HOBOKEN - The city of Hoboken is "working closely with the state on a remediation plan" to make sure that the contracts process is fair and open in Hoboken, according to city spokesperson Juan Melli.
A Feb. 1 letter to Business Administrator Arch Liston from the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) questioned the city's awarding of contracts for professionals in 2008 and 2009 for Labor Counsel, Auditor, Risk Manager, and Planner.
According to the letter, which can be viewed HERE, the city must prepare a detailed Action Plan" that addresses issues identified in the letter and provide it to the OSC no later than March 1. The city must also provide notice to OSC at least 30 days prior to the advertisement of any of the city's professional service contracts, according to the letter.
On Sunday, Melli said in an e-mail: "The contracts in question were awarded while Hoboken was under state oversight by fiscal monitor Judy Tripodi in 2008 and 2009." Melli added that the city is working "to make certain that there are no similar issues going forward."
The issue came to light yesterday, when the letter was e-mailed to The Reporter and also covered by a local website. Melli was asked if the city planned to make the information public at some point, since it is dated more than two weeks ago.
"We received the letter less than two weeks ago and our first priority was to immediately address the issues that were raised," Melli said in an e-mail. "There was no intention whatsoever to withhold any information from the public or the City Council." - Ray Smith
http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2011/02/state_comptrollers_scrutiny_of.html
Grafix Avenger just did an update. Mike Novak deleted his twitter, the source of the Mason411 hit job.
You can't make this stuff up. It's delicious.
Lots of posting options on GA's site, anonymous too of course:
http://grafixavenger.blogspot.com/2011/02/scrub-dub-twitter-takes-bath.html
The Comptroller’s letter notes 5 (five) metrics for transparency. Apparently Hoboken has enacted one. On Jan 5, 2010 the Zimmer administration removed from the council agenda award of bid to the current auditor even though the firm was the high bidder. Now I may be paranoid but the Comptroller’s letter is replete with references to the auditor and the city now has a gag order imposed on employees. Is it a stretch to assume someone alerted the state of the impending hiring of the highest bidder? At the February 16 meeting, while the Comptroller’s letter was still secreted, it was revealed that perhaps Dawn Zimmer herself had met with the auditor and negotiated a reduced price. Doesn’t sound transparent nor the fruit of a “rating and ranking’ committee. The cure imposed is prospective indicating policies assuring accountability and transparency are currently not in place.
As to the waterfront, Tim Carroll’s reporting in the Sept 27 2009 Hoboken Reporter had Dawn surveying the waterfront and stating “They are also reaching out to private developers whose piers uptown may also be at risk.” So the question stands, did the Zimmer Administration contact anyone before the roadway at Lua’s failed?
Perry
The NY Times recently did a story on the waterfront. It showed Mayor Russo had ignored the advice of engineers and gone ahead with wood pilings.
Keep the twisted lies coming. I can bust you up all night.
I am on no one's payroll. Just pointing out the machination involved in the procurement of the auditor, which appears to be the impetus of the comptroller’s query. You can try to spin it back to Judy but obviously if the practices and safeguards the Comptroller enumerated were in place there would be no need for an action plan nor 30 days notification for procurement . Greenshirt according to reporting in this paper, Zimmer viewed structural problems on the Hoboken Waterfront in September 09. According to the article Zimmer was to ask private developers for a status of their waterfront assets. When did the roadway collapse in front of Lua’s?
Perry
Is this an emergency journalism story like the emergency power grab in City Council by Beth Mason and Mike Russo? Why would anyone do an incomplete story based on a Mason411 operation?
It looks like Grafix Avenger has pieced it all together ahead of everyone. This is a Beth Mason-Mike Novak- Mason411 hit piece timed to try to take the attention off her obvious ethics problems which loom large.
Perry does Beth pay you for weekend duty? You should get time and a half or double for that.
You guys were better before when you tried to blame the waterfront problems on the mayor. That was a riot.
http://grafixavenger.blogspot.com/2011/02/novak-sandbags-hoboken.html
Good try! The state references conversation with the Zimmer Administration for a least one year regarding procurement anomalies and while scoring sheets have been employed since Jan 2010, 4 other procurement criteria were left wanting. In specific, the OSC mentions the auditor. You will recall the auditor was removed by the administration from the Jan 5, 2011 agenda and sent to sub-committee. The sub-committee recommended the lowest responsive bidder (some $17,000 less). At the Feb 16 meeting, Dawn exerted mayoral prerogative, demanding her choice be awarded a contract at a newly negotiated fee. Isn’t it odd that the employee gag order was imposed during this period? Or even odder that the Comptroller’s letter was not disgorged to the council while Zimmer Administration held face to face negotiations with one vendor to the detriments of other vendors? Seems that Zimmer was trying to secure the services of a particular auditor before curing the procurement opacity. But, Juan you know if the Zimmer Administration was already in compliance there would be no need to cure.
Perry