Last Thursday, the City Council received the recommendation of the committee and the Mayor for a new City Services contractor.  If IBTS does successfully complete its contract negotiations with the City of Central and signs a contract with the City, it has designated David Ratcliff as the Program Director in Central.  He would be running City Services in Central on a day-to-day basis.

Other key people in IBTS’ plan are Larry Walters, Public Works Director; Dean Born, Permits and Inspection Manager; Kenneth Eglinsdoerter, Planning & Zoning Administrator; Daniel Leone, P.E., Engineering and Stormwater Services Manager, and Helen Lemoine, assistant city clerk.

IBTS has assembled a team which includes three other firms: Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC), GCR & Associates, and Verma Systems.

Contract negotiations between the City and IBTS are reportedly moving forward.