Republicans within the Legislature are calling on the state Inspector Common to look into precisely what went flawed with the bidding course of for a brand new freeway service plaza operator.
In a letter despatched to Bay State IG Jeffrey Shapiro by State Rep. Joseph McKenna and greater than a dozen of his conservative colleagues, lawmakers name into query the sudden determination by the profitable bidder — Dublin-based Applegreen — to step away from a 35-year lease they’d secured to function the state’s dozen-and-a-half freeway service plazas.
“The suddenness and timing of the recent decision of Applegreen to withdraw from negotiations with MassDOT on the eve of a scheduled oversight hearing before the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight raise significant questions about what they were trying to hide from the Committee and the public,” McKenna wrote.
The service plaza bidding course of, what would possibly usually be a severely boring and routine matter, grew contentious over the summer season after Applegreen gained the contract over Waltham-based International Companions.
The Bay State firm contended that Applegreen’s relationship with MassDOT choice committee chair Scott Bosworth was far too cozy for a good bidding course of, and that the profitable bidder ought to have been disqualified over undisclosed conflicts of curiosity on Bosworth’s behalf.
In accordance with McKenna and his fellow Republicans, the allegations made by International Companions led to “serious concerns” concerning the “integrity and transparency of this process,” which they are saying undermines “the public’s already shaky confidence in the state’s procurement system.”
“The suddenness and timing of this decision, following the failure of both Applegreen and MassDOT officials, to produce the full records of communications requested by the Committee, raise significant questions about what they were trying to hide from the Committee and the public,” the lawmakers wrote.
McKenna and his colleagues are asking the IG to research whether or not the request for proposal course of adopted state procurement legal guidelines, how bids had been reviewed, what advantages every bid might need dropped at the state, potential conflicts of curiosity which may have interfered with the choice course of, and “transparency and records compliance.”
“Ensuring transparency and accountability in all operations and spending is paramount to maintaining the necessary trust between the residents of the Commonwealth and their Government. Should it be discovered that any individual(s) or agencies acted nefariously for their own self-interest, we call upon the Administration to take swift action to ensure accountability,” the lawmakers’ wrote.
Applegreen’s determination to again out of the deal got here after the corporate and MassDOT apparently failed to succeed in an settlement “on definitive terms for the redevelopment of 18 motorway service areas in Massachusetts.”
Shapiro’s workplace acknowledged receipt of lawmakers’ letter and advised the Herald that they’re “reviewing it at this time.”
Shapiro, in a mid-August letter to Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, advised MassDOT that he had some “observations and recommendations” on the service plaza leases contemplating “past performance issues with long-term lease management” at MassDOT, however he additionally made clear he had not but dug into the RFP course of resulting in Applegreen choice.
“This letter contains no findings related to MassDOT’s procurement, evaluation or operator selection processes,” he wrote in August.
A spokesperson for Applegreen didn’t return a request for remark, however a spokesman for contractor Suffolk Development advised the Herald Wednesday night time they’ve been clear all alongside.
