Atlanta City Council members on Tuesday withheld support of a $2 million contract for the Department of Watershed Management, because they first want to see a study of the contract from the city’s new Office of Inspector General.
Watershed wants to pay $2 million to the United Consulting Group to investigate ground conditions and materials at different work sites.
The council typically approves these agreements after the contract is reviewed by the Independent Procurement Review Office, also known as I-PRO. Independent Review Officers investigate every stage of the procurement process for every function of city government, whenever the cost of the proposed service exceeds $1 million.
But on Tuesday, the council’s City Utilities committee disclosed they had yet to receive and review the I-PRO report. Atlanta City Auditor Amanda Noble initially told the committee the report was ready, but she apologized and later admitted that is not true.
“I got my wires crossed and I was talking about a different report,” she said.
“The I-PRO report — it slipped through the cracks,” Noble added.
Watershed Commissioner Mikita Browning also admitted that the department assumed the I-PRO report was ready or pending review.
Noble said the city obtained the report last week and is planning to finish the review by April.
City Councilman Dustin Hillis initially suggested the committee should move the resolution with “no recommendation” as long as the council receives the I-PRO report.
Councilman Howard Shook disagreed. He said he’s “squeamish” about setting a precedent and that this issue is not as simple as “digging” through an email inbox for an “already completed and clean” report.
The committee then unanimously voted to hold the resolution.
Over the past year, the Independent Procurement Review Office issued reports concerning problems with contracts selected by the Procurement department, which was the focus of the on-going federal corruption investigation at City Hall.
The I-PRO watchdog unit previously operated under the city auditor’s office, but it now falls under the Office of Inspector General, which was created last February in an effort to root out corruption at City Hall.
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