Vote on Convention Center HVAC contract delayed

Concerned about minority access to contracts, two members of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority board asked Friday to delay a vote on a $1.28 million heating and air-conditioning contract.

"It's not to ensure the fairness of the outcome, but the fairness of the process," said board member Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers District Council of Philadelphia, one of four unions handling show work at the center.

Facilities director Janet Mitrocsak had prepared a report for the board meeting on the bids for maintenance of the heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation system, with the winning bidder, Johnson Controls Inc., having the lowest price.

The company also has a long-standing relationship with SMG, the West Conshohocken arena and convention center management company that operates the Convention Center,Mitrocsak said.

However, information on whether Johnson Controls has a minority partner or obtains materials from a minority vendor was not available at the meeting, so the vote was delayed.

Board member Heather Steinmiller reminded John McNichol, the center's chief executive, that contracts - whether by SMG or the center itself - need to come before the board's diversity committee to ensure minority participation.

Two other contracts easily passed muster. One was for $624,000 to improve the functioning of security cameras. Some related electrical supplies would be purchased through a minority vendor.

The other was described by Greg Tesone, SMG's assistant general manager, as the "never-ending battle between Coke and Pepsi." Pepsi won this battle to be official beverage of the Convention Center in a contract worth just under $1 million over seven years.

Tesone said Convention Center negotiators played the companies against each other to obtain the lowest price.

Many speakers Friday spoke about the success of last week's BIO 2015 life sciences convention, which attracted 16,000 attendees and 1,800 exhibitors. They filled hotels for 27,700 room nights. The center is competing with Chicago to land BIO's 2019 conference.

McNichol said that the unions working in the center had managed a smooth transition between moving out the Bio show and moving in an even larger show, the International Society for Technology in Education, with 20,000 attendees, which opens Sunday.

Source: Philly.com