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Corrigan Cites "Corruption" Specifics on Dooley's No Bid Contracts | Missouri Political News Service

Corrigan Cites “Corruption” Specifics on Dooley’s No Bid Contracts

September 30th, 2010 by mopns · No Comments

“The time is now to send a strong message to Charlie Dooley that no-bid contracts and pay-to-play politics will no longer be tolerated by the people of St. Louis County. This administration has violated the public’s trust over and over again. Public servants are supposed to do what’s right for all citizens, not the chosen few who can afford to donate to Dooley’s political campaign. The facts illustrate that Dooley isn’t telling the truth about how he awards contracts and spends taxpayer money. ” — Bill Corrigan

Corrigan Press release:

Specific Examples

Take, for instance, the County’s contracts with LDI worth over $16 million dollars since 2006 to provide pharmacy services. LDI was initially awarded a contract worth $4.25 million annually in February 2006. Despite interest from another company, Value Pharmacy Services, Dooley’s appointee to the head of the Department of Health (DOH) chose to renew the contract with LDI for three years. In 2009, when the contract was supposed to be put out to bid, Charlie Dooley and his appointee to the DOH secured an additional contract for eight additional months for LDI. In 2010 another contract for $4.2 million was once again awarded to LDI for another year, with the option to renew for two additional years. Dooley has received more than $13,000 in campaign contributions from LDI from 2004 through 2009. (See attached timeline)

Another no-bid contract was awarded to Dooley campaign contributor Burns & McDonnell in 2009. The timeline here is shocking and shows how money talks in securing county contracts with Dooley support. On May 27, 2009, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company contributed $5,000 to Dooley’s campaign. On August 23, 2009, the Department of Public Works sent Dooley a request for Council approval of a $75,000 professional services contract with Burns & McDonnell. On September 1, 2009, Dooley submitted the request to the council for contract approval. Between September 9 and September 22, the Dooley campaigned took $6,073.17 from Burns & McDonnell and its employees. On September 23, 2009, Dooley signed the bill awarding the contract to his campaign contributor with no readily available public records of a bidding process or any criteria used to choose Burns & McDonnell, which has given Dooley’s campaign a total of $15,773.17 since 2004.

A no-bid contract was awarded to contractor PB Americas in 2010. In May, a Dooley appointee contacted Dooley about contracting with PB Americas. A set of criteria was developed so narrow that few companies were eligible to compete. PB Americas was awarded, without public detail on how scores were calculated, a $595,000 contract for its work on the health center and $25,000 for its work on the juvenile center. On May 18, Dooley submitted the request for PB’s contract to the council. On June 1, PB Americas gave the Dooley campaign $5,000. On June 9, Dooley signed the bill approving the contract. Since 2007, Dooley has taken $17,851.12 from PB Americas.

Jacobs Engineering has received an excellent return by receiving a $135,000 contract for $5,500 in campaign contributions to Dooley. On November 2, 2009, the Department of Parks and Recreation contacted Dooley about a contract for $57,000 for Jacobs Engineering. On November 10, Dooley requested the County Council approve the contract. On December 2, Dooley signed the bill awarding the contract to Jacobs. On April 28, 2010 the department contacted Dooley about amending the contract to expand the scope of the project with a total cost $135,500. On May 4, Dooley contacted the council about amending the contract. On May 6, Jacobs Engineering contributed $2,500 to Dooley’s campaign. On May 25, the bill was signed by Dooley. Dooley has taken $5,500 from Jacobs and company employees since 2004.

The Dooley administration proposed transferring three of the County’s eight trash collection contracts to Allied Waste without putting them out for competitive bid. This enables Allied to take over three trash contacts that are currently being fulfilled by Veolia ES Solid Waste Midwest. Dooley’s controversial and illegal trash program, the subject of four lawsuits, may cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in fines and lost income. Allied Waste, which secured two trash districts, was represented by Dooley’s campaign manager John Temporiti when the current trash districts were established in 2008. Citizens are very concerned about a potential monopoly that would be created for Allied Waste. St. Louis County Circuit Judge Barbara W. Wallace ruled that the County breached a contract with American Eagle Waste Industries, Meridian Waste Services and Waste Management of Missouri, when it failed to give them two years’ notice before setting up the trash districts.

Related:

Subdivision Trustees – St. Louis Metro Area: Something Smells about St. Louis County Trash Contracts; County Approves Merger of Trash Companies

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