ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : A Less-Than-Perfect Contract Process

The Orange County district attorney’s office is right to investigate last month’s awarding of an $80-million telecommunications contract after questions were raised about the process.

Last October the county accepted a bid from the Harris Corp. but later retracted the contract and gave it to another company.

The Board of Supervisors contracted with Harris for an emergency communications system for the Sheriff’s Department and police departments in the county. However, the supervisors gave the firm one month to fulfill technical conditions, and when it did not do so to their satisfaction they switched the award to Motorola Communications Inc.

That prompted an outcry from Harris Corp. Vice President Lewis Kling that the contract process was “flawed” from the start. That assertion is debatable, but it does appear there were irregularities in the bidding. Even if the district attorney decides there is no reason to prosecute anyone, the supervisors should aim for error-free bidding in the future.

The contract is one of the biggest in county history. The supervisors wisely left the door open to revoke the award with Motorola if the district attorney’s inquiry warrants such action. Last month’s Northridge earthquake showed again the need for efficient communications in an emergency. The county must be sure it has the best system and that it chose its vendor properly.