Bartle: Council ignores fiduciary responsibility, gives away $48,000

Last night our City Council gave $48,000 – with likely more to come courtesy of a renewal option – to lobbying firm Landry Creedon & Associates Inc. The firm was hired to represent the city in Washington D.C. over the next six months in hopes of securing federal funding to (a) build an underpass or overpass for John Wayne Parkway at the railroad intersection, (b) build a commuter rail line to Phoenix through the Gila River Indian Community and (c) widen state Route 347 (see City to consider hiring federal lobbyist).

This would be a terrific use of taxpayer money – if it worked. Trouble is, it’ll be upward of 10 years before the grade separation at the railroad tracks is a reality, it’ll be 20 years before SR 347 is widened and it’ll be 200 years before we’re taking light rail across the reservation.

In conversation with Brent Billingsley, head of the city’s transportation department, before the meeting, he relished in Pinal County receiving $30 million in federal funds to use toward the I-10 expansion (see I-10 widening among highway projects to get stimulus funds), but predicted the city would get no worthwhile funding from the billions of dollars President Obama’s stimulus package is directing toward transportation projects. Yet somehow a lobbyist is going to get Maricopa access to more federal funds in the next six months?

The consultant’s deliverables, if they existed, will never be completed in six months. You can guarantee the firm will come back to council to exercise the four-month extension allowed – and likely make future requests indefinitely as they’ll just need “a little more time to produce results.” (If this sounds familiar, you’re probably thinking of the city’s never-ending relationship with its high-dollar economic development consultant, or airport consultant, or…)

Even more disturbing than the pipe dream of getting a positive return on this investment is the council’s blatant disregard of being accountable for our tax dollars. The headline says the city “gives” $48,000 because that’s what it is – a gift. There are no strings attached – no specific performance is required nor are there even any objectives defined. In fact, the contract states “Consultant shall solely determine how much time and attention Consultant shall devote to the business conducted by the City.”

Councilman Joe Estes, a lawyer, pointed out there were no expectations, formal reviews or even a minimum time commitment required in the contract. The firm’s representative, Stephanie Prybyl, responded by reiterating her company’s expertise and basically said “just trust us.”

In another attempt to quantify what the city is getting for its investment, Councilman Carl Diedrich asked Prybyl how they came up with the $7,500 monthly rate (an additional $500 comes in the form of expense reimbursements). She said we’re getting a better deal than other clients, and she gave a list of all the activities they anticipate being involved in – including the time for her to be at last night’s meeting – but never said “we anticipate spending 20 hours per month and our hourly rate is $375” or the like. (Incidentally, when was the last time a potential employer paid you to interview with their company?)

After the meeting, Estes explained his “nay” vote saying there was “not enough information or safeguards with regard to performance factors. In short, what are we getting for 50 thousand bucks?”

Diedrich, who joined Estes and Councilman Marvin Brown in voting against the measure, said the efforts of the city council, the mayor and assistant to the city manager Paul Jepson should suffice. “Paying another consultant to do work that is already being done,” he said, “is not a wise use of money.”

I for one hope our council exercises the one good clause in the contract and gives 30 days notice to terminate. Then negotiate a contract that is fair to both the consultant and the taxpayer.

To read the contract, click here.

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