JACKSON COUNTY BACKS NEW EVALUATION OF PROPOSED DRUG-TREATMENT CONTRACTS

The Jackson County Legislature voted 6-2 Monday to let new outside
evaluators examine contract proposals for the drug-treatment services,
which sparked a recent lawsuit against the county.

Legislators also agreed to rescind a contract with a new vendor and spend
up to $124,120 to continue the drug-treatment services of County Court
Services Inc. during the re-evaluation. They said they expected to have the
matter resolved by the end of February.

The move came after eight legislators and County Executive Katheryn Shields
held a closed meeting with attorneys to discuss the lawsuit. The ninth
legislator, Dan Tarwater, was out of town.

County Court Services sued the Legislature last week, alleging that in
November it had illegally awarded a contract for the county Drug Court to
the new vendor, Addiction Recovery Services Inc.

Addiction Recovery's bid was $42,000 lower than the one from County Court
Services. However, two outside evaluators gave the company failing marks
and gave high marks to County Court Services.

Kenneth McClain, a private attorney for the legislators, said the awarding
of the contract to Addiction Recovery "could be upheld legally, but the
legislators chose to go above and beyond the call of duty" by reconsidering
the matter.

Shields said new evaluators would bring a fresh perspective to the matter.

Thomas Schweich, attorney for County Court Services, declined to comment on
how the resolution would affect his client's lawsuit.

"I have not had a chance to review the resolution, but I have discussed the
matter with the county counselor's office and my client, and the situation
looks very promising," said Schweich, from the St. Louis office of Bryan
Cave LLP.

Timothy Donaldson, Addiction Recovery president, said the Legislature
should move forward with his contract.

"I made a good bid. I made a fair bid. I made the lowest bid and was
selected by the Legislature," Donaldson said. "The county should honor that."

Legislators Rhonda Shoemaker and Bill Petrie voted against the resolution.
Petrie said County Court Services was being rewarded for filing a lawsuit.

"They're keeping the contract," Petrie said. "I don't think they should be
rewarded for suing."

Shoemaker, who began her first term Monday, said she needed more
information and planned to switch her vote to an abstention.

Before leaving town, Tarwater -- the legislative anti-drug committee
chairman -- said he opposed reconsideration of the contracts. He also
denied allegations that Addiction Recovery's contract was based on
favoritism. Tarwater said the company was picked despite its low evaluation
because it had the low bid. He also said County Court Services was in a
similar situation when it first received the contract in 1995.