Company banned from X-way bidding

A Port Orange company was suspended Thursday for a year from bidding on work at Metro Orlando’s road-building agency.

Masci General Contractor, Inc., was barred because it under-reported by more than $1 million how much money it had paid a female-owned trucking company, according to an analysis of the Central Florida Expressway Authority.

The agency awards contracts, in part, on how much money a contractor pays to minority- and female-owned subcontractors. The bigger the socalled M/WBE commitment, the better the chance a general contractor will win work from the authority.

Leo Masci, who owns Masci General Contractor, told the nine-member agency board Thursday that a bookkeeping error was to blame.

“We understand the severity of the mistake. It’s a hard-earned lesson,” said Masci, who asked the board not to punish his company.

But the board voted unanimously to penalize Masci.

“I think we need to send a clear message,” said agency Chairman Welton Cadwell.

Board members also were miffed when they learned that a top official of the trucking company working for Masci was the owner’s sister, Leticia. That is not against the rules, but board members said they were disappointed to learn of the close relationship.

Masci has been widening State Road 417 from Curry Ford Road to Lake Underhill Road, a project worth $10.1 million. Work started in early 2014 and is nearing completion.

Ben Dreiling, the agency’s top construction manager, said Masci has done an “excellent job” on the 417, but made what he called a mistake when it recorded payments of $1.4 million to the trucking firm, Peteco, when, in reality, only $230,000 had been sent to it.

The authority discovered the discrepancy when it received a bill from another trucking company complaining that

Masci had not paid it for hauling lime rock. That company was not part of the Masci team approved by the authority.

In another development T h u r s d ay, the board learned that as many as 20 candidates are interested in becoming the agency’s executive director. That post has been open since October 2013, when Max Crumit resigned under pressure.

Board member Michael Scheeringa, who is leading the search, said he expects to know within a week which potential candidates are willing to come in for an interview. The job could pay as much as $250,000 annually, as well as possibly offering a car allowance.

Scheeringa estimated a new director could be offered the job by the middle of May.

So far, Laura Kelley, an assistant authority director who has been running the agency along with Joe Berenis, has said she wants the promotion. Crumit also has indicated he might reapply for his old post.