Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/93854
Sarasota News Leader November 16, 2012 I've gotten the calls," he said, about general contractors reneging on promises. "We'd have to have some kind of enforcement to say [violations have occurred] and all pay- ments to the general [contractor] cease" if lo- cal subcontractors are not used as the vendor indicated in the contract, he added. "The county needs effective contract admin- istration," Coyman told the commissioners. "I want to believe that if [use of local subcon- tractors is] in the contract … that the admin- istrator responsible will make that happen." During an Oct. 19 forum with more than 50 attendees representing area vendors, Coyman added, the consensus was that companies were comfortable with the proposal for local preference be- ing accorded to out- side firms as long as "the bulk of the reve- nue stays in the area with subcontractors." At that point in the discussion, Chairwoman Christine Robinson asked Coyman whether he had notified all the vendors who had participated in a county sur- vey, as well as those who attended the forum, that the Procurement Code matter was going to be on the board's Nov. 13 agenda. "I don't believe so," he replied, though he add- ed the date was announced during the forum. Robinson then pointed out that Mary Dough- erty-Slapp, executive director of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, had just walked into the Commission Chambers at the Ad- ministration Center in downtown Sarasota, Page 37 where the board was meeting. She indicated that Dougherty-Slapp had hurried over after learning the discussion was taking place. Robinson told Coyman she would prefer to continue the discussion when representatives of area building firms and vendors could be present. Barbetta agreed: "I don't want to finalize any- thing until we get [their] buy-in." When County Administrator Randall Reid proposed Coyman and his staff consult with representatives of the major area vendors, al- though not necessarily all 1,200 to whom the survey had been sent, before bringing the mat- ter back to the board, Vice Chairwoman Car- olyn Mason concurred. I don't want to do something that would shut out the local subcontractors. Vice Chairwoman Sarasota County Carolyn Mason "I don't want to do something that would shut out the local sub- contractors," Mason added. If the board was going to hold off on a decision on that part of the local preference guidelines, Patterson said, then Coyman and his staff also should let the vendors know about the board's votes that af- ternoon. Robinson agreed, but she asked for a motion on that point, so the decision would be a mat- ter of public record. Patterson made the motion that the tentative votes of the board on all the local preference issues covered earlier on Nov. 13, plus the requirement on employment of subcontrac- tors, be reviewed by industry and professional