Councilmen Weigh In On City Services Project

By Dave Freneaux

    CentralSpeaks.com asked each of Central's five Council Members questions about the process used to put Central's City Services contract out for bids.  Following are the questions and responses, with the Council Members referred to by last name only to conserve space.  CentralSpeaks.com does not necessarily agree with the all of the answers provided.  See last week's article- “City Contracts: Just the Facts” for information on city contracts under the Lawrason Act.

1) Do you feel that the 21 member City Services Committee was sufficiently qualified to assemble the new City Services Contract?  If not, can you explain your concerns?
DeJohn, Messina, Moak and Washington:Yes
LoBue:“I felt like the mayor should have allowed each councilman to select three people to be on the committee. Instead, the mayor only chose out of the three we recommended.” 

2) Do you feel that the 9 member Selection Committee is sufficiently qualified to perform the task with which they have been charged?  If not, can you explain your concerns? 
DeJohn, Messina, Moak and Washington: Yes
LoBue:“Again, one person picked the complete review committee.  Since the council will have the final vote on the contractor, I feel that the entire council should be involved in the whole process.” 

3) Do you agree that the authority to provide funding for City Services is reserved to the Council, and that the authority to issue the contract and select the contractor(s) is reserved for the Mayor?  If not, can you explain your understanding?
DeJohn:"We are governed by the Lawrson Act that gives the ultimate power of funding to the Board(Council) and gives the Mayor the power to hire and fire individuals and in this case companies."
LoBue:“? It is not up to me to agree or disagree.  The Lawrason Act is the deciding factor.  … the budget submitted by the Mayor to the Council is approved by the Council and returned to the Mayor for his approval or disapproval; It is designed this way so everything will have checks and balances.”
Messina:"This is one that in my opinion cannot be answered with a simple YES/NO answer."
Moak:Yes
Washington:"What is the purpose of the council in the decision to approve this money? Just a rubber stamp?  If we are to trust the Mayor to deliver a good contract to the city the Mayor can include the council in the process."

4) If the Mayor does choose to issue the contract(s) to the contractor(s) recommended by the Selection Committee, is it your intention to support that decision? 
DeJohn:"Yes"
LoBue:  “The review committee is only an advisor for the mayor.  It is up to the council to confirm this selection. The only way I can answer if I will support the decision is after I have had the opportunity to review everything, study the information for myself, and get feedback from the citizens.”
Messina: "I shall reserve the right to review all recommendations and then I shall seek input from the Citizens of central.”
Moak:“Barring any unforseen problems, he intended to support the decision. 
Washington:"I will not answer until it is time." 

Other comments offered by the Council Members were:
Washington:"This whole process is about trust." 
Moak:  I appreciate of all of the hard work done by the citizens in this effort and that I appreciate the efforts made by the Mayor to keep all of the Council Members informed during the process.
Messina:" I NEVER had a problem with the committee,  my only concern was and still is… MY RIGHT AS A COUNCILMAN TO TAKE PART IN THE PROCESS.. Whether that be sitting at the table or sitting next to the table and listening, I want to be part of the process."
LoBue:  “I honestly feel until we allow each governmental branches to work together we will always be divided.”
DeJohn:  "A lot of work has gone into this procedure and I believe it would be a slap in the face to the Mayor, the Committee, and most of all, our Citizens, to oppose the final decision. The Mayor and the Council, in my opinion acted in good faith last September, when the decision was made to re-examine our City Services contract/contractor. The process was transparent; very few hitches were encountered: all were corrected. Who am I to question the effort that so many good people have invested in this process?"

    If the process goes according to schedule, by June the first the Mayor Watts will request that the City Council appropriate the funds to provide services to the people of Central, and then the Mayor will sign a new City Services contract or contracts which will go into effect on July 1, 2011.