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Council member seeks procurement reforms after contractor performance, orders Castle Point rebid
Summary
Council discussion centered on a problematic contractor (Ranieri), punch-list issues on a precinct project and plans to convene stakeholders and working groups to reform procurement and rebidding of a traffic-calming contract.
Council members debated procurement practices and contractor performance on July 8 after Councilwoman Webb asked to drop a traffic-calming contract and rebid the work following complaints about the awarded contractor’s prior performance.
Webb said a contract for traffic calming in Castle Point had been awarded to a firm with “quite a few challenges” completing a previous Precinct 1 construction project and moved to drop the order of business and rebid the work. “I am dropping this order of business,” Webb said, adding that she planned stakeholder meetings to gather input on procurement practices and to invite Transportation and Public Works, procurement staff and labor and MWBE representatives to help propose fixes.
Councilman Harder asked specifically about the outstanding ‘‘punch list’’ items for the earlier precinct project and called for enforcement: “If we're spending this kind of money, and they are not even delivering what we originally contracted with them for, they shouldn't even be considered for other work in St. Louis County.” County Executive Sam Page said he would ask Transportation and Public Works (TPW) to provide an update on the outstanding items.
TPW director Stephanie Streeter was mentioned during the discussion; Webb said she had spoken with Streeter and that Webb expects a rebid within 30 days. Council members also said they would convene a fact-finding stakeholder meeting with small and large contractors, unions, the apprenticeship coordinator and procurement representatives and form smaller working groups to report back to the council as a committee of the whole.
The formal action recorded in the minutes was to “receive file drop from the order of business” for the related item and to pursue rebidding; no final administrative sanctions or new procurement rules were adopted at the July 8 meeting.
Council members emphasized that any reform should include performance ratings, prompt-pay enforcement to subcontractors and clearer prequalification checks. Webb said a working group will begin in August and “we will start kicking off that working group process by the month of August.” Harder urged a policy of withholding new contracts from firms that leave unresolved deficiencies on earlier county projects.
No ordinance or contract award was finalized as part of this discussion; the council recorded the item as dropped from the order of business and requested that TPW and procurement provide follow-up information and timelines.
