The city Wednesday morning made available for public viewing posted wide-ranging bids from seven companies vying to be selected as police monitor under terms of an impending federal consent decree with the New Orleans Police Department.
Correction: The city made the bids available for public viewing, but they are not posted online.
The monitor will be charged with ensuring that the decree’s mandates are enacted. The would-be monitors offered bids from about $7 million to $12 million over the four-year contract period.
- Chicago-based Hillard Heintze presented a bid of about $1.5 million a year in labor costs, plus an additional 18 percent in expenses, for a total estimated bid of about $7 million, the lowest tendered.*
- Pugh, Jones and Johnson capped their four-year fee at $8.3 million, all expenses included. The Chicago-based firm listed a New Orleans address on the bid cover sheet.
- Vigilant Resources International, run by Howard Safir, a former New York City police and fire chief, bid $8.7 million.
- New York-based Keypoint Government Solutions offered an aggregate bid of $7.55 million that tops out at $9 million when travel expenses are added.
- California-based Elite Performance Assessment Consultant (EPAC) wants $2.9 million in the first year, and about $2 million annually after that, for a total of about $9 million over the span of the contract.
- BDO Consulting out of Houston would charge $9.95 million over four years, or between $2.2 million and $2.6 million annually.
- Guidepost Solutions, headquartered in New York City, listed hourly rates ($275 to $500) for a team of lawyers. Total costs would be capped at $12 million over four years.
*Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly stated that the Hillard Heintze proposal was for $7.2 million. It’s $7 million, as noted in the current version. (May 2, 2013)
Is the City required to take the low bidders, or are factors other than cost taken into consideration?
No, the city is not required to take the low bidder. There is a combination of factors which will be used to determine who will be awarded with price being a very important one. Some other factors include the company’s financial condition,and their past performance in the kind of work they are bidding on.