JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 The Jacksonville Office of Inspector General said Wednesday it found reason to believe the procurement process for a Jacksonville Transportation Authority mural project was not secure but closed a preliminary review without launching a full investigation.<\/p>\n
In a Feb. 18 report, Inspector General Matthew Lascell said JTA sought a contractor in February 2024 to paint 17 custom murals at the Myrtle Avenue Operations Campus affecting buildings 1, 2, 6 and 8. Because the project\u2019s independent cost estimate was under $250,000, the agency handled the work as a simplified acquisition, the report said.<\/p>\n
Read the full report below.<\/p>\n
Five estimates were received, and JTA awarded the work in March 2024 to Mason Nye Murals of Brooklyn, New York. The inspector general\u2019s office said Mason Nye\u2019s line-item prices were consistently just under the agency\u2019s independent cost estimate and the company\u2019s total bid was roughly $500 below the next responsive bidder \u2014 facts that raised concerns the contractor may have had access to the independent estimate.<\/p>\n
The report said Mason Nye\u2019s proposal included about $68,000 for travel, lodging and related expenses. The final contract cost was $141,040, and the contractor received roughly $17,000 a month for travel and lodging during the four-month project, the report said.<\/p>\n
OIG investigators said they could not locate the JTA employee who recommended the award; that person no longer worked for the city, and the office managing the project had experienced significant turnover. <\/p>\n
The report also noted that payments to Mason Nye were charged to an Operations account, which procurement staff said is common practice because the affected buildings are managed by JTA\u2019s operations branch.<\/p>\n
Lascell\u2019s office said it closed the review without a full investigation because the final project cost was \u201cfair and reasonable\u201d compared with other bids and because the staff member with direct knowledge was no longer employed by JTA. Nevertheless, the report concluded there was reason to believe the integrity of the procurement process was compromised and that evaluation of estimates raised \u201cserious questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The inspector general recommended JTA re-train procurement staff on handling independent cost estimates, update procurement rules to address proper handling of those estimates, and adopt disciplinary measures for employees who fail to follow policy. The report said no response was required and thanked JTA for its cooperation.<\/p>\n
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