No-bid contract stinker in Wilsonville
And it involves that city's bus system:
The recipient of the contracts, Cynthia Thompson, left city employment as Wilsonville's transit director about 10 years ago and later founded BCB Consulting, a name that stands for "believe, create, build."The City Council resolution on the December deal is here. It's extraordinary.She returned to Wilsonville in 2007, quickly winning a pair of no-bid consulting contracts totaling $60,800. In November 2007, Thompson's role expanded to include her old job, an arrangement that continues today at an annual cost to the city of $149,040.
In December, Wilsonville awarded Thompson's firm an additional $800,000 contract, including $48,410 in administrative costs, to install a pedestrian art project at one of Wilsonville's busiest intersections.
Years ago, Thompson worked for five years as a "transportation options director" at Portland City Hall.
| Posted at 7:40 AM | Permalink |
|
Comments (7)
$800k pedestrian art project?!?!? So this would be a good use of tax payer funds -- it's just the way the contract were awarded that's a problem?
Posted by Pom Mom of LO | August 3, 2011 7:59 AM
I wonder if she burned the glossy photos, or shredded them?
Posted by Mister Tee | August 3, 2011 8:44 AM
I guess she has 'the Bads' on somebody and they are safely digitized for now.
Posted by Abe | August 3, 2011 9:04 AM
This is really something.
The Oregonian is reporting on things between 8 months & 3 years ago and trying to stick them to the current city council who's new majority is cleaning up this sort of thing.
It was the previous council and city manager who perpetrated all of this.
The new majority is moving to undo the shady things done by the previous council.
Where was the Oregonian when this was going on?
Posted by Ben | August 3, 2011 10:23 AM
"awarded a former employee's consulting firm more than $1.37 million in contracts over the past four years"
vs.
"In an email, Thompson wrote that her firm’s qualifications exceed “what is likely to be acquired at the pay-scale currently offered through the City.”
Where do I get one of those jobs that pays two people about $340K/yr?
Posted by Steve | August 3, 2011 10:30 AM
Public Transportation agencies are quickly becoming the vehicle of corruption (pun intended).
What should be as efficient as sanitation commissioner, or water works director, or sewage treatment plant manager - a government function that we need and nobody cares as long as it just gets done - is now the hot seat for no-contract bids, favors to developers and politicians, backroom dealings, and shutting out the public process. Bend, Wilsonville and Astoria each have had political scandals around their transit system - TriMet is the master of unchecked corruption. Salem's transit agency has somehow been immune, but its funding source requires repeated approval from the voters who I cannot recall ever approving a Cherriots levy. Eugene's LTD has seen more controversy with its EmX lines (but at least they pretend to listen, unlike TriMet with MAX lines.)
Posted by Erik H. | August 3, 2011 9:14 PM
It ain't who you are, it's who you know!
Posted by portland native | August 3, 2011 9:23 PM