Despite Meeting All Bid Specs, TruGreen Ice Melt Bid Rejected, Board Agrees to Re-Bidding

I spent way too much time on ice melt bidding for Huntley School District 158 this week.

I entitled the article “Second Chances.”

What I did not know when I wrote it is that TruGreen won the bid last year. That came out in yesterday’s school board meeting.

The reason given for rejecting all the bids was that all bidders did not supply references (click to enlarge).

It turns out that last year’s vendor of ice melt to Huntley School District 158 was TruGreen.

That did not become obvious until last night’s meeting of the Committee of the Whole.

I understand that previous Huntley School District vendors do not have to supply references.

TruGreen filed a protest against Greve Construction’s lower bid, which you can read below:

“Upon information and belief, the awarded Bidder does not meet the qualifications set forth in the bid notice, specifically that said Bidder is not actively engaged in the work specified in the bid (emphasis in the original). TruGreen was contacted by Bidder prior to the bid to get information about suppliers and pricing for ice melt products which we believe was because of Bidder lack of knowledge and/or experience in procuring products.”

So, why did the purchasing folks recommend a re-bid?

My experience in working for and watching government since 1966 has led me to conclude that looking intensively at some aspect around which one can wrap one’s arms often provides more generally applicable insights.

This is the second time that Greve Construction has gotten an opportunity to re-bid. The first was on snow removal where administrators had miscalculated the cost of the real low bidder.

There has been so much turnover among administrators at District 158 that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to figure out whether the same person or persons were involved in both bids.

But I’m told that there was a severe hesitancy to provide information at last night’s meeting.

It’s got me scratching my head.

Anyone knowing anything that perhaps should receive wider dissemination, please drop me an email.


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