This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
At the same time Salt Lake County Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Peter Corroon was questioning the leadership of his Republican opponent, Gov. Gary Herbert, over the disputed award of a $1.1 billion road construction contract, Corroon's own Salt Lake County was embroiled in an alleged bogus contract award.
Worldwide Environmental Products Inc., based in Brea, Calif., has filed a notice of claim with Salt Lake County, alleging the county improperly canceled a contract a bid committee awarded Worldwide to provide equipment and services for the vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance (IM) program.
The allegation seems eerily similar to the state contract that was awarded to a coalition of contractors that Corroon maintained throughout the campaign was suspect because of campaign contributions to Herbert from the bid's winners. The allegations were fueled by the discovery that the bid loser was reimbursed $13 million from the state.
In the case of Worldwide and Salt Lake County, the initial solicitation for an IM service provider came from Salt Lake, Utah, Davis and Weber counties, with the intent they would jointly fund the program along the Wasatch Front. A bid committee consisting of technical environmental experts from each of the four counties awarded the bid to Worldwide last November. Less than two weeks later, however, Worldwide was advised the initial request for proposals was canceled and a new RFP would be issued just from Salt Lake County.
Worldwide then re-issued its bid and was advised in the summer of 2010 that it didn't make the cut for interviews. The contract eventually was awarded to APPLUS +, an international firm.
Worldwide contends in its notice of claim that it has had difficulty getting documents from the county pertaining to how the bid was awarded. It also claims it went to a great deal of expense putting together its bid, only to learn the process was flawed and therefore no good.
It also has learned that the original RFP from the four counties did not contain a memorandum of understanding among the counties, so it was not legal from the beginning.
But none of that was revealed to Worldwide, which proceeded in the bid process with good faith, the company claims.
Jim Braden, spokesman for the Mayor's Office, said the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has advised county officials not to comment on the dispute, because the bid is currently under protest.
Flag alert » For my ongoing quest to replace tattered and worn American flags, Ron Borg of Salt Lake City points out that the flag at the former Governor's Mansion on the corner of Virginia Street and Fairfax Road looks like it could have been the original Stars and Stripes flown at the battle of Fort McHenry.
A proper burial place » After I pointed out, in my tattered flag series, that old flags should not be thrown away, but burned after a dignified ceremony, Majorie Mourning of West Jordan advised that Colonial Flag at 9400 S. 300 West will accept old, tattered flags and dispose of them in the proper way.