geri sams is is a first rate crook........the city must take steps to fire corrupt and incompetent and unqualified people froms it's payroll.
Allegations of fraud and nepotism in how Augusta does business are irrelevant, according to the city's most recent response in a pending federal lawsuit.
The city was responding to the plaintiffs' request to add two new defendants to the lawsuit: MC Squared, which has contracts with the city to do scientific testing, and Phyllis Mills, the quality assurance analyst in the city's procurement department.
The lawsuit was filed by three private businesses and the Association for Fair Government. It names as defendants the city and Procurement Department Director Geri Sams. The lawsuit says the city's purchasing practices are unfair and corrupt.
The city has responded that the allegations are bogus complaints from businesses that cannot follow the proper rules for bidding on city contracts.
The city attorneys contend that two of Ms. Mills' relatives only worked as subcontractors for J&B Construction, a company that does business with the city. Ms. Mills doesn't award any city contracts and there is no bias in favor of J&B, the city proclaims.
This week, the plaintiff's attorneys challenged the city using its own documents. In one of J&B Construction's bid packages, the two relatives are identified as J&B Construction project manager and job superintendent.
Ms. Mills was one of the evaluators who scored J&B Construction on a recent demolition project. She scored J&B significantly higher than her fellow evaluators.
She also scored the other bidder, Thompson Building Wrecking Co., significantly lower than the other two evaluators.
The scores are used to determine which company is recommended to receive city contracts. Contracts of more than $10,000 are supposed to be approved by city commissioners.
This week, attorneys for MC Squared filed a motion to stop its inclusion in the lawsuit, arguing that the deadline for adding parties has passed and that there is no possible claim to be made against the company.
The plaintiffs' attorneys contend MC Squared's owners falsely swore in bid documents that the company was entitled to local preference status because it had a city business license and an Augusta office.
At the time, it had no city license and has never occupied the office it claimed, the plaintiffs allege.
Attorneys for the city and MC Squared countered that the allegations are irrelevant because the local preference status wasn't a factor in awarding the bid.
Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.
BACKGROUND: Legal action against the city over the way it does business began in August 2006. Thompson Building Wrecking Co. won a ruling that the commission could consider its bid to demolish a building. Though it would have saved the city more than $250,000, commissioners rejected Thompson.
DEVELOPMENTS:
- In January 2007, Thompson and others filed suit in federal court, challenging the use of a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program in deciding who gets city business contracts. A federal judge ruled the program unconstitutional, and the city settled the lawsuit.
- This year, Thompson was joined by two other businesses and the Association for Fair Government in a sweeping federal lawsuit over the city's purchasing practices.
- This week, the city responded to the suit by saying the complaints by the businesses are bogus.
Comments
geri sams is is a first rate crook........the city must take steps to fire corrupt and incompetent and unqualified people froms it's payroll.
Will the City ever fire this crook?? What does she have to do to be fired?? Who does she have pictures of & what are they doing?
If the city fires all the crooks, there wont be a government left.
Geri is a crook, bye, bye geri. Have fun chit chatting with charlie boy! reallybug, you have that right!
I am glad none of you are on a jury. How do you all get off calling this person a crook and she has not been arrested, charged or accused in a court of law by authorities. She can just as easily call each one of you rapists and child molesters. Would that be true if she did so?
What bunch of judgemental people. Sounds like it is personal. I wonder how many are willing to sign their real names and call her a crook?
Where there's smoke there's fire. Why would so many companies that are involved in the bid process to sell their services to Augusta Richmond County make the same claims. I know many of these vendors to be family owned businesses and honest folks with good moral character. There's definitely a crook in the wood pile. Rick Mobley.
How did all the land bought up in the Laney-Walker area for the Lucy Laney Football complex end up for the A.R. Johnson's development...? Good to see the church and homes still standing whom refuse to sell out to the SCANDAL...!!!
By the way... how did the bidding process go for that project...??? Correct me if I am wrong... Didn't Thompson receive the majority of the contracts to tare down those homes and business...???
I guess it's too early in California to see a comment from Nicolle, but I see some of the usual defenders have already posted. Once again I would invite you to see some of the background posted @ http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/012708/met_185140.shtml
I don't know her, but I smell a rat.
Too Too much paperwork and red tape to bid city work. I quit last year.
intheknow, I believe you and your ilk said the same thing about Charles Walker as you now say about Sams. I have always believed whar my daddy said-where there's so much smoke there has to be fire.
WW has posted some words of wisdom that the newspaper has yet to address. The city has constructed a convoluted system of bidding so complicated that no one can walk the maze completely accurately. That way, Sams can bamboozle the commission into accepting who she recommends because she points out the technical violations (not dotting all the i's) for the unfavored contractors, while ignoring the violations of the favored.
No different that Devaney and his legal team. They were just better at covering it up.
JACK, you are a liar. I have never defended Charles Walker for anything. Contrary to your " We all Black stick together" mentality. I do not support corruption. As far as Sams is concerned, if you have proof that she is a crook, put your name where you big [filtered word] mouth is. Yes, I believe with innocent until proven guilty, evidently something you and your ILK don't.
Grantum and Boyles are crooks. Thompson construction company is crooked. See it does feel good to just sling out allegations.
and hipocrites is well, a hipocrite!
thats why Augusta cant and wont (will not )ever move forward, no jobs,They are holding Augusta back we need a change Grantum , Boyles and all those old foggies got too go !!!!
Idiot, let us know when you make it to Memphis. Never mind we can tell by the stench being gone.
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