Another Big Deal
| On the heels of the 2.2 mil. land deal, the Loudon
County Board Of Education is looking at another possible big money
contract. According to board members, they have been working on this
project for a year now. Up for consideration is whether to let a
contract for custodial services for all Loudon County School facilities.
The low bid is for $681,000.00 per year. This contract would not include
lawn services which are estimated to be an additional $100,000.00 per
year. At Monday's BOE meeting, board member Larry Proaps, made a motion that the board enter into negotiation with one of the two bidders who submitted a proposal to provide the services. The motion passed by a 6-4 vote. However the Loudon County Purchasing Manuel clearly requires competitive negations to take place with "all responsible offerors who submit proposals determined to be potentially eligible for the award." Only allowing one bidder to negotiate could put the county in a precarious legal position. The need for the negotiation isn't necessarily about the money, but about the future of custodial staff members currently employed by the county. The board hopes to protect their jobs in the event that services are contracted. The board will hold a workshop March 14th, 2:00 pm in the board room at the county building for further discussions. Video Clips |