Parish Council defers vote on whether to approve the lists of qualified and disqualified firms
Jefferson Parish evaluation committees disqualified a third of the proposals from 45 engineering firms seeking public works contracts, drawing the ire of Parish Council members who said the rejection list is remarkably long and includes more than a dozen companies already employed by the parish. "We've got people who have been working for this parish for the past 25 years. Now, all of a sudden, three people decide that they can no longer do that," Councilman Louis Congemi said. "It's amazing, and I don't understand it."
Louis CongemiThe committees voted to reject 59 of 176 statements of qualifications the parish received from 45 firms asking to be considered for professional service contracts capped at $300,000 for sewer, water, street and drainage projects.
The number of statements was higher than the number of firms because most companies submitted a separate proposal for each of the four contract categories.
Congemi said the 34 percent rejection rate is "pretty harsh" given that the parish typically has rejected just a few proposals in the past.
Public Works Director Kazem Alikhani agreed that the number of disqualified firms was unusually high. He said the evaluation committees, which typically have five members, had only three, two of whom were among the "harsher graders."
After council members Byron Lee and Mike Thomas joined Congemi in questioning the objectivity of the evaluation process, the council deferred until Nov. 9 a vote on whether to approve the lists of qualified and disqualified firms.
The issue is of keen interest to council members who choose from the list of qualified firms in awarding no-bid professional service contracts for projects in their districts.
Parish President John Young said he will ask the evaluation committees to reconvene and review the proposals with all five members present.
"I know that with three members present, there was a quorum. I don't think it was improper, but I would like to see all five members evaluate these," Young said.
The evaluation committee cast disqualification votes in at least one of the four contract categories for more than a dozen firms that have current parish contracts. The list includes AIMS Group, Barowka and Bonura Engineers and Consultants, Crescent Engineering Group, H. Davis Cole & Associates, IMC Consulting Engineers, Infinity Engineers and Consultants, Perrin & Carter, Principal Engineering, Professional Engineering & Environmental Consultants, Rahman and Associates, Richard C. Lambert Consultants, Stuart Consulting Group, Terracon Consultants and Urban Systems Associates, according to a database of professional service contracts on the parish's website.
Council Chairman Chris Roberts asked administrators to compile a complete list of contracts held by firms the committee voted to disqualify.
"It could put the council in a very awkward position to proceed forward on projects assigned to engineering or architectural firms that the technical evaluation committee has now deemed as not qualified," Roberts said.
Lee said it "makes absolutely no sense" to disqualify firms that are currently working for the parish and have received no complaints.
"Over the years, there has been a tremendous amount of inconsistency from this committee. I think the administration needs to look at that process," Lee said. "I've often questioned the subjectivity involved."
The committees scored the firms on eight criteria worth a total of 142 points. Professional training and experience was worth the most at 35 points. The firms had to receive at least 70 percent of the possible points to be deemed qualified.
The committees were made up of Assistant Streets Director Don Hogan, John Hummel of the Louisiana Engineering Society and the head of the department overseeing the contract, whether it be water, sewer, streets or drainage.
Alikhani identified Hogan and Hummel as the "harsher graders," but a review of the evaluation score sheets indicates their scores weren't dramatically different than those of the department heads.
Hogan and Hummel gave disqualifying scores to 31 percent and 40 percent of the proposals, respectively. The four department heads collectively gave disqualifying scores to 27 percent of the proposals.
Parish ordinances specify that the evaluation committees have five members, but seats held by nominees from two professional organizations of architects and engineers are vacant.
Alikhani said he is working to fill the vacancies, and Councilman Elton Lagasse said the committees should not be permitted to review proposals unless all five members participate.
Young said his administration has simply followed an evaluation process that has been in place for years and is dictated by parish ordinances.
"If we got involved and started telling the committee what to do, we would have been accused of unduly influencing them," Young said. "You've got to respect the process."
Young said he has asked the Bureau of Governmental Research to help develop recommendations for overhauling the parish's comprehensive procurement process based on best practices. He said an initial meeting with the nonprofit group is set for Tuesday.
Paul Rioux can be reached at prioux@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3785.