ACERTYS RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY OF MONTRÉAL TERMINATE THE CONTRACT
MONTREAL, Nov. 25, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Acertys supports the decision of the City of Montréal to terminate the contract to carry out the public consultation regarding the redesign of Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, which it entered into last March. After analyzing the report from Montréal's inspector general office and being made aware of the irregularities surrounding the City of Montréal's tendering process for this contract, Acertys advised the City of Montréal that it was reconsidering the continuation of its mandate.
In a letter transmitted to the City of Montréal last November 7th, Acertys even recommended that the City use its termination power and end the agreement biding both parties. "Although Acertys is not implicated in the irregularities revealed by the inspector general's office, the extent of these irregularities casts doubt on the very integrity of the process through which the City of Montréal appointed our firm," reads the letter.
"Transparency, integrity and rigour are values we uphold and on which the success of any public participation process depends. We believe the irregularities observed surrounding the City of Montréal's tendering process result in a weakening of public trust in the consultation that is underway," Isabelle Verreault and Jacques Bénard, the firm's principal associates, pointed out in the letter.
Given these circumstances, Acertys states that terminating the contract is necessary, both for the good of the project and out of respect for all stakeholders participating in the consultation process.
The company welcomes the recommendations of the inspector general's office aiming to prevent failures in the tendering process. In the letter sent to the City of Montréal, Acertys' principal associates state that "a clear, fair and equitable tendering process is essential in order to prevent companies who submit bids in good faith, following established rules, from being exposed or penalized due to failures within the municipal system."
It should be noted that Acertys had requested and obtained the approval of the City of Montréal's legal services, the Direction du contentieux de la Ville de Montréal, before taking part in the public tendering process. Furthermore, the Contrôleur général de la Ville de Montréal found no action or measure that could call into question the legality of the tendering process. Finally, the inspector general's office, in its report, concluded that Acertys did not attempt to influence the proceedings or process through which the contract was granted.
SOURCE: Acertys
Ms. Paule Genest, ARP, PGPR relations publiques, Tel.: 514-845-7477, ext. 1, Cell: 514-703-4317, [email protected], Twitter: @ypgpr
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