BY GREGORY A. HALL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- A losing bidder's architect in the Kenton County bidding controversy said Wednesday he was surprised that parts of proposals for the courthouse and parking garage were kept confidential after the bid opening.
"I thought it was going to be completely open," said Tom Tilsley, an architect working for Wessels Construction and Development Corp. on the project. "But I was surprised that it wasn't, because usually bid openings are bid openings. Everything is disclosed." The county is suing the winning bidder, Bill Butler's Corporex Cos., to recoup an $850,000 settlement paid to the losing bidders, Wessels and Carroll Properties.
Wessels and Carroll claimed Corporex had an upper hand in winning the $35.6 million courthouse and garage contracts. The county accuses Mr. Butler of manipulating the process in his company's favor.
Corporex denies any wrongdoing.
Mark Hayden, an attorney for Corporex, said Mr. Tilsley's surprise at the withholding of information lends creedence to Mr. Butler's assumption that the bids were available for inspection once they were opened.
The key incident in the case is a meeting at the home of then-judge-executive Clyde Middleton that Mr. Butler requested on the night the bids were opened. During that session, Mr. Butler reviewed competitors' proposals.
Mr. Tilsley's deposition Wednesday was his second in the case. Wessels attorney Carlo Wessels said his family's company was waiting for the check to arrive.
The county sent the check last month.
