VENTURA : District Urged to Hire New Roofing Adviser
After complaints by contractors, the Ventura Unified School District is considering hiring an independent roofing consultant to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest in bidding for district jobs, an official said Wednesday.
Contractors have charged that the current district roofing consultant, Jim Gilday, cannot be impartial because he represents a company whose materials can be used on jobs. The practice is legal and common but not fair, contractors said.
“You need to hire a consultant who’s independent,” contractor Bill Hebert said at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
Hebert’s company was one of the losing bidders for a contract to put new roofs on seven city schools. He and several other contractors were at the meeting to protest Gilday’s consulting role.
Board member John Walker told the contractors that the process does present a potential conflict.
“There’s always a danger having a consultant who represents a manufacturer,” Walker told them, “but there are not a whole lot of independent roofing consultants available.”
Supt. Joseph Spirito said Wednesday that the district is considering a consultant “who is not affiliated” with a roofing manufacturer.
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