By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP — The Ashtabula Area City School Board awarded more than $38 million in construction contracts for the new elementary schools.
Mike Coates Construction of Niles won the biggest contract : $23 million for general trades.
Enertech Electrical came in second with a $6.6 award for electrical work, and the board awarded Detrick Industrial Piping Co. of Ashtabula the heating, ventilation and air conditioning bid at $5.7 million.
In a 3-1 vote, Reliance Mechanical got the plumbing contract, at $1.7 million, although board member Steve Candela protested, stating he was “uncomfortable” with the information he received on the company.
Construction manager Ben Pintabona of the Scaporotti Co. said he was satisfied with Reliance after following the board’s instructions mapped out last month during a special meeting. That’s when the school board unanimously voted to add criteria to the multimillion-dollar bids for work on the elementary schools. Cuyahoga County’s corruption probe prompted the board’s special meeting.
The board directed attorneys from Bricker & Eckler to include disclosure information, in an addendum, to the bid packages.
Pintabona assured the board Wednesday he followed their instructions and checked the bidders carefully.
“We went through all the questions: ‘Are you being investigated?’ and everyone answered no,” he said. “If something was there, I think it would have been uncovered.”
Candela said he still believes Reliance has problems.
School Board President Janine Trebuchon-Wertz said the board’s attorneys did their research, investigated Reliance and recommended the company. She believes the board is legally bound to award the bid to the company because it is the lowest bidder.
“We’ll be in another lawsuit if we deny them the bid,” she said.
The remainder of the board voted with the president, leaving Candela as the only dissenting vote.
The board also awarded Fire Foe Corp. of Girard the fire protection bid, at $539,950.
