Council Meeting:  Handicap Sidewalk Ramps
For HNN by Art Harvath


Huntington City council reaffirmed an ordinance Wednesday to award Red Dawson Construction of Huntington the contract for the final phase to install handicap sidewalk ramps in the city. Council spent 20 minutes in executive session discussing the problem before the vote.

The 5-4 vote will keep Dawson Construction as the contractor. Councilmen Cal Kent, Jim Insco, Trey Hanshaw and B.W. Ellis voted against reaffirming the ordinance. Council members Mary Neely and Dick Thompson were absent.

The contract has been a center of controversy since May, when the city council voted not to award the contract to B&L Utility Contractors, who was the lowest bidder.

At the July 8th council meeting Robert Losey, who was representing B&L told council that they should award the contract to B&L to “avoid future punishment to the city, which the city does not need.”

Several council members expressed their concern about action the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development may take against the city for awarding the contract to the Dawson firm.

City Attorney Ted Morgan said the city “would be subject to suit no matter which way council proceeds.”

Morgan did say that he had talked to Red Dawson, and that he had indicated he wanted what was best for the city and would probably not pursue legal action.

Tim Milne, assistant business manager of the Laborers District Council, told the council they have authority to reject B&L on other legal grounds.

B&L Contractors, Inc. was not licensed to do business in West Virginia when they submitted their bid to the city.

At the May 28th council meeting Janet Griffiths, president of B&L Contractors, in response to HNN questions, said that B&L was not required to have a registered DBA (Doing Business As) in West Virginia.

However, B&L Contractors Inc. did register on June 5th with the state of West Virginia.

In June 2001, the Internal Revenue Service filed a tax lien against B&L for $205,750. The company has also been late in paying their subcontractors.

In July 2001, Cabell County Emergency Medical Services director Gordon Merry expressed concern that B&L had been months behind in paying it’s subcontractors even though they been paid in full for the work done for the EMS.

W. Q. Watters Co, a painting and vinyl wall covering company in Charleston, WV. was one of the subcontractors for B&L on a job at the Huntington Tri-State Airport.

“It has been 4 months now, and B&L still has not paid us what they owe,” said Watter’s Bob Thaxton. “I’ve got phone records to show I’ve called them 30 or 40 times about the money, and we still have not been paid,” he said.

Thaxton said that B&L at first promised to send them the money, but now they won’t return his phone calls. Thaxton’s company has filed a claim against B&L’s bonding company, Pennsylvania National Insurance.

Bill Morgan, claims manager of PNI, had no comment. Neither Griffiths nor Losey has returned phone calls.

Said Thaxton, “I won’t be working with them again.”