A printer whose recurring bills to Cicero generated questions about the town’s purchasing practices earlier this year was recently paid nearly $80,000 for a series of other jobs.
The payments to M&D of Chicago Inc., came at Town Board meetings held in the last month. Each time, Trustee Jan Porod cast the sole dissenting vote.
More than four months ago, at Porod’s prodding, town officials made pledges in response to concerns that the town’s dealings with the company had circumvented Cicero’s bidding requirements. In a 16-month span, the town had paid nearly $600,000 to M&D.
First, officials said they would solicit other prospective vendors for printing services. M&D and another company, Unique Printers and Lithographers of Cicero, submitted proposals, but Town Atty. Dennis Both rejected both of them. He later said neither adequately addressed the specifications sought by the town.
M&D principal Bob Burman did not return a call seeking comment.
Steve Deets, a sales representative with Unique Printers, said he received a letter from the town about two months ago that stated the process was not yet moving forward.
“I was told we weren’t being considered at this time,” Deets said. “If it comes back on the table, I’d give it another shot.”
Cicero’s second pledge came from Town President Ramiro Gonzalez, who made a general commitment to revamp the purchasing process. That included hiring a purchasing director who would address the town’s $50,000 threshold for requiring the solicitation of bids.
But the town has made no move to begin that process. Nearly three months ago, Both referred the matter to the chairman of the board’s three-member Ordinance Committee, Trustee Alberto Ayala. But Ayala has not yet called a meeting, has refused to say why he has not done so, and has not put a timetable on when he may convene a meeting.
Between late 2002 and early 2004, the town paid M&D about $580,000 for work, including newsletters distributed to residents and $270,000 for shirts bearing the town name.
At the board’s July 13 meeting, the board approved $54,329 in payments to M&D. They included about $31,559 for newsletters, $15,000 for T-shirts, $5,850 for 4th of July banners, and $1,920 for the printing of parking permits. At a meeting this week, the board approved $24,773 in payments, with more than $21,000 going toward English and Spanish versions of the town newsletter.
Trustee Dennis Raleigh said he believes M&D has been doing a good job, but he would “like to see a purchasing agent step in so the printing could go out for quotes and bids.”
“Do I think the situation needs to be looked into? Certainly I do,” Raleigh said. “It should be going out for bid to make sure we’re getting the best for our dollar.”
