Countywide : Bidding Snafu May Save $1.6 Million

A snafu in a contract bidding process could end up saving the county well over $1 million for waste-containment work at the Coyote Canyon Landfill.

After the Board of Supervisors initially approved awarding the project to the lowest bidder Tuesday, a representative from a company whose bid was rejected because it was submitted two minutes past the June 10 deadline challenged the approval during the public comments portion of the meeting.

Kevin Bell, a representative of Fremont-based Chemical Waste Management, said the rejected bid was returned to his company opened in violation of state law. The opened bid revealed that the company’s projected cost for capping Coyote Canyon Landfill was $1.6 million lower than the winning $18.3-million bid from Sukut Construction Inc.

Coyote Canyon Landfill ceased accepting waste in March, 1990. The contract in dispute was to place the final cap on the closed landfill to ensure that waste there is properly contained.

Under state law, late bids must be returned unopened, said county counsel Terry Andrus. Because of the potential for a $1.6-million savings on the project, Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez requested that the issue be continued until the July 14 meeting. Supervisor Thomas F. Riley opposed the delay on the grounds that the bid was late and should not be considered.

“Because the bid was returned opened, I just want to make sure we’re on solid ground procedurally before we award the bid,” Vasquez said.

The Board of Supervisors has the discretion to continue an agenda item that has already been decided as long as it is done before the adjournment of a meeting. Vasquez said he also wanted to find out why the bid was returned open.