One lawsuit challenged the bid awarded for county’s new radio system for first responders
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor
Wakulla County recently settled two pending lawsuits: one was filed by Williams Communication challenging the decision last year to award the bid to construct a new radio system to Motorola Solutions.
The case had been set for trial beginning in June before Wakulla Circuit Judge Layne Smith.
In its lawsuit, Williams claimed that Motorola’s bid for the $17 million radio system did not meet the bid specifications: “Motorola omitted key coverage data from its proposal to the county and misrepresented its compliance with the (Request For Proposal) requirements… in order to reduce system infrastructure costs, utilize a noncompliant radio configuration, and deviate from the industry standards for reliability imposed by the county’s RFP.”
It’s not clear at this time what the terms for the settlement were.
The money for the radio system is coming from a grant of BP money from Triumph Gulf Coast.
The county’s current radio system has gaps in service – such as the Smith Creek area – and often does not work in metal buildings or building with metal roofs, such as Walmart. The new system is supposed to correct those problems.
An attorney for Williams appeared at the March 4 county commission to urge comissioners not to approve a $545,000 payment for replacement of the 911 system, warning that a lawsuit is pending.
A few days later, the parties reached a settlement that was ultimately approved by county commissioners.
In another lawsuit, former employee Christy Stringer vs. Wakulla County, had been set to go to trial on March 25 but settled a week before. County commissioners approved a settlement in an executive session on April 1.
The terms of that seettlment are not available at this time.
That lawsuit had survived a county motion to dismiss a couple of weeks before settlement was reached.
Stringer worked as Procurement Coordinator in 2022 claimed in her lawsuit that she was wrongfully terminated and subjected to a hostile work environment as a county employee by County Administrator David Edwards and other staff.
In its motion to dismiss, the county claimed that Stringer had inappropriately sought access to the county check-writing function of the county financial system and the administration met with Stringer and gave her the option to resign or be terminated.
She resigned from the county in April 2022.
Tallahassee attorney Marie Mattox filed the lawsuit against the county on behalf of Stringer in August 2022.
