Cost delays talk of contract split

City Administrator Fred Russell had worked out a deal to avert a lawsuit over a mishap that has two different companies hired for the same job in the building of the new judicial center.

But Augusta commissioners put off approving the deal Tuesday, balking at spending more than $12,000 extra to split the work down the middle and questioning how a company got hired for ground testing and construction materials inspections with no contract.

Rick Swanson, the president of Augusta-based Graves Engineering Services Inc., which had the job to begin with, said he's not happy.

"It wasn't a handshake deal," he said. "It was through a formal process, and I bid on it against two other firms."

In 2003, he said, he received a request for proposal by mail from Rick Acree of the Public Works & Engineering department. He said he outbid two other companies, QORE Property Sciences and MACTEC Engineering, and received a letter of authorization from Mr. Acree that begins, "The Augusta Commission wishes to engage the services of an engineering testing firm for the duration of the design and construction of the new judicial center."

Mr. Swanson said he did work at a previously proposed site and at the current site off Walton Way, and he's been paid $15,500. He said that when he learned last year that the city put out another bid and awarded a $240,257 contract to ATC Associates Inc., he took his paperwork to Mr. Russell, Procurement Department Director Geri Sams, Mr. Acree and former Commissioner Bill Kuhlke, who headed the Judicial Center advisory committee.

Mr. Russell said a contract with Graves can't be found.

"It's a big mess," he said, and one that started before his tenure. "Sloppy management is what it looks like to me."

The two companies have nevertheless agreed to split the work, with Graves focusing on ground testing and ATC on testing masonry, concrete, asphalt and pavement. Under the deal, Graves would earn up to $122,000 and ATC up to $130,698 -- which is $12,441 more than the overall contract awarded earlier to ATC.

City Attorney Chiquita Johnson advised commissioners to split the contract, but several said they wanted to see Mr. Swanson's paperwork before voting on it.

Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.