“For a small question of detail, a lot of ink has been spilled and quite a bit of money spent.” The verdict from Juliana Chichmanian-Delpy is unequivocal. The detail in question concerned an anomaly in the competitive bidding process: the mandatory two-month period between the submission of applications and the selection of the catering company.
Two versions conflicted regarding the start date of this period. The city argued that the date to consider was that of the opening of the bids by the commission, on April 11, 2005. On the other hand, the prefecture advanced the date of June 2, the day when the final list of candidates was validated. The deputy mayor explained: “The prefect is very meticulous about deadlines, but that is his right after all.”
Seized with the issue last September, the administrative tribunal, declaring itself incompetent on the matter, was unable to decide in favor of one of the plaintiffs. The only solution for resolution: the Council of State. The latter finally accepted the proposal of the city hall which the tribunal hurriedly confirmed.
Relief on the part of the municipal team: “We always have the impression that the city of Nice is not doing its job well enough. It’s constraining and our image suffers,” noted Agnès Rampal, who is in charge of this file. She continued: “This verdict from the administrative tribunal confirms that we are doing a good job and it allows us to move forward. Otherwise, it would have been necessary to restart the whole process, losing a year and a lot of work to redo.”
Having been present for a year and a half, Sodexho therefore gets the coveted market of school canteens until 2010. After some concerns about the taste quality of its meals, the French catering company seems to have found its stride. Juliana Chichmanian-Delpy confirms: “We have worked a lot with them, with the help of a dietician, and we are generally very satisfied with their service.”
The final announcement of the award of the school canteens market will take place at the next city council meeting on July 8. One thing is certain, the 2.9 million young Nice students treated every year will still be eating “Sodexho” come the start of school in September.
