Commissioners escape bidding war

A heated bidding war was extinguished Tuesday after a seven-month court battle pulled two Clark County commissioners into the middle.

The commission voted 4-1 to reject all bids to widen the northern Las Vegas Beltway between Decatur Boulevard and Tenaya Way. The action halted the feud between rival bidders Las Vegas Paving and Fisher Sand and Gravel.

Commissioners Tom Collins and Steve Sisolak followed a federal judge's orders and did not discuss or vote on the bids. They left the chambers before talks began and returned to weigh in on alternative projects that could be funded.

About $140 million will be used instead to make smaller improvements on the same Beltway stretch and to install a $22 million interchange at North Fifth Street.

"We need to put people back to work," Commissioner Rory Reid said.

New bids will be taken.

Before the vote, attorneys representing Las Vegas Paving and Fisher argued that the commission should award the contract to their client.

But a few commissioners made it clear they were fed up with the squabbling that had stalled the roadwork.

Commissioner Larry Brown said the litigation was certain to drag on if the county stayed with the project.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, who cast the lone vote against rejecting the bids, argued that the county should award Las Vegas Paving the contract.

The project has bounced between the courts and the commission since April.

Commissioners awarded the contract twice to Las Vegas Paving, though its $116.8 million bid was higher than Fisher's, which was $112.2 million.

They approved Las Vegas Paving the first time after the company argued that some of Fisher's subcontractors lacked proper licensing. A Clark County district judge ruled that Las Vegas Paving missed the deadline for challenging Fisher's bid.

Commissioners chose Las Vegas Paving the second time after Sisolak questioned Fisher about a list of violations it had incurred in several states.

Fisher accused Sisolak and Collins of favoring a union contractor.

The judge found no bias. But he approved an order that barred the two commissioners from participating.

Collins challenged the order, saying he had never agreed to it. He argued that it was unconstitutional to deny him his right to represent his constituents.

The same judge ruled that Collins' rights were not infringed upon, based on federal guidelines.

On Tuesday, Collins complied with the judge's order.

He pressed to have the same stretch of Beltway between Decatur and Tenaya improved on a smaller scale. He also backed the installation of the North Fifth Street interchange. Both are in his district.

A representative from Fisher said the company is considering legal action and continue to bid on other county projects.

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.