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Mono County rejects Pacfire debris bids, directs staff to rebid after scope and quantity clarifications
Summary
After receiving two bids far above estimates and a bid‑protest alleging material deficiencies, the Mono County Board of Supervisors voted 3–2 to reject both offers and task staff with revising the solicitation and re‑soliciting bids for Pacfire debris cleanup.
The Mono County Board of Supervisors on May 19 voted to reject two bids for the Pacfire debris‑cleanup contract and directed staff to revise the bid documents and seek new proposals.
The action followed staff reports that the two proposals returned were far over the project estimate — roughly double in one case and nearly twice in the other — and after a higher bidder filed a protest alleging the lower bid had material omissions. County staff recommended finding the protest valid as to the low bid and rejecting the submissions as either nonresponsive or unaffordable to the county.
County staff told the board the on‑the‑ground assessment changed some of the quantities used to form the original solicitation, and additional archaeological work may be required before site work begins. Public Works said it plans to clarify scope, tighten specifications, and undertake targeted outreach to the list of qualified Cal OES/CalRecycle contractors before rebidding.
In public comment, Jeff Snow, regional manager for DRC Emergency Services, urged the county to accept his firm’s lower bid and noted his company’s pre‑positioned cooperative purchasing arrangement and prior local work. County staff and several supervisors expressed concern that accepting the low bid despite the identified material deficiency would invite further legal and contractual risk and likely delay remediation.
After debate, a motion to accept the low bid failed. A subsequent motion to reject both bids, require staff to adjust the scope and quantities, improve contractor outreach, and reissue the solicitation passed by a 3–2 vote. Staff said they expect to issue a revised solicitation within days after finalizing revisions and are aiming to begin work in mid‑June, with the actual cleanup taking roughly a month after award, subject to permitting and archaeological clearance.
The board’s direction seeks to increase competition, reduce price uncertainty and address items that bidders flagged as ambiguous in the first solicitation. Staff said the rebid will include clearer mandatory submittal requirements and a more precise quantity list to reduce the chance of a repeat protest.
