Plaintiffs in a lawsuit aimed at blocking a controversial, $73 million sanitation contract for Henry Consulting are now asking a judge to halt a one-year emergency contract for the firm that Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed last week.
A French Quarter restaurant owner, Daniel Conwill, and resident Marina Costopoulos filed a petition for temporary restraining order on Monday morning, claiming Cantrell signed the emergency contract for French Quarter and Downtown Development District sanitation service under authority of a bogus emergency declaration.
Even if the emergency were real, plaintiffs contend the contract violates city policy because Cantrell did not solicit competitive bids. They point to a 2013 Chief Administrative Officer’s policy for contracting during emergencies. The policy says normal competitive procurement rules apply during emergencies unless “a competitive market does not exist or extreme urgency exists.”…