Friday, October 28, 2011

What are the chances the city goes with an "interested party" at new inspection facilities?

Instructions: to update, please replace Valdez with Vera, Thank You

You don't have to really know all the details of the developments at the city's two new refrigerated inspection facilities over at the World Trade Bridge, but be aware of at least one thing. The city council will soon be voting on who's going to manage the facilities and a local brokers' association is simply asking that they select someone who will be neutral, as in no conflict of interest. Is this so hard to expect?  Well, just please don't be shocked if the geniuses over at city hall find to way to come up with a shady deal on this as well.

From today's Laredo Morning Times

The City of Laredo could soon award the final contract for a set of bridge improvements designed to make the city more competitive with Texas ports.

Officials marked the expansion of seven new lanes at the World Trade Bridge in May and the completion of two 6,000-square-foot refrigeration facilities at the World Trade and Colombia-Solidarity bridges months later.

Bids for the management and operation of the buildings are due at the city by Friday, Nov. 4.

City staff told members of a blue ribbon trade committee Thursday that bids could be scored and a recommendation sent to the City Council within another 30 days.

The committee’s president said customs brokers in Laredo have expressed concern about a firm getting an advantage of winning the contract for operation of the facility.

“We want this to happen; we want this to be a positive impact,” Jose D. Gonzalez said at the meeting.

But Gonzalez, also president of the Laredo Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers Association, said members were concerned that if a broker were awarded management of the refrigeration facilities, it would have a competitive advantage.

He said in an interview that brokers would like to see an administrator who acts as a neutral third party.
OK, City council it seems like a pretty simple, common-sense thing to do. Will you manage to spin this in such a way that, when you select one broker over the others, you'll convince yourselves you were right?

No comments:

Post a Comment