Commissioners don't choose Sugar's company for contract

WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners followed the advice of their lawyer and denied a $279,000 contract to a company owned by A. David Sugar.
Sugar's company, Excavation Technologies Inc. of Petersburg, bid $20,000 less than any other company for the job of digging water and sewer lines to the proposed Flying J Travel Plaza in Hubbard.
However, the company failed to staple some paperwork to its bid offer, invalidating the bid, according to an opinion from Atty. James Misocky, first assistant county prosecutor.
Three of the 10 other companies who bid made the same mistake.
On Tuesday, commissioners voted unanimously to award the contract to the second-lowest bidder, Granite Construction Inc. of North Lima.
Before the legal opinion, commissioners said they opposed giving Sugar the contract because of his criminal activities, which came to light in the trial of U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. of Poland, D-17th. Sugar faces a fine and 18 to 24 months in prison on convictions of obstruction of justice, perjury and witness tampering.
Commissioners are still waiting to learn if the convictions can form a legal basis for rejecting a contract bid.
Sugar did not immediately return a phone call to comment.
In other business, a $45,000 contract for improvements to the Mecca Wastewater Treatment Plant was awarded to W.E. Downie Co., of Poland.
Commissioners also authorized the purchase of $150,000 worth of office and lobby furniture for the county Department of Jobs and Family Services.
No local money will be used to buy the furniture, which will be acquired through the state purchasing program, officials said.