Thursday, July 25, 2013

Who needs fumigating, the skeeters or the supes? We report, you decide.

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors rejected the only bid for mosquito spraying last week.  The discussion became rather raucous at times as Supervisor Kenneth Stokes tried to push the contract to Hathorn Pest Control while claiming certifications were used to keep blacks from getting contracts.


The county solicited bids several weeks ago.  Vector  Disease Control International, LLC submitted the only bid. The company has an office in Jackson. The company said the cost for the spraying will be $81,750 for the remainder of the fiscal year (October 1). The company estimated the cost for the next two years will be $196,000. The costs brought some questions by the supervisors. District 2 Supervisor Al Hunter asked how the county could measure the success of the program. He asked "How do we track a mosquito with GPS?" Vector replied that GPS is used for trap locations. The company traps mosquitoes so it can examine the species and determine which pesticide to use. Vector said aerospraying is used on an emergency basis. The program will cover the unincorporated areas of the county as well as areas not covered by municipal spraying programs. The total area not covered by spraying right now is 587 square miles.

 

Mr. Stokes accused county officials of "trying to make people not qualify. Whenever blacks try to qualify for work, they try to put something in the game so they can't qualify. How many black people even haven an airplane that can spray? (16:00 in the video) We're trying tno spend all this money on less than 20,000 people." "We are talking about 30,000 people" and "talking about spending $81,000 on less than 30,000 people" said Mr. Stokes. Mr. Stokes moved to reject all bids. The motion passed.

Joe Hathorn of Hathorn Pest Control angrily told the board it did not have to bid out the contract but could award it to him as a professional service contract after District 4 Supervisor Robert Walker asked if the county has to request bids. He accused the board of writing "biases" into the request for a proposal. Mr. Hathorn said about RFP's "you can write people in, you can write people out." He stormed off the podium and said "Vector had something to do with putting something in the proposal"

Clarence Williams, Director of the Human Capital Development and Grants Division, very heatedly responded to Hathorn's accusations: "I put together this proposal because I thought it was in the best interests of the control. I wanted to get everything that was required. I consulted with the state health dept and CDC when I put this RFP together. It didn't have to do with Vector or anyone else and I resent anyone accusing me of something I didn't do. (27:46 in video) Mr. Stokes left the room when Vector representatives addressed the board.

Mr. Stokes then moved to award a three month contract to Hathorn Pest Control at $17,000 per month. The motion died for lack of a second. District 3 Supervisor Peggy Hobson-Calhoun said such a move would be seen as an attempt to circumvent the bid regulations.  Mr. Graham said the board would address the matter at the next meeting.

What was rather interesting was the behavior of assistant board attorney Cherie Prince. Board attorney Tony Gaylor was not present. She said nothing to the board about bid regulations or anything else related to this matter while Mr. Hathorn gave legal advice to the board on professional service contracts. Just one problem. Hinds County requested an opinion from the Attorney General several months ago on whether pest control was a professional service contract (The county would not have to solicit bids if it is.). The AG ruled on March 22, 2013 that pest control services are not considered to be professional services under Section 19-3-69 of the Mississippi Code and thus the county has to solicit bids. Ms. Prince made no mention of the opinion to the board.


KF note: The board attorney should have told the board about the AG opinion when Hathorn and Stokes tried to complete their little end run around the bid laws. The reasons why she did not do so are open to speculation.

It was also embarrassing to watch a board reject a legitimate bid because it was collectively too stupid to understand environmental regulations.   A court ruling in 2009 stated mosquito spraying is covered by the Clean Water Act. The new regulations took effect in 2011. Many counties and cities have seen their costs increase while forced to submit greater amount of paperwork to the EPA. Discharge plans have to be filed.  More certifications have to be obtained.  The days of just sending a truck down the road spraying chemicals are over.  If the county picks the wrong vendor, EPA can impose a fine of $5,000 per day.  Mr. Graham mentioned that little fact when the board chose not to give a good ole boy contract to Hathorn, despite his tantrum.

Mr. Williams said there were only six or seven companies in the Southeast that could meet the new requirements.  Only one company submitted a bid.  He said he attended a two-day class on this subject that was conducted by the state.  He said he consulted with DEQ and the Department of Health.

The entire discussion was one of ignorance, buffoonery, and bullying.  One supervisor is too dumb to understand how mosquito spraying works.  He asks how GPS is used and wonders if it is used on mosquitoes. Another one tries to throw it out and give it to his pal. He's not interested in mosquito spraying but just giving $51,000 to his friend.  A contracter acts as the board attorney while the board attorney, either intentionally or unintentionally, doesn't tell the board there is a recent AG opinion issued to her office this year.  In the end, no mosquito spraying takes place while Hinds County residents worry about skeeters and West Nile.  



23 comments:

Robert and Ken's Pest Control said...


Hinds County ... A World of Difference!

Anonymous said...

I imagine that! Needing to be certified to dispense poisonous chemicals. Stokes should embarrass every black person as he is essentially saying that blacks can't compete.

Anonymous said...

Can't Kenny and LaRita just drive around in their van while spraying some cans of Bengal out the window?

Anonymous said...

Darn shame...Stokes has lost his mind!

My people smh my people

A mind is a terrible thing to waste!

Anonymous said...

11:19, or own a plane. Hard to believe these bafoons are running the county.

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable. Obama was right; They are leaving an experience and history.

Anonymous said...

Killing mosquitoes is serious business. Talk to anyone who knows about West Nile virus. The County's lawyers need to have a frank discussion with the Supervisors about legal implications of not protecting the public.

Anonymous said...

MSDH just reported 2 West Nile positive mosquitos in Hinds County too.

http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/14,0,93,586.html

Unbelievable.

Anonymous said...

Whats amazing is that these baffoons either dont know how stupid they are or dont care...even worse is that there are people so ignorant that elect them. Some of these board members grammer is so bad its just down right embarrassing to listen to. It amazes me that some of these board members are able to function in todays society without causing serious harm to themselves or others. "Why does Ruprecht have a cork on the fork? To keep him from hurting himself and others."

Anonymous said...

Completing the police training school is a requirement designed to keep blacks from being employed as patrolmen.

Same with anesthesiologists. The only reason we require an MD for that is to keep blacks out of the operating room.

Anonymous said...

If Kenuff Stokes is so concerned about what a contract says, then what about the contract he signed for buses?

Kingfish??

KaptKangaroo said...

This is almost getting to the point you might as well let them just do what they please. Apparently sunlight does not affect them. The problem is beyond solving. It is a sheet sho. I wonder how human beings can be so damn callous as to take advantage of those they suppose to represent.

I'm there. Lost cause.

Anonymous said...

So, those little tackle box looking things that says "Vector" on them are GPS enabled catching stations? Why on earth Has that company been putting them out if they don't even have a contract. There's one that was near my house 2 or 3 different times the past couple of months. Thought someone lost a tool or tackle box until I saw the sticker on it

Anonymous said...

They put them out in order to collect data. Smart business people assessing the scope of the problem in an effort to win the business.

Kingfish said...

They have a contract for half of Jackson.

Anonymous said...

Hey JJ, you need to be careful posting videos like this. You could be held liable for the loss of I.Q. points by people who actually watch these things. Just giving you a fair warning.

Anonymous said...

Wow. This Youtube of Tommie Hathorn and his son is pretty revealing.

All you need to know? Besides, they don't even have the proper credentials from the state for mosquito and fly control, according to the state website. That's even before we gets to the apparent lack of an aerial applicator license.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSUAgXZP5Hg

Anonymous said...

Should you have missed some of the previous JJ coverage of this matter there is additional background here which includes a link where JPS bid out these services in 2012 and Hathorn was the highest bidder going away.

Kingfish said...

I do have one question.

How come Hathorn did not submit a bid?

Kingfish said...

I thought they had a valid state license. I checked Ag's website and thought I saw it.

Anonymous said...

Holy Cow! Did I hear Junior right in the video? His claim to pest control business ownership fame is being a middle school graduate?

Anonymous said...

The assistant board attorney didn't have time to comment on the opinion letter from the AG. She was to busy squirming trying to justify why she is charging the county $95/hour to be a paper shuffler.

Anonymous said...

At this rate, summer will be over and the threat of West Nile gone for the season before they even take action. I live in Clinton and am glad we got Phil Fisher but here lately I kind of wish he would have stayed to act as a foil for that bunch of clowns.



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