School Board Still Deadlocked On MTM Contract

By Eliza Hallabeck

For the second meeting in a row, the Board of Education found itself locked in a 3-3 vote over the decision to award a local fleet operator’s contract to either the current contract holder and in-town business MTM Transportation or Torrington-based All-Star Transportation during its meeting on Tuesday, May 5.

After already postponing the decision to be brought up during a special meeting held Thursday, April 30, the board deliberated awarding the contract until just before midnight on Tuesday. The transportation contract, currently held by MTM Transportation, consists of special needs routes for public schools in the district and transportation routes for the private schools in the district.

“Last time we met, we went around and we had a lot of discussion” said school board Chair Elaine McClure. “And the vote turned out to be 3-3. It was a tie. We decided that we were not going to break the tie that night, and that we were going to come back and meet on the same subject again this evening.”

Ms McClure said the longer the board waits to sign the contract, the harder it will be for either company to obtain the buses it needs. The current contract will expire on June 30.

There was no representative for All-Star Transportation present for Thursday’s meeting, but Ms McClure said one offered to be available by phone if the need arose.

As a representative for MTM Transportation, Michelle Voight told the school board that the company was built from nothing six years ago, and has been built tailored to the needs of Newtown and the school district.

During the April 30 meeting, Ms Voight said MTM’s bottom line for the bid was $10,214,048, while Ms McClure announced All-Star Transportation’s new offer for the contract was $10,115,000.

On Tuesday night Ms Voight announced MTM would match the competitor’s prices, but Ms McClure said legally, and in fairness, the school board would have to decide the contract without discussing any further offers from the two bus companies.

Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson said she spoke to John Dufour, one of the owners of All-Star, and the bus company is interested in becoming a viable business in town. She also said it would be interested in hiring drivers from town if it were to receive the award of the contract.

Board member Richard Gaines said most of the passion heard on the topic has revolved around the drivers, “so I am delighted to hear that.”

Board member David Nanavaty moved to award the contract to All-Star, and the motion was seconded by Mr Gaines. Kathleen Chrystie voted with the motion, while Ms McClure, Kathryn Fetchick, and Anna Wiedemann voted against it.

“If we do not award this to MTM,” said Ms Fetchick, “we are putting them out of business.”

Ms Fetchick also said she feels that if there is going to be a future bus company in Newtown, it should be MTM.

In response to concerns that if the All-Star Transportation were to receive the award, then the company would also be awarded the individual owner/operator contracts when they expire, Ms Chrystie said, “This board, no matter who is on it three or four years from now, will not give [Mr Dufour] or the owner/operators contracts if they are not competitive.”

A failed motion would have split the contract between All-Star and MTM, giving All-Star the in-district routes, or the largest portion of the contract, and MTM the out of district routes. A motion to award the contract to MTM also failed in a tie.

Mr Nanavaty moved to have the school administration decide the outcome for the contract, but the other members of the board all voted against the motion.

By the end of the meeting, it was decided to hold a special meeting at 7 pm on May 19 at the Reed Intermediate School for the school board to review and potentially award the contract.

“Somehow we need to come to a decision,” said Ms McClure.

Mr Gaines said he is concerned with the viability of MTM if awarded the contract, and Ms Chrystie said, with the company taking out a $500,000 loan to buy five new buses and two used buses, she does not see how the numbers work with MTM’s profits.

Ms McClure said she was on the board six years ago when MTM’s contract was first brought before the board. She voted in favor of them then, and said she believes MTM will make it work again.

The school board also discussed the district’s budget for the coming year, but the topic was tabled at the request of Dr Robinson.