Yesterday, Northampton Copunty Council considered bids for a general contractor and electrician for improvements at Minsi Lake. They consist of walking paths alonng both east and west shore, parking lots, a restroom and a new pavilion. When this matter originally went out to bid, there were no takers. The project was bid again. In the second go around, 22 potential biiders reviewed theproposal, but only one bid was received for the electrical and general contracting work. This sole bidder is Wilmer R Schultz, which does have offices in Allentown.
Northampton County Council considered this problem last month as well. There were no bids at all for a bathroom replacement project at Louise Moore Park, which forced the county to shop for a plumber in Reading.
Republican Council members feel that potential bidders are hamstrung by the county's responsible contractor ordinance. Member John Goffredo has suggested that the county consider nonunion bidders who are locally based, so long as they agree to pay a living wage.
In this case, the sole bid received did come from a local contractor.
Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron previously told Council that this dearth of bids could be for many reasons, including supply chain issues, unavailability or an inability to meet timetables. But it's undeniable that the responsible contractor ordinance could also be one of those reasons.
"This trend is not a good sign," remarked Council member John Cusick.
One possible solution is to revise the responsible contractor ordinance to give preference to local contractors who have an apprentice program. If no bid is received, then the connty should be able to consider nonunion contractors who are local, bonded and agree to pay a living wage.
20 comments:
Or scrap the RCO and recognize it for what it is - a gift to unions at the expense of the taxpayer. Also revise code to allow for contract award to the "lowest responsible bid" instead of "lowest bid."
We have many strong nonunion shops in the Lehigh Valley. It's not difficult to know who is good and who is not. I'm sure the County has an engineering firm they work with on reviewing proposals.
Do your job and stop giving away tax $$.
" ... and agree to pay a living wage."
As dictated by whom? Don't tell me how much to pay my employees. I may already be paying them better than your nebulous "living wage." But that's none of your business. I'd prefer not to have business practices dictated by an entity that's so incompetent it can't get even a shithouse bid and built. It'll eventually get done the way it always has: mediocre, past deadline, and overbudget.
That has been the law on most public projects for many years. It exists to protect people from assholes like you.
This is taxpayer money! Bid it out to the lowest bidder that does quality work!! If you want to run a private business and have a policy you only use union workers then so be it but this isn't their money it is ours!!
This incompetence is brought to you by Democratic Party political bribery. Taxpayers lose again. 89% of the contractor workforce of the county is not good enough for county Democrats. But they'll take your taxes without a thank you. Think about that.
I agree with the asshole at 10:33. This isn't North Korea, and nobody is holding a gun to his employees head. BO, if you had firsthand experience in running a business which employs skilled labor you would realize 10:33 has a point. It's been very difficult to keep employees who now have the upper hand in salary negotiations. If you don't pay a living wage, you won't have any employees.
Your comment smacks of elitism with criticism like that. Walk a mile in his shoes. . .
I disagree with the asshole @ 1:18. How is this Democratic bribery? How do taxpayers lose when the work is check off and paid when completed? Your gripe is with paying taxes, be glad you’re working in America and paying the least amount of taxes compared to other civilized countries.
Biden is so corrupt he makes Trump look like an angel--and now the republican boys are going after him and when they get him, they will impeach him, and it will not turn out like those fake impeachments on Trump. They will not fail like the 2 against Trump. More democratic failures.
Maybe Lamont and chuckie should take that approach with paying county employees. All they do is cry no money to give a good salary. But still expects everyone to come to work. Inflation is up over 8% so here's 4%. Take a 4% pay cut. Remember no more cost of living in salaries for union employees.
O yeah let's not forget the nice little threat about if he doesn't get his way with this health clinic he's just gonna jack up contributions as a punishment. Like a little kid who didn't get his way.
Yo Bonehead, last I checked Biden's not on County Council or in County Administration. There's no impeachments going on in Northampton County. Fake or otherwise. I know it's hard for you Republican Boys to stay on topic, without going all Trumpty Dumpty. But give it a try, man.
No one can expect an 8 percent raise. Be happy with what you get. Private sector employees lucky to get 1-2 percent. So you want the taxpayers who many don't get raises or are on fixed incomes pay for county 8 percent raises? Do you see any problem with that?
Spoken like a true working class citizen that’s been brainwashed to accept the crumbs thrown at him by the ruling class.
STFU dolt
Do you protest in front of the offices of Exxon, Mobil and Sunoco about your tax dollars going to them to pay CEOs more money?
There is currently no shortage of private sector construction work available, as local homeowners and businesses look to remodel and make capital improvements. Locally, rising interest rates and a correction in the housing market haven’t fully cooled the associated demand for construction services yet, and large-scale commercial and residential projects still abound. In my experience, many contractors will prioritize private work over government work if both are available. This shortage of bidders seems to be a common trend noticed in the past 1-2 years among those who administer government funded construction projects.
Hardworking appreciative and far from stupid. And apparently you wake up at 6am angry. I wake up happy for what I have
5:47 spoken like the pathetic failure we know you are. Crawl back into puddle of puke you came from. Not smart enough to stay on topic. Blame, deflect, and spew for no apparent reason other then for you to feel like you have any value to society. Quit wasting all our time and stitch your mouth shut and slam you fingers in your desk drawer. Doing that will be a real contribution you can make to society.
I am not sure why the county is so puzzled why they cannot get someone to bid on a project especially with all the strings they attach to it. Heck I cannot get a contractor to come in a build a porch. The wait is about 5 months.
8:37 you left wing liberal shut up
It's hard to get bids when you have idiots in this Adminstration trying to tell the Contractors how the best way to do the job they are bidding on.
lets get ken kraft,,,he fucked this all up get him back to finish the job or is he swimming in his new pool
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