For possibly the first time ever, the state Board of Transportation will not take action at its monthly meeting Thursday on what has always been its bread-and-butter work: awarding highway contracts.
Instead, the board will agree to let Transportation Secretary Gene Conti decide which companies get each of the bridge and road jobs on this month’s agenda, reports Bruce Siceloff.
It’s the board’s first meeting since Gov. Beverly Perdue took office and decreed that transportation board members, who are political appointees from around the state, will get out of the business of awarding DOT contracts.
Conti said the new way of doing business will be worked out in time for the board’s next meeting, in March. Meanwhile, he’s taking responsibility for major contracts this month — but not for all of the board’s spending decisions. At least not yet.
Perdue’s lawyers, Conti and board members are working out the mechanics for this shift of power. The governor might have to seek legislation to make some of the changes legal.
“It’s a different way of doing things,” Conti said after explaining his plans to a board committee Wednesday. “We don’t want to jam things down people’s throats without talking to them, and making sure we’re doing it in a way that restores public confidence.”
More after the jump.
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Conti should not have a difficult time awarding the contracts on this month’s list. In most cases, except in contracts for consulting services, the job goes to the low bidder.
With the recent slowdown in state spending, DOT is only considering seven bridge replacements, some improvements to a road at the Global Transpark in Kinston, and — the biggest job on the list — new pavement for 12 miles of Interstate 40 in McDowell County.
And with roadbuilders competing more fiercely than ever for work, the low bidders have offered to do the work for a total $18.4 million — an average 18 percent less than what DOT expected to pay for the jobs.
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