ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 27, 1996 TAG: 9607290001
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
Competition from an employee launching her own business and a missed deadline to submit a bid led to New River Community Sentencing's losing a 12-year hold on providing juvenile community sentencing services in Montgomery County.
Court Alternative Resource Exchange owned by Karen LaPlante, is now overseeing the juvenile community services. LaPlante was formerly employed with New River Community Sentencing and left in May to start the rival venture.
Beth Wellington, executive director of Community Sentencing, had protested the county's initial award to CARE in May. She complained that the county's bid request was delivered to her late because it was mailed to a wrong address. She also said that LaPlante used her position to gain an unfair advantage in the bidding.
In response, Montgomery County made the two bidders file again. But Wellington delivered her proposal past the deadline.
"She was seven minutes late," said Jeff Lunsford, assistant county administrator. In bidding deadlines, that's "not a formality you could waive."
LaPlante was the only bidder. The committee recommended the county award the contract to her again, which the Board of Supervisors did June 24. Her business began supplying the services July 1.
Community Sentencing had provided the service to the county at no cost since 1984.
Last July, Community Services could no longer use its state grant to serve juveniles because of changes requiring the money be used for adult offenders.
It used its appropriation from the county and from the United Way to maintain services while it waited for the county to issue a request for proposal for Juvenile Crime Control Act money that became available in January.
The Juvenile Community Crime Control Act was enacted last year by the General Assembly, replacing a block grant system for all community-based programs and services except detention homes.
Localities submit plans to the Department of Youth and Family Services for approval and monetary awards. They are supposed to ensure local autonomy and flexibility in addressing juvenile crime issues
Wellington received LaPlante's letter of resignation on May 16.
"When confronted, [LaPlante] states that she prepared the [rival] bid in order to launch her independent venture," Wellington wrote. "At this time I realize that I unwittingly submitted an inflated bid, by using her estimate of hours, and that I unwittingly provided a reference for my competitor in proposing her as project staff."
In a faxed response last week, Wellington said Community Sentencing will continue to supervise juvenile community service ordered before July 1 in Montgomery County and continue to provide adult community sentencing oversight in General District and Circuit Court and for adults sentenced in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
LaPlante prefers not to talk in detail about her work with Wellington's agency or about bidding for the contract with the county while employed with Community Sentencing.
Her contract will cover the community service end of working with juveniles, finding work for children as young as 10 years old to do with civic and church groups. Projects might include participating in an Adopt-A-Spot trash cleanup; planting flowers around the courthouse with master gardeners; holding bake sales and car washes for church youth groups; or church renovations, LaPlante said.
Besides community service aspects, the program will include life-skills training on topics such as money management, nutrition, hygiene and filling out job applications. The goal is to keep juveniles out of the New River Valley Juvenile Detention Home and to avoid home confinement or probation.
"I had the idea to start [CARE] because I wanted to offer services that focused on juveniles and it appeared I would not be allowed to do this in my past employment. The proposal I submitted to the county was based on my ideas and approach to working with youth," LaPlante wrote in a note after a sit-down interview. "I started this agency after the county awarded the contract based on my ideas and after my previous employment ended."
The contract with CARE sets a maximum fee of $29,877, with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods with increases up to 5 percent a year.
LENGTH: Medium: 82 linesby CNB