By: Libi Uremovic , December 14, 2013 | Original Article at Patch.com
Agenda Item 6.a.7 on the December 17th Beaumont City Council lists: AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES: URBAN LOGIC CONSULTANTS, INC. Congratulations to the City for attempting their 1st contract in 20 years, but this is not a legal contract in the State of California.
California Public Contact Code 100 clearly states that all public agency contact work must be offered to the Public through the bidding process: ( c ) To provide all qualified bidders with a fair opportunity to enter the bidding process, thereby stimulating competition in a manner conducive to sound fiscal practices and (d) To eliminate favoritism, fraud, and corruption in awarding of public contracts.
The City of Beaumont is giving Urban Logic a ‘City Engineering Services’ contract that they will receive all City contacts. The ‘contact to receive all contracts’ has not be publicly advertised or offered to any other companies.
Urban Logic Consultants is the name being used to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the City every month. Urban Logic is listed as the Project Manager on the 1st bond issued to the City in 1994, as Project Engineer on the last bond issued in April, and is listed on every bond in between. Inspection of past Urban Logic Invoices show old reports re-submitted and charges for services that could not possibly have occurred.
This Contract presented by the City has no actual work listed. The Contract states that when services are needed the City will submit a ‘Job Card’ to Urban Logic. A ‘job card’ is what an employer gives an employee listing his tasks for the day or week. The procedure the City is suggesting violates California State law for competitive bidding on government contacts.
Page 2 Item 4.01 Compensation: states that Contractor “will charge hourly rates customarily charged by CONTRACTOR to its clients.” First of all; an independent contractor is paid a set fee for a specific service, not an hourly rate. Second; This company has no other customers and does not appear to ever have had another customer besides the City of Beaumont. The City provides two ‘references’, but neither company had hired Urban Logic – they’re only dealings with Urban Logic is through the City.
The illegal contract further provides that the City pay the total wages of office staff, full reimbursement of any office supplies, and even allows Urban Logic to receive 15% of all other services contracted by the City.
Page 6 item 6.c. Lists one of the Obligations of the Owner as: “Designate a person to act as a liaison between CONTRACTOR and OWNER.” Apparently this contact will also cost the Taxpayers another full-time employee position.
The City also recently advertised for an City Engineer. It is unclear why the City would need an additional engineer on staff when they are paying million every year to Urban Logic. Supervision of Urban Logic ‘job cards’ will be the City Manager, Finance Director, and City Engineer.
Urban Logic’s generic website still lists the Company’s address in Temecula, but the Contract lists their address as 871 West 4th in Beaumont – the address infamously known as the ‘Den of Thieves’ in town because it houses other pillagers of Taxpayers’ money such as Beaumont Electric and Beaumont Shooting Range.
It is stated in the Staff Report that Urban Logic has been recently purchased by Mr. Kieran McKieran. It is unknown what Mr. McKieran purchased or thought he purchased since Urban Logic has only one customer with no contact. The Contact charges the City for 22 staff positions without any verification of qualifications or evidence that any of these people exists. The phone number used for Urban Logic is a cell phone that still uses the Temecula phone number listed on the phoney website.
The City of Beaumont pays an Attorney to explain California State law and the government contract bidding process, but the Contractor also has the legal obligation to follow the California State Public Contract Code.
It is illegal for the City of Beaumont to award government contracts over $15,000 without publicly submitting the contract to a fair and open bidding process and it is the duty of the City to know their State Laws.
But it is also illegal for the Contractor to accept an illegal contract. The Contractor also has the legal responsibility to understand and follow the laws governing their State and their industry.
The Contact offered to Urban Logic is illegal because it violates California State Law regarding Public Contracts. The Citizens of Beaumont will have the right to sue Urban Logic and recoup every penny paid to the Company because the Company conspired with City Officials to circumvent the law.
The sad reality is the Beaumont has been so corrupt for so long that they don’t know how to operate their local government, but that doesn’t protect anyone from the legal repercussions resulting from the violations of the law.