HAVERHILL — When it comes to which food service will be used by Haverhill public schools, there's a chance the menu could change.
William Cox, the city's lawyer, said that last month the city put the contract out for bid after complaints by Chartwells — which ran the program for seven years until being replaced this summer by Whitsons. Chartwells maintains that the bidding process for the contract this spring was flawed.
In June, the School Committee voted 3-1 to award it to Whitsons, which underbid Chartwells by $28,000. Kerry Fitzgerald and Shaun Toohey, who made up the subcommittee that recommended the change, and Susan Danehy voted in favor, while School Committee President Scott Wood dissented.
Joseph Bevilacqua, Erin Francescone and Mayor James Fiorentini, ex officio chairman of the committee, were absent.
Cox said that after the contract was awarded to Whitsons, Chartwells raised objections.
Cox said Chartwells sent a six-page letter to the School Department on Aug. 11 outlining its concerns, then on Sept. 3 filed a formal protest with the office of the state inspector general.
Cox said most of the complaints had to do with the process of evaluating the bids.
"I believe that was done by the School Committee," Cox said. "We believe the alleged violations to be more technical than substantive so to eliminate any potential technical violation we decided to just rebid it."
Yesterday, city purchasing agent Robert DeFusco said qualifying bids were submitted by the 2 p.m. deadline by Chartwells, Whitsons and Aramark.
He said that as a first step in the review process, those bids, minus pricing, will be forwarded to Kara Kosmes, assistant superintendent of business for the School Department.
Cox said a review of the bids and possible interviews by the School Department will likely happen the week of Dec. 7. Acceptance of the winning bid will be sometime after Dec. 18.
"They'll look at criteria in the bid to rank them on which proposal is more advantageous to the city," Cox said. "Assuming they all rank most advantageous, which is the highest ranking, then you'd look at price."
Cox said there is the "potential" of a change in the city's school food service vendor during the school year.
"For the successful bidder we'd work out arrangements to continue or takeover whatever the case may be," Cox said. "Technically these things are worked out and if there are any changes I'm sure the School Department will ensure a seamless transition."
The School Committee's decision in June did not sit well with food service employees who attended the meeting. Many of them said they were not consulted on the question of whether to continue with Chartwells or seek another provider.
One school employee said Chartwells had made great strides in its menus and choices.
At the June meeting, Kosmes said the state Bureau of Nutrition required the school district to advertise for bids for the contract and that the process had "nothing to do with performance."
Cox said that in his experience the state will wait to take any further action until the bidding process is completed.
"With bid protests we've received in the past, that's generally how we operate and it is a choice we have to reissue the bid," Cox said. "And generally when we do that it will clear up any technical difficulties there might be."
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