Millions of dollars in no-bid COVID-19 contracts were awarded to a company operated by the chairman of Citizens Property Insurance board of governors, but the governor’s office has failed to release the paperwork as required by Florida’s Public Records Law,
Adrian “Bo” Rivard, chairman of Citizens’ board runs Consolidated Disaster Services (CDS). The company was awarded more than $10 million in contracts with the state for personal protective equipment, hospital beds and other medical equipment as part of Florida’s pandemic response, the Florida Bulldog said, MyPanhandle.com reported.
CDS got a state contract in March for N895 masks at $12.95 per mask, a price the governor’s office agreed to pay, the state’s contract database said, Florida Bulldog reported. The retail price for N95 masks before the pandemic was less than $2 each.
Rivard said CDS never charged that price, instead selling masks at cost, which was approximately $9.50 each.
“The only masks that we supplied to the state were ultimately passed through to the state for our actual costs,” Rivard told the Florida Bulldog. “The amount that the state paid us was exactly the amount we paid out in cost.”
After the state paid CDS $10.75 per mask for 50,000 masks and $8,300 for shipping, Rivard said the firm sent Florida a $54,150 refund check on the $545,800 payment.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management and the governor’s office failed to answer questions about Rivard’s contracts or about the refund claim. Since May 20 they refused to provide copies of more recent contracts, Florida Bulldog reported.
The governor’s declaration of a public health emergency allowed suspension of purchasing regulations. It did not release them from requirements of the Transparency Act, which requires agencies to make copies of all contracts public within 30 days.
CDS also entered a deal to supply the state 2,833 hospital beds for $4.8 million, with another $390,000 for shipping.
The state contacted him for coronavirus supplies because CDS already had a contract for bottled water during emergencies, Rivard told Florida Bulldog.
Rivard doesn’t seen ethical issues with the contracts while he serves as a state official.
“I file all necessary disclosures to serve on the board,” he told Florida Bulldog. “It’s not a conflict of interest.”
Still, other Florida public officials have a financial interest in Consolidated Disaster Services.
He’s not the only public official with financial interests in CDS. Jay Trumbull, vice chairman of the Florida Transportation Commission has a minority stake in the firm through Trumbull Bottled Water, a managing member of CDS. He told Florida Bulldog he has an 18% interest in the firm.
Rep. Jay Trumbull Jr., his son, serves as chair of the House Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee.
