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.
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.
How the heck can there be 68 ambulance "firms" within a reasonable distance of Gracedale?
ReplyDeleteGoofredo would let Granny starve ?
ReplyDeleteKeegan is making demure, cutesy videos?? She is no Jool LeBron that’s for sure! That’s hilarious! If you know her she is anything but demure! LOL
ReplyDeleteYou should also publish Goffredo’s homophobic tweets.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching all of them I have to give Keegan some advice. She needs to do more than report on the Council than just standing there. It’s dull. Maybe dance at the same time or something like that. Brilliant though. Lots of free ways to get the message out there about who is doing what.
ReplyDeleteBernie you are helping her get the traffic she loves, I bet that could make her do a happy dance. Anything but just standing there.
The bid specs are written to achieve a predetermined winner. Few businesses want to do business with the county. The single winners know they're assured of jacking up a price as a sole source. What a mess.
ReplyDeleteShe's leading the charge for Gracedale to be incrementally privatized. As nutty and stupid as she is, she's done more to privatize Gracedale than ten Ron Angles and ten John Stoffas. As an R, I fully support her continued re-election until she finishes her Gracedale privatization job. Lol.
ReplyDeleteThe ancillary departments outnumber nursing so that could take awhile unless we get a republican executive, it will be there first priority
DeleteJohn Paul Goffredo is a child. He’s willing to vote against fixing a tripping hazard at a nursing home to make an idiotic point that’s based on a lie.
ReplyDeleteWe have been trying to tell you just how nuts this Keegan is Bernie! She’s crazy! The Forks version of Taiba lol.
ReplyDeleteKelly B. Keegan has been the most productive and effective member of County Council this year. She has authored and passed more resolutions and ordinances than any other member. She draws attention to important issues, and despite her Tik Tok stardom, she rarely speaks at Council unless she has something important to say. When Kelly does speak, she is prepared and focused. We should have more cuckoo birds like the demure Kelly B. Keegan !
ReplyDeleteImportant issue like Tampons in county bathrooms that will cost taxpayers more than what’s been allocated because they will be stolen. No important issues she’s raised for all the people of the county and when she doesn’t have anything to say it’s because McClure didn’t give her a part in that meeting. He didn’t provide her a script. As for being “Demure”‘she’s totally the opposite.
DeleteIt's plain to see that most anything would be "mindboggling" to her.
ReplyDeleteIf the county is only getting one bid, it’s likely because the bid is being written in a way that favors one bidder and others feel they can’t fairly compete.
ReplyDeleteThat’s not just for the Sodexho contract but others as well. That said, obviously Sodexho is not the only provider of cafeteria services in the Valley and other places use other providers. So they’re not the only game in town.
My advice to council would be to inform the administration that they won’t be voting on any contracts that didn’t have at least three bids received.
They could also ask those firms that accessed the Request for Proposal (particularly those that held talks with the county) why they didn’t submit bids.
But those actions would require Council to WANT to serve as a check and balance on the administration, and I’m not sure that this is a goal of all council members.
All true. I did those request for proposals. Love the idea of asking why they didn't bid. Either not enough profit from it or something in it. Usually one or two lines they couldn't meet requirements.
DeleteNails it. Too often the specs are written to achieve a specific result- a favored contractor or vendor. It is not just food service, think waste hauling, construction, unionized labor and more. There are incremental additional costs with such arrangements which do not ensure a superior service. It is a corruption of the ideal of competitive bidding even if there is no overt criminal corruption.
DeleteKeegan is going to love this, but the only thing she’ll be mad about is that you spelled her name wrong.
ReplyDeleteKelly Keegan gets stuff done, and J.P. Goffredo blocks things from getting done. Because of J.P. the employees of Norco don’t have a Health Center.
ReplyDeleteWhoa. There’s some narcissism right there. She’s got issues!
ReplyDeleteAfter watching her videos, she's an absolute nut job!!!
ReplyDeleteIs Keegan stealing from the taxpayers, yet again, by violating numerous EASD policies by tending to her social media while on duty as a district employee?
ReplyDeleteHow does someone this stupid find employment- another social media hog!Now I see why Norco is a dumpster fire!
ReplyDeleteCounty Council is a dumpster fire because of Lori Vargo Heffner. The County itself is just fine.
DeleteAs these "council members" if they would do projects with just one bid!! NO WAY!! But typical actions of those spending MY taxpayer money. In addition, are some of the bid restrictions (on various projects) to blame? Union, and whatever else gets thrown to give favors to certain contractors? This is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteP.s. The drama over no food for Gracedale is typical of the alarmists. Scream and cry and TIK TOK their nonsense....
An adjudicated nut! Calling Dr. Phil!!!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the 2023 GPFS, Gracedale ran a $27.8 million operating deficit. How is this sustainable??
ReplyDeleteFrom the management discussion..."Gracedale Nursing Home fund balance decreased $12.9 million in addition to requiring a $15 million Transfer In from the General Fund. This demanding use of funds is primarily due to the use of agency nursing services to cover for major staffing shortages, lower resident census and timing of IGT payments."
ReplyDeleteLook up the definition of Karen and her picture is there lol.
ReplyDeleteYes; people are going to starve unless gubbermint feeds them; typical prawg who thinks gubbermint must provide for every need: food, tampons, et al. Her term is up in '27. Norco's gotta wait that long to get rid of her? Oh boy. The ride will continue to get kookier.
ReplyDeleteShould be an interesting week, Bernie.
ReplyDeleteGood for her that she is keeping up with the Tik Tok trends at her age. I doubt any of the fuddy- duddies that read this blog would get her demure jokes. Good attempt at being funny.
ReplyDeleteCan’t wait to hear the updates. No one wants to watch those meetings.
She is the worst her generation has to offer. Quit acting like an innocent bystander and get a grip. Better yet, go feed the poor starving seniors.
ReplyDeleteAt least JP is making a valid point. Protect the unions at the expense of the taxpayer.
When is the last time a council member was actually at Gracedale ? Too busy, I guess .
ReplyDelete"''Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to post clips on TikTok and remove all doubt."
ReplyDelete-- Vladimir Ill-itch, 2024
EVERYONE WILL #DIESUDDENLY!!! FACTS! ALMONDS AND WATER ARE YOUR ONLY NECESSITIES! FACTS! SODEXO IS JUST A #DEEPSTATE HOAX! FACTS! DAMAR HAMLIN DIED SUDDENLY AFTER EATING SODEXO!! COLD HARD FACTS! #SWEETSCIENCEOFBOXING
ReplyDeleteI am embarrassed for her. Has she always been this way or is it something in the water? Need a med adjustment? When in the public she seems to always be scanning environment and somewhat theatrical in her movements. On stage?
ReplyDelete1st there was Tara, then we were blessed with Lori "Heffer" Vargo, now this idiot! I just love people who say nothing in a meeting, and then run to bash you on Tik-Tok!
ReplyDeleteGood for Goffredo. It is absolutely fishy when only one bid is received for things. “What if we all voted no,” this woman asks from her soapbox. Well, then I guess you’d have to go out for bids again. People, please vet candidates before blindly casting votes. This is just one example of a clueless person getting too much power.
ReplyDeleteA clueless whacko. Just the way McClure likes them dim and obedient. That is why Mcclure got her nominated and elected. She is a reliable rubber stamp and advocate. He gave her the tampon machines as a gift, all the while he stalls on other projects passed by council. She and Warren are social media wannabe stars.
ReplyDeleteKeegan gets the wacko from her husband
ReplyDelete