Local contractor dropped from $11 million Washtenaw Community College project fires back in letter
The Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees last week dropped a previously approved local contractor in favor of another company to perform more than $11 million of renovation work.
Now, representatives from Spence Brothers, dumped in favor of O’Neal Construction, have cried foul in a letter sent to WCC President Larry Whitworth.
The project to renovate the school’s occupational education building will not only be delayed as a result of the board’s action, but it will cost an additional $84,000, Herb Spence, president and CEO of the company, wrote in the Aug. 19 letter to WCC.
Whitworth said last week the project stalled after Spence Brothers switched subcontractors on an important piece of the renovation, then asked for more money to return to the original list.
Spence called those statements “very misleading.” He said the company was following normal protocol in the bidding process, and the board was misled in its decision to drop the contract with his company.
Whitworth said today he disagreed.
“Don’t come in after the fact and tell us this is a new configuration," he said "We’ve been down that road with other contractors. It’s very risky for us. We don’t want to get into the business of trying to vet these different subs when we’re trying to get the project started."
The college had ranked O’Neal Construction as less qualified and more expensive than Spence Brothers in the first place, the letter pointed out.
“We are still shaking our heads in disbelief,” Spence wrote.
Spence added:
“…Now that misleading statements by the college are being reported in the media, we felt compelled to respond, in order to uphold our reputation for building trust and important facilities in Washtenaw County and throughout Michigan over the past 117 years.”
Read the full text of the letter here.
Juliana Keeping is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
jcj
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 3:05 p.m.
Spence brothers is from Saginaw. But they have done more projects in Ann Arbor than you can count. They usually do bigger projects than O'Neal. Crisler Areana, Schembecler Hall,Cahnam Natatorium,Ann Arbor waste treatment plant and Concordia college Music Bldg to name a few.
JSA
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 11:20 a.m.
Unfortunately I suspect the information from Spence Bros. to be much more accurate than that provided by WCC. If it is possible for them to sue WCC we, the taxpayers, are going to get stuck with a big bill regardless of the result. Someone has to pay the lawyers. So much for the trustees and administration looking out for the public purse. If the letter from Spence Bros. is accurate, and it should be investigated by the State Police, fire them all.
SMAIVE
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 8:58 a.m.
It would be interesting to see the comparison of the two bids by the two subcontractors. Is it all labor? Why the $200,000 difference?
Cash
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 8:55 a.m.
Is there a place where we can see what companies donate to WCC? I'd be interested in that data.
michaywe
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 8:54 a.m.
Read the letter! I'll be voting AGAINST any WCC incumbent trustee and their future requests for additional tax!!!!
jcj
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 7:25 a.m.
@Humdinger I disagree about the headline here although I often see the headlines skewed. Anyone interested in this story should know that BOTH Spence Brothers and O'Neal Construction have reputations beyond reproach.
Steve Pepple
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 : 7:04 a.m.
A couple of inappropriate comments have been removed.
Marvin Face
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 8:55 p.m.
I should have known that a union was behind these shenanigans.
Joe Hood
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 8:32 p.m.
Wow, in contract law the WCC is a real loser here (not to mention taxpayers). Hopefully the WCC can right this wrong for the sake of Spence, the WCC, and the taxpayers.
jcj
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 6:57 p.m.
Let me just add WCC President Larry Whitworth is going to come out looking pretty bad on this one. Word travels fast in the construction world. It would appear from Spence Bothers lengthy letter that the proper procedure was not followed.
jcj
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 6:26 p.m.
I urge any reader to look at the full text of the letter from Spence! It is in fine print at the bottom of the article. Juliana it has been the custom of most articles on A2..com to include links at the point in the story where the link would be relevant! This looks very questionable on the part of the college and the writer of the article!