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| | | Parks and wreck | | November 05, 2009 | | | | Two years ago, D.C. Council members spent a hearing questioning the executive vice president of Temple Group, a construction consulting company working for the Department of Parks and Recreation, about delays and faulty work done under its purview.
Last week, the council questioned the city administrator about contracts the parks department entered into with another construction consultant, Banneker Ventures, without seeking required council approval.
City administrator Neil Albert said the unusual contracting procedure — which involved passing money from the Department of Parks and Recreation to the D.C. Housing Authority — was an attempt to get long-stalled projects moving. And indeed, parks and recreation facilities saw much activity this summer, with Mayor Adrian Fenty attending frequent groundbreakings, including one at the $15 million Rosedale Community Center. But was it worth flouting the law to get the work done?
The 2007 problems with the Temple Group led to an inspector general audit, which said upheaval at the parks agency — with its six directors between 1999 and 2007 — led to a lack of oversight of the contractor.
Since then, the parks department has worked to fill positions in its construction management team, and it now has 11 full-time employees on the job. So why is it still using outside firms to manage projects?
There are clearly important questions for council members to pursue as they continue their necessary investigation into the parks department's construction and contracting operations — including questionable ties between Mayor Fenty and some of the companies that received the contracts.
We would urge the mayor and his administration to comply with all requests for information. The goal of improving the city's park and recreation facilities is admirable, but we assume it can be accomplished in a straightforward, legal manner. If following proper procedures leads to untenable delay, then the process should be reconsidered, not subverted. | | | | | Log in to comment on this article |
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