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September 03. 2015 12:01AM Our View: Clouds of mistrust hang over bidding process Medford City Council members will be asking some tough questions today about why the new police and fire stations are suddenly a combined $6 million over budget. Along with grilling the contractor about why inflated subcontractor costs came as such a surprise, the council should ask itself if the collaborative approach the city used was the right choice, and whether starting over with competitive bidding might be the best option now. Along with protecting Medford taxpayers from a bigger than anticipated bill for the projects, council members should be very concerned about a perception in the local construction industry that criticizing the bidding process could invite retaliation from the city on any future projects. The collaborative process, called CMGC for construction manager/general contractor, is supposed to help keep costs down as the architect and building contractor work together from the beginning of the project. That's not how it turned out in this case. Not only did a single contractor — Adroit Construction of Ashland — and a single architecture firm — ORW — wind up being awarded all four projects, but both builder and architect assured city officials that the jobs would come in on time and under budget. Wanting to get a jump on building the police station, the city started structural steel work before the final cost estimate came in. The fire stations have not been started yet, and now may have to be delayed, or even cut back from three stations to two in light of the cost overruns. Councilor Dan Bunn says the council may decide to seek competitive bids for the fire station construction and the remainder of the police station work. That might result in a better price for the city, but it also would go a long way toward reassuring other local builders that they have a chance at winning some of the work. Several local people involved with the construction industry have told the Mail Tribune they dare not comment on the present situation for fear they'll be blackballed by the city for any future contracts. City officials should ensure that's not the case and make it clear to everyone involved in the bidding process on the city side that there is no room for "black lists." If the city doesn't want to hear criticism, the problem lies not with the contractors, but in City Hall. Council members should pull no punches in today's meetings, and should keep the city's taxpayers' best interest at heart as they decide how to clean up this mess.     http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150903/OPINION/150909899 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->