An attempt to cast further doubt on Kansas City’s process to select a company to build a new terminal at KCI surfaced Tuesday, when a handful of area legislators criticized the city’s efforts.
Led by Sen. Ryan Silvey (R – Clay County), the legislators allege the city didn’t follow its own ordinances in ranking the proposals submitted by four companies earlier this summer.
After a review process, a council selection committee chose a proposal by Edgemoor Infrastructure.
The full council is expected to make a decision on the committee’s recommendation this month.
The council can either affirm the committee’s recommendation of Edgemoor or start the process over.
That process rankled Silvey and others, who say the submissions should have been ranked.
“Based on what I have read, it appears the process did not follow the procurement laws in place for the city or the state of Missouri, as neither has an option of ‘disqualification’ or ‘fail to advance,’” Silvey said in a release.
At issue is the review committee’s disqualification of a proposal submitted by Burns and McDonnell, which the committee did not consider as a finalist because it did not meet financial benchmarks outlined by city advisors.
But the legislators’ criticism of the city’s process seemed just as much of an attempt to bolster the proposal by Burns and McDonnell.
“Having represented the men and women who work for Burns and McDonnell in the Missouri legislature for over a decade, I’ve witnessed the strength of their corporate character,” Sen. Jason Holsman (D – Jackson County) said in the same release.
Burns and McDonell’s headquarters are located in Holsman’s senate district.
Kansas City voters will decide this November on whether to move forward with building a new terminal.
Read the full statement below:
