State official: Quotes missing

The process of choosing a contractor to do extensive work on hangars at Portland Municipal Airport in 2009 does not appear to have been done correctly, a state official said this week.

Members of the Portland Aviation Board agreed by consensus to allow board president Glynn Barber to "handle" hiring and supervision of the work, which ended up costing more than $68,000.

Barber talked to three different contractors, but did not seek written quotes before hiring Done Right Construction, rural Portland, to work on doors, concrete door anchors and electrical service in the majority of the hangers.

Todd Austin, office supervisor for the Indiana State Board of Accounts, said Monday that based on a description of the events, "it looks like to me that based on the (total) amount (for the repairs) ... that they should have followed those (state) guidelines."

Guidelines for airport authorities making purchases or hiring services expected to cost between $50,000 and $150,000 call for requests for quotes to be made from three providers of that item or service.

"I was just told to take care of it," by the board, Barber said last week. "There wasn't really a written quote. I talked to the best three guys I knew could do a good job out there."

Board member Bob Sours concurred with Barber's account. "I don't believe the board approved (the repairs). It was just authorized (for Barber) to go ahead with the repairs," Sours told The CR Feb. 11 for a previous story.

"We didn't expect it to go over $60,000," Barber said. "We just have the best interest of the city at heart ... in the future we will be doing (projects) differently."

Portland Clerk-Treasurer Randy Geesaman said earlier this week that as bills began to pile up from Done Right, he had a discussion with Barber about procedures.

"I said 'if it was going to be this kind of money, (Barber) should have gotten three quotes,'" Geesaman said. "I told them ... from now on, the procedure is you should get estimates and (board) approval."

Austin said that state auditors will likely cite the violation. "We generally just state what occurred, and if that seems to be out of compliance, we'll quote the statute ... indicating it, in our opinion, wasn't done according to the law."

Current airport manager Dave Miller told board members Wednesday that work remains to be done on electrical systems in the hangars.

Brian Hurt, of All Circuit Electrical, inspected the hangers recently at Miller's request. He told board members seven or eight issues must be addressed, including a potential shock hazard. He offered to complete electrical work and correct some work already done.

In addition to Aaron Huey, the owner of Done Right, Barber said he discussed the necessary repairs with two other Jay County contractors. Barber said he did not provide specific work instructions or ask for written quotes.

Barber said had been operating under the belief that because the estimated cost of work on each hangar was $3,000 or less, the formal quote process was not necessary.

"This wasn't one project. We were going on a per-hangar basis. In the future, we'll have an airport manager that will take care of these things," Barber said.

Hurt told board members Wednesday he would have liked an opportunity to quote on the original work.

"I think that not only me, but other contractors, should have had the opportunity to bid," Hurt said.

Miller said several weeks ago he believes his relationship with Barber went downhill after Miller questioned the cost of the remodeling work, which began in June and continued into the fall.

"In the future, there needs to be some kind of check and balance," in hiring for large projects, Miller said.

Members of the airport board voted Wednesday to advertise for a new manager (see related story).

Done Right owner Huey said last week that the pace of work was slowed and the monetary total increased because of large amounts of junk and trash that were in some of the hangars.

Barber, who said Huey has done several jobs for him over the past 18 months or so, says he was simply trying to improve the airport.

"We want the people of the community and people visiting ... to say, 'wow, what an asset,'" Barber says. "If it wasn't a matter of necessity, I wouldn't be involved (in supervising the project) ... I've got a business to run.

"Normally the airport manager would take care of those things (such as renovations). We took it upon ourselves to get those things done because it needed done," Barber said.

Miller's contract as airport manager does not appear to contain language that give him responsibility for supervision of renovations at the airport.[[In-content Ad]]