Federal Audit: ECUA Did Not Comply With Procurement Regulations

April 1, 2011

The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority did not comply with state and federal procurement regulations concerning contract awards to small, minority and women-owned businesses on the Main Street Wastewater Relocation Project funded in part by $149.2 million from Florida Division of Emergency Management, according to a recent report issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The noncompliant areas included  a lack of solicitation lists;  not using the services of the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce; and  not requiring prime contractors to take affirmative steps on contracting with small, minority and women-owned business enterprises on the award of subcontracts.

The total cost of the Main Street Wastewater Relocation Project was estimated at $317 million, with FEMA providing $134.2 million of funding for the project for the new Central Water Reclamation Facility in Cantonment.

To read the full report, including ECUA’s responses, click here.

Comments

8 Responses to “Federal Audit: ECUA Did Not Comply With Procurement Regulations”

  1. Kay on April 4th, 2011 9:35 am

    I took that statement a whole different way, I thought she meant the
    education of small minded people would be enlightening and expand
    their world enough to change their prejudice. Prejudice comes in
    many colors!! As to the hiring of relatives that has nothing to do with
    Prejudice that has to do with Nepotism. Lets face it girlie if you had
    the power to give one of your relatives a job who was struggling how
    hard would it be to resist.
    That being said:
    ECUA should have some heads roll for this and a BIG CHANGE MADE.
    Shame on those who lead us right back into the dark ages. Grow up!

  2. amanda on April 2nd, 2011 2:04 pm

    the comment made that minorities can fight discrimination thru education is not true. I am black with a bachelors and working on a masters. Had numerous interviews around here yet a white with less or no education gets the job. The boss’s daughter, aunt or son.Some of My black friends are going through the same thing. This is the jim crow south where buddies look out for buddies in employment. Dispute this all day long but i know from experience…job discrimination exists in escambia counties florida and alabama.

  3. Jane on April 2nd, 2011 10:03 am

    Women have always been discriminated against…our nation would rather have a man of color than a women for president! People of color have always been discriminated against. The only way any of this will change is through good education, college degrees so we can all move forward. Better education is not always about degrees but how you use them and how you use what you know! If you want something done, do it yourself, or for yourself and don’t expect someone else to do it for you!

  4. JF on April 2nd, 2011 8:36 am

    Hmmmm, could be the reason it came in under budget and on time!

  5. A.B. on April 2nd, 2011 12:22 am

    I remember seeing about 50 or so ECUA workers in a private room having lunch at Ryan’s(Fire Mountain) with the doors closed, nearly a year ago(around last July I guess)…I figured they were discussing this multi-million dollar project then. Reason being is shortly after that, ECUA announced the project to go underway.

    Obviosuly, these were department heads and administration, both men and women.
    Even then, I remember not seeing any person of color in that entire group.So, this report was not surprising to me at all.

    Obviously, God is tired of this crooked nation and has recently been exposing wrongdoings all over, from the White House to the Board Room.

  6. billy on April 1st, 2011 6:23 pm

    ECUA has always had questionable practices……………I always vote against who is currently in office

  7. Don on April 1st, 2011 6:09 pm

    Well maybe now we can get some new ones on the board and get those lifers out of office!!!!

  8. Davisfarm on April 1st, 2011 12:00 pm

    It would be interesting to see who was awarded the work which was improperly bid….