Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement Process topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Contractor says online portal blocked bid on Coopersville force-main; county says late bids not considered
Summary
A contractor, Scott Ryer of Terra Contractors, told the board he could not upload his bid for the Coopersville force-main project and asked for consideration; county staff said bid openings are public and late or untimely submissions are treated as late and are not accepted, and staff said they would review the process for errors.
During public comment, Scott Ryer of Terra Contractors said he attempted to submit a bid for the Coopersville force-main project but was unable to upload his submission through the county's portal. Ryer said he contacted purchasing after the bid deadline and provided his numbers to staff, and he asked the board to consider his bid.
County staff responded that the bid opening is public and that the county's rule is to treat late submissions as late and not consider them. One staff member explained, “It's open to the public... that's why we don't accept late bids.” Board staff said they would review the procurement process and look for any errors that might be preventing uploads.
Ryer said he has seen similar problems in the past and that a separate project required additional vetting when the Army Corps of Engineers experienced a similar issue; he asked the board to consider whether the board could provide discretion. Staff acknowledged the concern and said the item may appear on a future docket for further consideration or review.
