Sodexo Coming to NorCo Courthouse Cafeteria

After several months with no cafeteria service for courthouse employees and visitors, that void will soon be filled by Sodexo, an institutional food services provider that already operates at numerous Lehigh Valley facilities. It has been at Gracedale since the '90s, according to Gracedale Administrator Jennifer Stewart. Its expansion at the courthouse is something new. 

It's a $13,732,790 deal over five years for food services at Gracedale, the Area Agency on Aging and courthouse. According to documentation submitted to Council, 13 firms accessed the request for proposals (RFF) and four potential bidders held talks with the county, but Sodexo was the only one to submit a proposal. "We're looking for your approval of them to continue their good work," said Stewart. 

Council member John Brown wanted to know why no other firms submitted proposals. Stewart acknowledged she had no idea, but Fiscal Affairs Administrator Steve Barron told Council at a committee meeting that few firms can compete with Sodexo's buying power. 

Council member John Goffredo asked Stewart, ""You work personally with this company? You deal with them?" Stewart replied, ""Yes, I have for the 19 years I've been there. They've been a huge asset, especially during COVID. They did things that our counterparts at other facilities were not doing."

Goffredo acknowledged that it's ""good to hear that you're happy with them, considering we only have [one bid], but it always leaves me a little uneasy not knowing any price comparison and a frame of reference, but I appreciate your insight."

Goffredo was the sole No vote on this contract, and also voted against a $165,000 contract with GC Zarnas (a Bethlehem firm) for a flooring project at Gracedale because no other valid bids were received.

Goffredo explained his No vote at the meeting. "I'm going to vote No ... on all of the bids that we only get one bidder on. I feel like we've been talking about this for years. We keep being told that we don't have problems with the bidding process ... , and we're not getting competitive bidding. We're getting one bid contracts, some for a couple hundred thousand dollars, some for a few million, so I will not be supporting this."

The eight remaining Council members voted Yes to Sodexo and the flooring contract at Gracedale. 

All nine Council members, including Goffredo, voted for the following additional contracts:

Nazareth Regional Ambulance - $2 million for nonemergency transport of Gracedale residents over five years. (68 firms notified, 18 accessed Request for Proposal, but only one bid received. 

Eckert Seamans - $300,000 over three years for outside legal services (182 firms notified, 30 accessed the request for proposals and nine firms responded.) 

Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board - $953,220.17 for career service training and support over three years (This is a "sole source" contract as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act designates the Board as the sole entity to provide this training and support. 

HT Lyons, Inc - $220,290 for HVAC Maintenance at the jail. (23 firms accessed the proposal and there were three valid bids)

Council member Kelly Keegan had nothing to say during the meeting. But after it was over, she blasted Goffredo for his No vote, and on TikTok, of all places.

"What if everybody voted No?" she asked. "Then the residents at Gracedale wouldn't have any food." She added that Goffredo "gets the luxury of voting No because he knows everyone else is going to vote Yes."

Asked to reply, Goffredo emailed this response:

"I said it at the meeting. I think one bid contracts are putting us as council members at a huge disadvantage. We have no frame of reference of what fair market value is when we get one bid. 

If it was once in a blue moon, I wouldn't make a big deal about it but this happens all the time and the reason why is no mystery. 

I could say more about being blasted on her tictoc, but I think she already looks terrible doing it. I don't need to pile on."

As a bottom-ffeding blogger, I should spend more time reading the Twitterverse and Tik Tok. After being sent Keegan's Tik Tok, I did spend some time looking at her posts there.

Wow! 

I've downloaded a few and will be sharing her "demure," "mindful" and "cutsie videos over the week. Instead of being Kelly Brauche Keegan, her name should be Kelly Kuckoo Keegan.