IS THIS ONE HELL OF A BIG COINCIDENCE?
.The $1,050,000 payment should not be a matter of conjecture Mr Mayor.
The first contract with Halifax Paving was for hauling fill from the first retention that had been excavated by another contractor, AND Halifax was to pay the City $ 1,050,000 ( 500,000 cu yds @ 2.10 per yd. ) This contract spanned Jan 2000 thru May 2005
Whether that $1,050,000 was paid should not be a matter of conjecture as the Mayor proffered at the Thursday night special meeting. Rather this matter needs to be answered through a simple forensic audit request to our current audit firm.
IF THIS $1,050,000 was paid prior to change order # 1 in 2005 which was the illegal maneuver Green and the former manager used to circumvent competitive bidding requirements, AND flip a simple hauling contract from the 1st lake into a full blown excavation contract for 2nd lake, THAT MEANS the current $ 1,050,000 referenced at the Thursday special meeting is a whole new $1,050,000 that coincidently just so happens to equal the original $1,050,000 right to the penny.
FOR THAT TO BE THE CASE, after all the change order irradiations surrounding the 2nd lake construction including missing fill dirt, increased depth, raised berms, and penalties for tardy work at the lake itself and at the Corraci fields, THIS IS ONE HELL OF A BIG COINCIDENCE.
AND WHOSE assurance would the Mayor have us believe that everything is on the up and up with this 15 year taxpayer screwing. WHY WE HAVE peg-leg from Utilities who misplaced 100 dump truck loads from the Ruth Street pond earlier this year and who only last year was helping himself to ill gotten administration time hand over fist, AND WHO owes his job after those debacles to none other than the wizard behind the curtain Mayor Green.
It would appear from this early vantage of what most certainly will be investigated at some point, that this series of improprieties more than anything else is the reason for the rapid departure of the Manager, Finance Director and Comptroller. This is the first instance of where we have more than incompetence at play. We are talking well in excess of a million cu yds of fill dirt valued in excess of $3 million dollars that no one is in a hurry to provide an accounting for.
I wonder why ??
Ted Noftall
If anything justifies a forensic audit wouldn’t this? I have a feeling that to convince the mayor to approve a forensic audit for this will be harder than pulling teeth with no Lidocaine. Point being one might bet their bottom dollar that at the conclusion of a forensic audit the results would probably precipitate a full blown investigation from Pam Bondi and the FDLE. Who do you think that would lead back to? Hopefully this forensic audit can be done by council vote if not immediately than maybe after the election and radifying of the new councilmen.
I like the picture of the handcuffs. They made me remember back a few years ago that FBI grant money fraud sting down in Miami with that mayor that was a big wig in Florida League of City’s. They hauled his ass out of a council meeting in hand cuffs. How sweet it is to see someone with a lot of political power who has violated the public trust wearing an orange jump suit.
Several million dollars! That kind of money could be used in so many constructive ways. Upgrading the wastewater plant or paying down debt. Hell, I could think of fifty more if I took just a few minutes. Yet Alan Green seems to think it’s alright to make change order after change order until it’s all a confused mess, and then let Halifax paving slide!
Bottom line is this! Halifax Paving has owed the city one hell of a lot of money for many years now. They failed to complete contracts awarded by the city, yet were not fined as specified in those contracts.
Any business would have had Halifax Paving in COURT! It would be irresponsible for a business to not try and recoup monies for the shareholders! Why should the good people of Port Orange have to eat this. After all, the Mayor says that we’re INVESTORS. I guess maybe he was just talking about the Lacours of the world and never really gave two shits about the rank and file citizens.
Council, get us our damn money from Halifax Paving and demand that they complete the contracted work! If you can’t get the money or the work finished, take them to court A.S.A.P. This has gone on long enough!
Great post Ted, but don’t think for a minute that this is the first instance of more than incompetence at play. Just the first to come to light.
And maybe, just maybe Indomitable Witness, there will be an orange jumpsuit in Alan’s future!
When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule the people groan.
Proverbs 29:2 (NIV)
Mr Noftall have you ever thought of running for council????
MAYOR NOFTALL…..Well I declare.
Ted, if you ever decided to run for any council position, you would have a whole bunch of support. You’ve got my vote! And I for one think you would make an excellent mayor or councilman! You’re obviously intelligent, an experienced professional, and not afraid to step on some toes. Give it some consideration.
According to a citizen at tonight’s meeting, THERE IS NO TED NOFTALL ??? Such person does not exist ?
Did you run for council before and not win?