Wary of spending, officials seek bids for janitorial supplies

A grand jury has met at least twice to hear evidence in the case.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County officials are seeking competitive bids for some janitorial supplies, about a year after dumping all of its suppliers amid a growing scandal involving excessive spending and poor record-keeping.
Sealed bids to provide toilet paper, paper towels and hand soap will be opened next month, said county purchasing director Tony Carson.
If the prices offered are not less than what the products can be bought for through the state purchasing program, the bids will be rejected, he said.
This would be the first time the county has awarded a contract for purchasing maintenance supplies since county Prosecutor Dennis Watkins requested that commissioners take control of purchasing away from the maintenance department.
Following the prosecutor's advice, the commissioners also ordered all buying to go through the state program.
From Aug. 2001 until Aug. 2002, the county spent around $300,000 a year for janitorial supplies. The supplies included items such toilet bowl cleaner, air freshener, insect spray and furniture polish.
Difference in spending
From January to this month, the county spent $44,385 for the same supplies, according to the county auditor's office.
Because of layoffs and the large amount of inventory left over from the maintenance department's free-spending days, the county hasn't had to buy many cleaning supplies this year, Carson said.
The county also is no longer paying $8 per bottle for glass cleaner or $167 a case of toilet bowl cleaner, for example.
Prosecutor Dennis Watkins and his staff are reviewing bills from several companies the county dealt with in the past, including Envirochemical Inc. of Bedford Heights.
Envirochemical collected more than $923,000 from Trumbull County over the past six years.
A county grand jury has met at least twice to review evidence. No indictments have been issued. It is not known when the grand jury may meet again.
Watkins declined to comment.
Other cost-cutting steps
Since The Vindicator prompted a probe by Watkins with a series of stories detailing the maintenance department spending, the county has taken several other steps to curb costs.
A citizens committee was formed to study how the county purchases items. That committee made several suggestions which the county adopted.
Now, the purchasing department has added a clerk, inventory is counted when it arrives and is used, and janitorial supplies are kept under lock and key.
During the past year, the person who was responsible for maintenance department purchasing, Tony Delmont, has been off on disability, and in March, all the department's approximately two dozen custodians have been laid off because of countywide budget cuts, Carson said.
Two custodians were brought back a few weeks later, he said.
sinkovich@vindy.comsiff@vindy.com