Santa Rosa commissioners clash over vote redo for bid project

MILTON, Fla. (FLV) – Santa Rosa County commissioners are clashing after the board reversed in a last minute decision on which company they would financially support to build a Consolidated Dispatch Center.

The board originally voted in a July 13 meeting to back Clemons-Rutherford and Associates for the project.

However, nearly two weeks later the board suddenly pulled its promised funding from Clemons and instead provided it to Caldwell Associates Architecture in an unorthodox move.

Commissioner James Calkins told Florida’s Voice that he believed the move would shine a negative light on the county’s business practices. On the other hand, Commissioner Kerry Smith believed it was a fair vote.

In the July 13 meeting, the board used a ranked voting point system to choose the best proposal out of five architecture firms that were bidding to receive $15 to $20 million in financial resources needed to build the dispatch center.

”Basically, we score each [firm] one to five,” Commissioner James Calkins explained in an interview with Florida’s Voice. “And the person with the bid with the lowest points wins, because you’re ranking them first through fifth.”

After the voting, Clemons-Rutherford was announced the winner and Commission Chair Colton Wright then stated that staff was to “negotiate a contract” with the firm and “bring something back” to the board for final approval.

However, on the board’s July 27 meeting, Commissioner Sam Parker pointed out that Caldwell Associates Architecture – who came in second place – got three, first place votes.

“You had a majority of commissioners that actually ranked [Caldwell] first,” Parker said at the following July 27 meeting.

Parker continued to say that due to one outlying score, the average bumped Caldwell out of overall first place.

“I think we should direct staff to negotiate with Caldwell and Associates,” Parker concluded at the meeting.

In response to that comment, Calkins told Parker during the meeting that he found the move to switch companies after already voting “disturbing.”

“Every single one of you board members knew the rules before we took the vote. You knew the system, you voted on the system countless other times. But because the candidate that you wanted didn’t win based on the system, you want to rig it now in favor of your chosen candidate,” Calkins said.

“I think it’s disgusting, and I think it’s the ‘good old boy’ politics of Santa Rosa County that people are tired of,” he added.

Calkins continued to say that if the commission reverses its support, Clemons-Rutherford will sue the county and win.

After discussion amongst board members and the county administrator, Parker proceeded to introduce a motion that would instead direct the funding to Caldwell, rather then Clemons-Rutherford. The motion passed 3-2 with Commissioner Ray Eddington joining the side of Calkins in disapproval.

Calkins said in the interview that this motion to reverse support is “bad for business” and it shows that the “system is rigged.”

“I’m going to fight tooth and nail on this issue to make sure it never happens [again],” he said. “I think Santa Rosa County needs to stand against this kind of thing.”

Commissioner Kerry Smith told Florida’s Voice that he was “under the assumption” that Caldwell had won July 13 because they had the three first place votes.

“We operate in a three vote world as a commission,” Commissioner Kerry Smith said. Smith joined Parker and Wright on the approval of reversing the financial support.

Smith continued to say that he was not aware of the process by which the ranked voting point system of selection was deciding the winner.

He claimed that Clemons-Rutherford was never “awarded” anything and thus, the firm has no legal reason to pursue a lawsuit against the county.

Clemons-Rutherford told Florida’s Voice it does not have a comment as the matter is still under review by our legal counsel.