By Juan Montoya
For the past year and one-half, the City of Brownsville has been evaluating the response to its Request For Proposals for commercial waste disposal in the city.
It is a lucrative contract, carrying a potential $60 million over five years.
![Image result for gms waste disposal brownsville tx]()
That RFP was let out July 2017 partly as a result of complaints about the level of service and the condition of the rolling stock and dumpsters from GMS Waste Disposal, which held the contract to serve the thousands of customers in the city. The cutoff for RFPs was that November.
In the meanwhile, GMC continues to serve the city on a month-to-month basis.
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Yet, after one provider (Redfish Recycling) was told in March 19, 2018 it had submitted the highest-ranked proposal and entered into negotiations with the directors of the purchasing department and staffers, they suddenly found out that the city was also in negotiations with its competitor (Allied/Republic).
That company was told that a vote by the city commission after meeting in executive session had chosen it for the award.
But it wasn't until after the commission voted to give it to Allied/Republic that Redfish filed a post-award protest (sour grape) with the city and threatened litigation regarding the proposal process.
Now, with new City Manager Noel Bernal on board, the city commission Tuesday voted to vacate its vote and to authorize him reject all the proposals and restart the bidding process.
That will probably trigger lawsuits from the responders to the city's original RFP. And it will also allow GMS to continue to perform the service until the bidding process is complete, or the case ends up being resolved in court.
GMS has been good to the city and its administration. It has made donations to city events like Charro Days, made repeated contributions to the city manager's fund for student scholarships and contributions to recipients considered worthy by that official.
GMS has handled the city's commercial and industrial waste work worth some $60 million over a five-year contract and was a frequent contributors over the 2015-2017 to the so-called Benefit Youth Recreational Program funded through donations to the annual City Manager's Golf Classic.
That fund total stood at $318,160 in Acct. # 01-9115848 in 2018.
GMS, which has handled the city's commercial and industrial waste work worth some $60 million over a five-year contract, was notable as one of the main contributors multiple times over the 2015-2017 period as were Spawglass Contractors, Estrada Hinojosa & Co., the city's financial consultants, Linebarger Goggan Blair & Simpson, the city's delinquent tax collectors, Terracon, Republic Services, the Public Utility Board, and SCS Engineers, the firm charged with keeping the city landfill in compliance with state regulatory agencies, EPA and others.
Allied/Republic Services' contributions were of $10,000 each time (2) as were PUB's.
For the past year and one-half, the City of Brownsville has been evaluating the response to its Request For Proposals for commercial waste disposal in the city.
It is a lucrative contract, carrying a potential $60 million over five years.
That RFP was let out July 2017 partly as a result of complaints about the level of service and the condition of the rolling stock and dumpsters from GMS Waste Disposal, which held the contract to serve the thousands of customers in the city. The cutoff for RFPs was that November.In the meanwhile, GMC continues to serve the city on a month-to-month basis.
Yet, after one provider (Redfish Recycling) was told in March 19, 2018 it had submitted the highest-ranked proposal and entered into negotiations with the directors of the purchasing department and staffers, they suddenly found out that the city was also in negotiations with its competitor (Allied/Republic).That company was told that a vote by the city commission after meeting in executive session had chosen it for the award.
But it wasn't until after the commission voted to give it to Allied/Republic that Redfish filed a post-award protest (sour grape) with the city and threatened litigation regarding the proposal process.
Now, with new City Manager Noel Bernal on board, the city commission Tuesday voted to vacate its vote and to authorize him reject all the proposals and restart the bidding process.
That will probably trigger lawsuits from the responders to the city's original RFP. And it will also allow GMS to continue to perform the service until the bidding process is complete, or the case ends up being resolved in court.
GMS has been good to the city and its administration. It has made donations to city events like Charro Days, made repeated contributions to the city manager's fund for student scholarships and contributions to recipients considered worthy by that official.
GMS has handled the city's commercial and industrial waste work worth some $60 million over a five-year contract and was a frequent contributors over the 2015-2017 to the so-called Benefit Youth Recreational Program funded through donations to the annual City Manager's Golf Classic.
That fund total stood at $318,160 in Acct. # 01-9115848 in 2018.
GMS, which has handled the city's commercial and industrial waste work worth some $60 million over a five-year contract, was notable as one of the main contributors multiple times over the 2015-2017 period as were Spawglass Contractors, Estrada Hinojosa & Co., the city's financial consultants, Linebarger Goggan Blair & Simpson, the city's delinquent tax collectors, Terracon, Republic Services, the Public Utility Board, and SCS Engineers, the firm charged with keeping the city landfill in compliance with state regulatory agencies, EPA and others.
GMS's contributions for that two-year period was $17,250, each time at $750 a pop (23 times multiplied by $750= $17,250).
Allied/Republic Services' contributions were of $10,000 each time (2) as were PUB's.
No city commission candidates have reported that they had received political contributions from either GMS or Allied, but contributions can take many forms. In the case these three companies again submit proposals to the city administration, will past public donations to the scholarship fund and the city (or to candidates in-kind) carry weight in the final selection?