In a year during which the city-parish government has already awarded nearly $500 million in construction contracts, the bidding process to install streetlights on Brightside Lane was no more extraordinary than any other project. The city-parish estimated the project would cost about $895,000.
Four companies, accordingly, submitted their bids electronically. Diamond Electrical Co. was the lowest bidder.
But due to a computer glitch in the bidding software, Diamond’s final bid—which was an amendment to its first bid—wasn’t acknowledged and the streetlight project went to Jack B. Harper Contractor Inc.
Diamond brought their final bid of $649,000 to the city-parish’s attention after Harper was awarded the project for $719,000. Diamond eventually was recognized as the lowest bidder. But it took the software developer 56 days to admit its system’s error.
“And now we’re stuck with litigation,” says Councilman Chandler Loupe, who spoke on the issue at last week’s Metro Council meeting as lawyers for both electrical companies made their case for the contract.
Due to East Baton Rouge’s size, state law requires the parish to make electronic bidding available. But according to Bryan Harmon, deputy director of Public Works, it doesn’t require contractors to be physically present when final bids are read aloud at bidding closures. Harmon says if Diamond had been present, perhaps both the company and government would have recognized and resolved the issue immediately.
The Parish Attorney’s Office says the software developer is responsible for compensation, and that as of today no lawsuits have been filed regarding the matter.
“If either company is entitled to damages, it is our belief that that is the responsibility of BidX,” says attorney Lea Anne Batson.
While the city-parish is not returning to the antiquated format of accepting bids on paper, Harmon says the computer confusion is an anomaly.
“This is the only time, that I know, there has been an issue with something coming out of the software,” Harmon says.
