UPDATE: 111896 12/5/06 RALPH ANDERSEN & ASSOC. $ 5,121.37 LIBRARY STUDY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Total City Expense: $12,252.62
On Friday 24 November 2006, a Carmelite contacted Heather Renschler, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Andersen & Associates, with questions on the Carmel-by-the-Sea Library Study, as follows:
As a resident of Carmel-by-the-Sea, I understand you have assigned John Goss to conduct the “Library Operations Study” for the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea and the completion date is 31 December 2006. I also understand that the City paid Ralph Andersen & Associates $7,131.25 in September 2006 for a Library Study estimated to cost $14,000.
Questions:
1. Will the Library Study be completed by 31 December 2006?
2. Since the Agreement of Consulting Services was dated 1 October 2006 and the Resolution entering into an agreement with you was passed on 7 November 2006, what was the $7,131.25 cost to the city for?
3. Did you begin the Library Study prior to 1 October 2006?
4. Will the final cost to the City be approximately $14,000?
Thank you for your responses.
On Wednesday, 29 November 2006, John Goss, the man Heather Renschler assigned to conduct the Library Operations Study, presented a power point presentation of the Library Operations Study to the public at the Special City Council meeting.
On Thursday, 30 November 2006, Heather Renschler, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Andersen & Associates, replied, as follows:
“Thank you for your inquiry. I have referred your questions to the City Administrator.”
COMMENTS:
I. As of today, City Administrator Rich Guillen has failed to respond in a timely and professional manner.
II. “Library Operations Study” Check and Resolution
Carmel-by-the-Sea
September 2006 Check Register
111405 9/19/2006 RALPH ANDERSEN & ASSOC. 7,131.25 01 64051 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES-LIBRARY STUDY
City Council
Regular Meeting
November 7, 2006
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH RALPH ANDERSEN & ASSOCIATES FOR THE PREPARATION OF A CITY LIBRARY OPERATIONS STUDY
The Resolution reads in part, as follows:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA DOES:
1. Authorize the City Administrator to execute an agreement for Consulting Services with Ralph Andersen & Associates on behalf of the City for the preparation of a City Library operations study.
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA this 7th day of November 2006...
III. Correspondence with city Financial Directors produced unanimous agreement that a signed contract is required prior to payment. Yet, the Carmel-by-the-Sea public record indicates that a Resolution authorizing “the City Administrator to execute an agreement for Consulting Services with Ralph Andersen & Associates on behalf of the City for the preparation of a City Library operations study” was passed on 7 November 2006, but a check was written 19 September 2006 to Ralph Andersen & Associates for PROFESSIONAL SERVICES-LIBRARY STUDY.
Reference:
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Municipal Code
Chapter 2.08
CITY ADMINISTRATOR*
2.08.060 Powers and Duties.
F. Control of Expenditures and Purchasing. It shall be the duty of the City Administrator to supervise and control expenditures of City funds. The City Administrator shall be responsible for the purchase of all supplies and services for all departments.
IV. Although touted as a comprehensive study, public speakers Angela Irvine and Lani Fremier revealed flaws in the methodology. For example, John Goss did not consider computer use, nor did he consider the total number of visitors to the library, even though this data was available.
1 comment:
It is widely recognized, by those who pay attention to the Carmel political process, that City Administer Rich Guillen rarely responds to questions or requests for information even when required to do so by law. On those occasions when he can be pressured to respond, he usually does so in vague enough terms that he fails to respond with useful information or, even worse, responds with information that completely fails to address the question or request. Whether this is because he is too ill informed to really respond and doesn't want to ask staff for fear of seeming ignorant or he is too overwhelmed by his job to keep track of his responsibilities or he has just been ordered by Mayor McCloud not to release information, no matter how routine, without her permission or a combination of all three is unclear.
This particular case seems to be another one of those situations that seem to be becoming more and more common in Carmel i.e. when the city government does something that on its face is illegal or immoral and then thinks it can cover it up by stonewalling any attempts to find out what is really going on. In the past that may have been more effective than people concerned about honest effective government for Carmel have wished. With the good work that this blog is doing, however, to publicize the dishonesty and inefficency of the Mayor, City Council and City Administrator, hopefully, as more and more people become aware of how they and Carmel are being hurt remedial action will be taken.
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