Call In Miller Thomson, Again

Why would anyone ever want to do business with the City of Windsor. Especially after what we learned in the 400 Building fiasco.

There is an RFP that just concluded respecting Enwin's PR and Communications services. Gordon Orr wrote a Report to Council about it. Good to see that someone figured out what he can do now. However, the question I have is whether what he did in his report is proper or should the City response to the RFP be thrown out.

Orr told the Mayor and Council in a three page Report (although only 2 pages were produced) that the City's Communication group made a proposal to get the work. I guess they do not have enough work to do and yet they added staff at a time when staffing is being reduced elsewhere.

I don't know how you feel about this but to me, this is a bidder end-running the system! It does NOT matter that it is a City group that is doing it either. They ought to be thrown out.

I don't have a copy of the RFP but I wonder if it was disclosed that a City group might bid on the job and then after they bid would have the ability to run to the Mayor and Council, several of whom are on the Enwin Board, to try and get the job! What other bidder could send a Report to Council like this?

To me, this is putting pressure on the City to try to force the Enwin Board, a separate legal entity by the way, to give the job to Orr's group for the reasons set out.

Were cost savings and synergies part of the Evaluation Criteria? If not, why did Orr have to point this out since it is irrelevant?

In fact, what this is really all about is to get money into the Communications group from Enwin to increase their budget (see Point 4 above) while the City can pretend to hold the line on costs.