Bus contract dispute options could be a ‘mess’
While Powell-based SCU’s contract is headed to the Anderson County County Commission May 20, Andersonville Bus Lines can still take measures to dispute it.
Andersonville Bus Lines President David Landreth told The Courier News he still hopes to get the contract for these routes, but did not give specifics on how he hoped to achieve that goal.
An evaluation committee chose SCU for seven bus routes over Andersonville Bus Lines, the current contractor.
Andersonville Bus Lines disputed that contract with a failed bid protest. SCU has experience with many bus routes around East Tennessee and offered lower prices. However, Landreth and others at his company have emphasized they are familiar with the specific routes involved, contribute to student athletes, and are better concerned with safety.
The Purchasing Committee decided at a special April meeting in favor of SCU. Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager told The Courier News that the committee has final say over bids.
Yeager said Andersonville Bus Lines could challenge the decision in court. But he also said he and the county would fight Andersonville Bus Lines “just like any other lawsuit,” and did not know how likely Landreth would be to succeed.
“We don’t settle,” Yeager said. “We don’t give up, and we’ll do our best. I hope it doesn’t come down to that.”
But he added, “David’s a good man. He’s always done his best for us. He’s been a good vendor for years.”
The commission will consider the contract May 20, and Yeager said it’s possible, regardless of any legal battles, for the commission not to pass it.
“That’d be a real mess,” he said.
A key advantage SCU has is its price. It consistently bid $72,000 for school routes on which Andersonville bid $87,400, $87,500, $84,700, $82,700, $84,100 and $81,200.
In addition to these school routes, SCU bid $97,350 for two routes involving career and technical education students.
Andersonville Bus Lines bid $116,900 on the CTE routes. They’re from Clinch River Community School to Clinton High School and from Clinton High School to Anderson County Career and Technical Center. The evaluation and purchasing committees favored SCU on these as well.
“We are confident that if all the facts and circumstances are accounted for, we will get to continue to operate our routes,” Landreth told the Purchasing Committee before it decided against him.