The city has upheld its decision to keep Italy-based rail car maker Ansaldo Honolulu as the main contractor to design, build, operate and maintain the cars for Honolulu’s $5.3 billion system. 

The city Department of Budget and Fiscal Services has rejected the two protests from the other bidders, Bombardier Transportation and Sumitomo Corp. of America. The department found no procedural or legal violations in any aspect of the procurement.

“The protests were thoroughly reviewed, each point was considered, and on all counts the finding was that procurement law and procedures were followed throughout the evaluation and selection process,”?said department  Deputy Director Nelson Koyanagi.

The other bidders filed separate protests alleging that winning bidder Ansaldo didn’t deserve the contract. 

The companies could still appeal the decision within one week with the Office of Administrative Hearings at the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. A?protesting company could request an administrative hearing, which would be scheduled within 21 days unless the parties agree to waive that deadline. 

The hearings officer must issue a decision within 45 days of the appeal. Otherwise the state commerce department would lose jurisdiction. 

After that decision, the companies have 10 calendar days to appeal to Circuit Court. A judge would have 30 days to issue a decision to affirm, remand, reverse or modify the state DCCA’s decision. Otherwise, the decision would stand. 

The companies would still have the option of appealing a Circuit Court decision to an appellate court within 30 days.