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Contractor gives up ship removal job
By ALEX LEARY, Times Staff Writer
CRYSTAL RIVER -- The Brooksville company tapped to remove the Bonner Lee from Kings Bay has backed away from the job and in the process may have killed another contract with Citrus County. Grubbs Emergency Services Inc. stunned county officials Wednesday by announcing it was no longer interested in the boat removal, a job that would be covered by a $102,000 state grant. Spokesman John Richardson said the cause was "negative publicity and media attention," recalled county aquatic services director Mark Edwards. Grubbs had not been officially named the contractor but county officials intended to make that happen based on the company's knowledge of the problem. The company has been involved since at least the summer, when former Crystal River City Manager Phil Lilly inquired about bids. The decaying World War II era vessel, stuck in Kings Bay since 1997 and abandoned by its owner, is out of the city's jurisdiction so the county applied for the grant, based on a Grubbs estimate. After a brief disagreement between Crystal River and the county over who would pay disposal fees not covered by the grant, the situation seemed resolved Tuesday when the County Commission voted to take care of the problem. One day later, Grubbs retreated. Richardson, a former Hernando County commissioner, refused to comment to the Citrus Times and company president John G. "Gary" Grubbs did not return phone calls. Grubbs attorney Tom Hogan said he did not have details of the decision. Edwards sought a positive spin on the situation, saying he was already in contact with several other contractors and hopes to present a proposal to the commission on March 11. "I don't think it's that big a setback," he said. But further delays could eat into the project's timeline. The grant stipulates that the demolition be completed by June 7. Edwards said he spoke with state officials Wednesday and was told the deadline was not flexible. For Grubbs, the loss could be deeper. County commissioners greeted the news with surprise and scorn at their goal-setting session Thursday. "It's a shame, because I thought we finally had resolution to the situation," said Commissioner Gary Bartell. The county currently has a contract with Grubbs Emergency Services to clear debris in the event of a natural disaster. At the meeting, commissioners asked county staffers to look into terminating the contract. "They ought to realize if they are going to be on contract for emergency cleanup, it's going to include high-profile things of this nature," said Commissioner Roger Batchelor. "I think they gave a very poor excuse. There's got to be more to it than this." Assistant County Administrator Ken Saunders said they would examine the cancellation clause in the contract to determine how to proceed. Commissioners are expected to discuss the issue, including the selection of a new contractor to clean up the Bonner Lee, at the March 11 meeting. Gary Grubbs is a longtime contractor who has built roads throughout the North Suncoast through what has been his primary enterprise, Grubbs Construction Co. In December, the company acknowledged it had put its Brooksville headquarters up for sale as part of a possible move to Pasco County. Vendors and a former employee told the Hernando Times that some subcontractors had not been paid. The company also failed to pay taxes. Hogan, in a previous interview, said the company would remain viable despite the belt-tightening. -- Times staff writer Carrie Johnson contributed to this report. Alex Leary can be reached at 564-3623 or leary@sptimes.com .
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