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Newtown board remains split on bus contractNEWTOWN, May 09, 2009 (The News-Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Board of Education meetings have been packed for the last few weeks, since the board is voting on a very controversial issue -- who to award the bus contract to. The district did a request for purchase to find the least expensive company. But after the five bids were assessed, the public questioned whether the contract should go to the lowest bidder. The issue boils down to paying more for an in-town company, MTM Transportation, or contracting All-Star Transportation, a much larger out-of-town company. "As of June 30 we have no contract, and we have kids who need to ride to summer school in July. Someone needs to get the contract," Superintendent Janet Robinson pleaded Tuesday, at the board's most recent meeting on the topic. But after five hours of discussion and four deadlocked votes, members were not willing to budge from their positions or compromise. Public supporters of MTM Transportation, which was formed six years ago by three bus owner-operators in town -- there are now more than 30 -- argued vehemently against awarding the contract to All-Star Transportation, because they said the town would lose tax money, outsource business and lay off drivers. But Superintendent Janet Robinson told the Board of Education that All-Star is looking at property in town, with the intent to buy real estate to house its buses and build a maintenance garage. The All-Star owner "said he wants (the current bus drivers), he always hires drivers in the community, he's delighted to hire them," Robinson said. "He's making a major investment in Newtown." The board spent a great deal of time discussing whether MTM is financially able to fulfill the contract, since it requires purchasing many new buses -- five in the first year alone. "I'm still against putting MTM out of business," said board member Anna Wiedemann. Richard Gaines, another board member, took a different stance on the situation, saying, "I don't want to drive them out of business by giving them the job," referring to the high cost of new buses and the company's low finances. According to an April 30 letter from Ron Bienkowski, the district's director of business, splitting the contract between the two companies -- with the in-district routes going to All-Star and the out-of-district routes going to MTM -- would "produce additional local tax revenue." That is because MTM's bid for out-of-district transportation was lower than All-Star's, while All-Star's in-district bid was lower than MTM's. Bienkowski estimated splitting the contract this way would save the district about $362,827 over the course of five years. He said this was recommended by an independent consultant, and supported by Transportation Advisory Services, the town's transportation director and himself. But this motion, like the other three, was defeated 3-3. Chair Elaine McClure, the lone current member who was on the board when MTM was awarded the contract six years ago, said the consistent and excellent service provided by MTM is priceless. Transportation service represents the third largest budgeted expense, proceeded only by salaries and benefits, Bienkowski said and the board still needs to find more than $866,000 to cut from the current budget. Some items proposed to be cut include all after-school programs, including organized sports for Reed Intermediate School and the middle school. Robinson said she couldn't make final budget recommendations without having the figures from the new bus contract. At the end of the meeting, members of the public seemed to echo school board member David Nanavaty's comment that "this decision should have been made meetings ago." The next meeting about the bus contract is scheduled for May 19 at 7 p.m. at the Reed Intermediate School library. It will be the only item for discussion. Contact Melissa Bruen at [email protected] or (203) 731-3350. If you go WHAT -- Newtown Board of Education vote on bus contract. WHEN -- May 19 at 7 p.m. WHERE -- Reed Intermediate School, 3 Trades Lane, Newtown. Bus votes Failed bus contract votes: n Award entire contract to All-Star Transportation, 3-3. n Pass decision on to three members of central administration, 1-5 (David Nanavaty in minority). n Award entire contract to MTM Transportation, 3-3. n Split contract -- in district to All-Star, out of district to MTM, 3-3. n Split contract -- in district to MTM, out of district to All-Star, 3-3. In all 3-3 votes, Elaine McClure, Kathy Fetchick and Anna Wiedemann voted for MTM; Kathleen Chrystie, Richard Gaines and David Nanavaty voted for All-Star. To see more of the News-Times or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newstimes.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The News-Times, Danbury, Conn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |