State Attorney General George Jepsen has filed an antitrust lawsuit against three Southbury companies alleging that they rigged bids for snow plowing services in the days leading up to and following the Oct. 2011 Nor’easter that knocked out power to thousands.
H.I. Stone & Son, S&S Asphalt Paving and Stone Construction Company received no-bid plow work from the town of Southbury for years, the suit says.
The suit alleges that when Southbury decided to bid out its snow removal in 2011, the three companies jointly refused to plow the town’s roads unless they were given a guaranteed minimum contract that would provide them with additional payment in exchange for plowing during the storm.
The suit says town officials felt they had no other options and provided the contract.
After the storm cleanup, the town put out a bid for the remainder of its winter snow removal work. Jepsen said the three companies again began colluding and conspiring to eliminate competition amongst them and raise the prices they received from the town.
The suit seeks restitution, civil penalties and to prevent the alleged practices from continuing.
