How Does $75K Become $150K For Compliance Officer To Review Purchasing Procedures? No Disclosure From City

Guidepost official Joseph Jaffe

One year ago OIB wrote this:
A former federal prosecutor will conduct a review of city policies and procedures and recommend corrective action on the heels of two city employees terminated for their roles in turning scrap-metal sales into cash in the Public Facilities Department. Federal investigators have launched a criminal probe into the matter including interviews with city employees and issuing subpoenas for records.

Joseph Jaffe, who oversees regulatory compliance for the New York-based investigative firm Guidepost Solutions, has been retained following the terminations of Deputy Director of Public Facilities Joe Tiago and another department employee Jose DeMoura. They were fired two weeks ago after due process hearings before Labor Relations. Tiago and DeMoura, cousins, were unionized employees.

What will Jaffe and his team do?

The firm’s role will include a review of city practices and procedures, interface with various city departments such as Finance, Purchasing, Public Facilities as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigating the matter.

Ultimately his findings will be shared with the administration and City Council to enact recommended reforms.

… Jaffe’s firm has been hired by City Attorney Christopher Meyer who addressed the potential costs:

“Hopefully we will keep it to a minimum. We negotiated his rate to a maximum rate of $425 per hour. Lesser rates apply to other experts in his firm including project managers and accountants $270 per hour.”

The hourly amount will be drawn from a $75,000 budget line item from the City Attorney’s Office outside legal fees, according to the city.

Update from Brian Lockhart, CT Post:

A lawyer for the city tried Monday to explain why a consultant hired a year ago to revise Bridgeport’s purchasing policies was diverted to working on unspecified “pending litigation” for the law department.

Mark Anastasi, a veteran municipal attorney, repeatedly declined to offer details to City Council members about the case or cases New York City-based Guidepost Solutions is working on, other than his brief reference to last year’s scrap metal sales scandal.

“Some of these involve personnel matters,” Anastasi told members of the council’s budget committee. “I really can’t get into specifics other than things are pending.”

… He said that “the bulk of” the $152,036.59 the city has so far paid Guidepost was for “producing documents for the litigation” or “data-mining” and “electronic-discovery.” The money came out of accounts the law department uses to hire outside counsel and expertise.

Full story here.

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20 comments

    1. Rich, that train has left the train station but don’t worry there will another train leaving that same train station going to the same destination. Rich, I’m sure that you know someone who’s on Facebook who could forward you Maria’s opine on this one or better yet you could help Maria to setup her own podcast and maybe you could start a “Go Fund Me” to get it started for Maria. Also, you could do what Dennis Bradley did to Maria when he was President of the BBOE and hold a boycott against Lennie and OIB to force Lennie to lift the ban against Maria.

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    2. These “consultants” and “advisors” are so comical. Sure, let’s bring in Chief Ramsey of Chicago and Philadelphia PD because those cities are doing so well against crime. Lol you can’t make this up. Two of the most crime ridden cities in America and he has the knowledge of what work, got it.

      Captain Porter is sitting in your back yard, one of the smartest minds in the city and we’re using him for “community service”. Not to degrade that field, but his mind and experience belongs deeper into the city which currently is a disservice. Sorry Chief Porter, you were the man for the job.

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      1. Charles Ramsey was also the Police Chief in Washington D.C. but Bridgeport taxpayers have not seen anything from the report that Chief Ramsey recommendations to improve the running of the Bridgeport Police Department and now Mayor Ganim and the City Council have put in place a Citywide curfew cure shootings and where is the training to make sure that the Police officers are trained properly to enforce this curfew. It’s again one stop shopping by the City, they think that a curfew will solve gang shootings, the selling of guns, the profit that from drug dealing and drug turf wars, PLEASE.

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        1. Curfew thing is a joke, can’t be enforced. All you can do is issue a city ordinance that isn’t tracked by the state and nothing happens.

          As for the police officers, I’m pretty sure with the city’s current climate why would they even enforce any initiative. If they get caught on camera “harassing” juveniles for curfew the Mayor and Chief are the first ones on News12 to “initiate an investigation”. This administration doesn’t support that Department even when they supported Ganims re-election. Why risk your career and image for an administration who’s ready to throw you under the bus. That place’s morale is at an all time low. No confidence in the chief or mayor. Glad I left when I did.

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          1. Jo, dad but true, Bridgeport has some very good police officers but they are not supported by the mayor and they have no adult supervision, A.J. Perez is a nice guy but his leadership is totally lacking and he’s in way over his head. Joe Ganim had to make Perez the Police Chief because he owes Perez when A J. was his driver when he mayor and what A.J. didn’t recall or he didn’t see while driving the mayor when Ganim was being investigated by the FBI. Jo Sailing, unfortunately your comments about the police and the curfew are so true.

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        2. On the bright side , I heard that they’re going to bring CHEF Ramsey so we could all have a good conversation about that police report and enjoy a good meal!!!! Cheers!!!
          Free Maria!!

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  1. Perhaps Chief Ramsey’s report shows things are so bad in the department that they do not want to release it. For the powers that be that decided to hire an outsider to examine it’s own department clearly shows there is no faith In the people who work there. Afterall knows more about the departments shortcomings then the people who work there. Nardozzi’s was hired to curb overtime, he did that all though be it too well and they get rid of him only to have to pay him a settlement later on, nice going.

    Did not anyone think that this would not come back and bite them later or did they not care so as long as he was gone. Besides the lawsuit settlement does not hit them in the wallets.

    Now they have Chief Garcia right away law suits were filed because of her appointment. Was it the process( lack of it ) or was it because she was chosen over other people? What is or has she done to curb overtime and how are the law suits going be remedied$$$?

    Read between the lines and things are bad, very bad.

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    1. I dont think Overtime is the issue. No department in the country can really reduce overtime from occurring. If you think about it, Overtime 1.5x, if cheaper than staffing a full department. Does it inflate salaries? sure. But, its cheaper to pay overtime, than it is to hire a new recruit at salary, pay to get them trained and certified, and then continue to pay for their benefits every year. Majority of those salaries in the TOP100 that appeared massive were inflated from retirements and payouts.

      The other issue is, if cops aren’t given the oppertunity to work proper overtime to support themselves in this state, they’re next step is going to raise their salary to the high 80s or 90k a year to make up the difference, comparable to Hamden Police, otherwise they’re going to continue to leave to Departments who pay that much or provide that amount of overtime. Its a double edged sword, because then you will continue to spend tens of millons for years training more and more classes.

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      1. Jo Sailing, you are 100% right, the police and fire department have no problem with overtime because that’s what the mayor wants, City doesn’t have to pay the health benefits for new employees but it’s done at the cost of injuries to firefighters and police officers who work to many hours then we are talking about Workers Comp paying. Terrible management, overtime basically comes from poor staffing.

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  2. Now Guidepost was drought on to tell us how to address the stolen $40,000 in scrap metallic.
    Now $150,000 later, they will get to that problem. Fire Anastasi and the rest of the city attorneys. What a disgrace.

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    1. Bob, it was Hamilton Burger who ran the City while Joe Ganim was running the State trying to be governor Ganim until State Democrats kicked him in his back o Bridgeport. That whole motley crew in the City Attorney office needs to be relieve from their duties and let them make an honest living working on the private sector.

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      1. Ron,that “motley crew”, especially Anastasi, knows all the secrets of this administration and they form their “opinions” in accordance to what Mario & Joe tell them. They aren’t going anywhere.

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        1. Harvey, you are correct, back when John Mandanici was mayor David Dunn was employ by the City and he has been working for the City for over 40 years and he is one the biggest persons in OBSTRUCTION good government, don’t believe me just read what was in Only In Bridgeport from August 25, 2009 and Joe Ganim is scare to get rid of him, why Joe?

          “A Dunn Deal, Plus: Judge Sides With Library Supporters”
          http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/a-dunn-deal-plus-judge-sides-with-library-supporters/

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  3. The city hired a consultant to figure out how the city lost 40K in scrap metal and it cost 150k so far and they still don’t know? Should have stopped at 40K and cut their losses. Bottom line you do not take property that does not belong to you. No need for a study. If your working at Home Depot or a variety store it’s ll the same thing. Don’t take what does not belong to you, We need a consultant that costs more then the original amount lost?

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