Youngstown hires company for experience, not lowest bid

YOUNGSTOWN

Although All Industrial Services Inc. didn’t submit the lowest proposal to demolish an empty water tank on the city’s South Side, the board of control hired the Youngstown company for the work.

That’s because the 3 million-gallon water tank on Princeton Avenue in a “very tight space” near residential houses with overhead power lines and a company with expertise in the work is needed, Gene Leson, the water department’s chief engineer, told board members Thursday before the vote.

Leson was responding to a question from Law Director Martin Hume, a board member, who said he received a call from All Excavating Co. of Youngstown, which turned in the lowest proposal, asking why it didn’t get the work.

All Excavating’s proposal was for $147,700. Moderalli Excavating of Poland had the second-lowest proposal at $164,290.

All Industrial was third lowest at $172,303. The city’s estimate for the work was $242,000.

One requirement of the contractor hired was it had to have demolished at least three water tanks in the past five years and All Industrial was the only one of the top five submitting proposals to meet that specification, Leson said.

Read more about the matter in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.