An engineering

company owned by a Peachtree City man is suing the Jones County Board

of Commissioners for failing to award him a bid for a project where his

company was the lowest bidder.

Melvin Ewing

of Ewing Engineering Company claims the commission should have awarded

the bid to him since he met all the qualifications set forth in the county's

advertisement. Instead, the county awarded the project to Widner &

Associates of Macon even though that company failed to comply with all

the bid's criteria, the suit states.

The project

involves the design, engineering and construction supervision for the

parking area and front entrance area at the Jones County Community Center

in Gray. Ewing's bid was $9,480, which was $690 less than the bid from

Widner & Associates.

While three

of the six bids were in the $9,000 to $13,000 range, three others came

in at over $30,000.

According to

commission documents, Widner & Associates was recommended for the

project for its "experience and expertise" and the employee

who will conduct the work is a Jones County resident.

But in the

suit Ewing argues that none of the firms' references were checked before

the bid was awarded by the county commission. Ewing also alleges that

Widner & Associates failed to provide three references which was a

requirement listed in the public notice that was published in the local

newspaper.

After Ewing

complained about the bid process, county administrator Clay Washburn wrote

him a letter explaining how the bid proposals were considered before the

commission voted on them. Washburn said he and commissioner J. Al Andrews,

who is part of a mechanical engineer firm, reviewed the six proposals

and forwarded their recommendation to the committee.

"We advertise

for proposals and try to select the most qualified firm for the project,"

Washburn said in the letter. "The commissioners always reserve the

right to accept or reject any or all proposals as they do with all bids.

... Our intention is to get the most qualified firm or individual to do

our project the way we want it done and at a reasonable cost."

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