Toitures Trois Étoiles reacts to dishonest remarks made by Paul Sauvé to the Charbonneau Commission

MONTREAL, Oct. 31, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Further to the dishonest revelations made by Mr. Paul Sauvé at the Charbonneau Commission on September 18, 2013 and made public Thursday October 24, 2013, Toitures Trois Étoiles wishes to set the record straight.

1-	The city of Montreal launched a new form of bid request on January 22, 2008 requiring that this bid request include the obligation of the companies to validate their expertise via a curriculum vitae to a selection committee, with the goal of getting the best quality / price ratio.
2-	March 10, 2008 Four companies present their prices for the reroofing of the city hall of Montreal. The results were as follows:
	Toitures Trois Étoiles at $9 505 910.00 Norgereq at $10 558 567.00 LM Sauvé at $ 10 670 120.00 Rainville at $ 10 961 080.00
	Therefore Toitures Trois Étoiles is the lowest bidder by an amount of $1 164 210.00 lower than LM Sauvé.
3-	March 14, 2008 Based on the testimony of Mr. Sauvé before the Charbonneau Commission the  minutes of the selection committee announce the following results: LM Sauvé  wins the bidding process even though his bid is $1 164 210.00 higher than Toitures Trois Etoiles Inc.
4-	Given these results Mr. Bellini asks the following question: What is the evaluation grid and how does the pointing system work? Theses questions embarrass the contracting authority (Selection committee of the City of Montreal). In fact, how do you justify a selection process that costs $1 164 210.00 more to the taxpayers?
5-	March 26, 2008 2:19 p.m. Mr. Paradis from the selection committee of the City of Montreal advises Mr. Gilles  Lamoureux, project manager of Toitures Trois Étoiles that his bid is rejected. No explanation or letter is given.
6-	On April 1, Toitures Trois Étoiles sends a demand letter to the City of Montreal  requesting that their decision be cancelled and the contract be awarded to Toitures Trois Étoiles. In addition other bidders also protest to the City.
	The companies are:
	A)	Maconerie Rainville (during the meetings of the Counsel of the City of Montreal and an injunction against the City of Montreal).
	B)	Norgereq states that LM Sauvé quote contains irregularities because the bid bond is false and a fraud.
	During the same period LM Sauvé realizes that the pressure on the City of Montreal is so high that it could jeopardize his project so he summons Mr. Bellini to a meeting in the presence of other contractors to put pressure on Mr. Bellini to retract his demand letter to the City of Montreal. At this meeting Mr. Sauvé's legal counsellor is present and prepares an agreement to which Mr. Bellini has no choice but to sign. The agreement is therefore signed at this May 8th meeting. Within a couple of hours of signing this forced agreement, Toitures Trois Etoiles' attorney sends a letter of retraction to the City of Montreal.
	This agreement states that LM Sauvé will grant the reroofing work to Toitures Trois Étoiles for the sum of $5 325 000.00. Toitures Trois Étoiles on the other hand agrees to retract its demand letter to the City of Montreal within 24 hours.
	In addition, Mr. Paul Sauvé demands that Toitures Trois Étoiles as of April 1st will emit in the name of LM Sauvé an execution bond for 100% of the amount of his quote.
	The work started at the beginning of July 2008.
7-	The counsel of the city of Montreal declares by resolution and announces that the selection committee has chosen LM Sauvé to carry out the work of the city of Montreal.
8-	In April 2009, LM Sauvé has financial difficulties and announces to the City of Montreal that he is preparing a proposition in bankruptcy.  Mr. Sauvé's difficulties occur among other things due to his project at the Parliament of Ottawa.  The city is thereby obliged to demand to the bonding company (L'Unique) that it completes the work and L'Unique chooses Toitures Trois Etoiles to complete the work with the City's consent.  During the same year, Toitures Trois Étoiles suspended its work because LM Sauvé owed Toitures Trois Étoiles an excess of 1 million dollars for unpaid invoices for December 2008 and January 2009.
9-	What is more ironic is that Mr. Sauvé owing over 1 million dollars to Toitures Trois Étoiles, was asked to replace LM Sauvé's performance and payment bond with Toitures Trois Étoiles's bond to allow LM Sauvé to complete his work.  Mr. Bellini declined saying to himself 'enough is enough'.
10-	The work was completed by Toitures Trois Étoiles and to the entire satisfaction of the City of Montreal.
11-	Furthermore, it is curious that an excess of 1 million dollars is paid to LM Sauvé as contingency fees for work that was considered unnecessary by the City of Montreal.
12-	Toitures Trois Étoiles received a prize from the Quebec Master Roofers Association for the excellence in quality of work accomplished at Montreal City Hall (January 2012).
	''This whole story is incredible and Mr. Sauvé did not say the whole truth during his testimony at the Charbonneau Commission. From the conception of this project, Mr. Bellini proceeded in a legal manner via legal advisors whereas Mr. Sauvé chose to proceed slyly with a privilege towards certain contacts.  By plots of all sorts and repeatedly manipulating the truth, Mr. Sauvé provoked an unbearable situation at the City of Montreal and embarrassed a company that succeeded to save the project of the reroofing of the Montreal City Hall and this in spite of LM Sauvé.  Toitures Trois Etoiles wishes to end in congratulating its employees for their courage and loyalty which is its trademark for the last 48 years''.
	Because of ongoing legal proceedings there will be no interviews given by Mr. Giancarlo Bellini.
	P.S. Les lettres d'avocats mentionnées dans ce communiqué sont disponibles en s'adressant à Lise Jalbert

SOURCE: Toitures Trois Étoiles

INFORMATIONS :
Vincent Martineau
514-914-5757
[email protected]

SOURCES :
Lise Jalbert
450-934-2106
[email protected]