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Detroit council upholds OIG suspension of demolition contractor amid contaminated backfill allegations
Summary
The Detroit City Council voted to uphold an Office of Inspector General interim suspension of Guyanga Company LLC and owner Bridal McKinney after the OIG presented testing showing 42 of 47 examined sites exceeded state pollutant limits; the investigation remains ongoing.
The Detroit City Council on Nov. 18 upheld an Office of Inspector General (OIG) interim suspension of demolition contractor Guyanga Company LLC and its owner, Bridal McKinney, after hearing competing presentations from the OIG and the company’s attorneys.
Council President Mary Sheffield presided over the appeal hearing, in which the OIG said testing by the city’s Construction and Demolition Department found that 42 of 47 sites the OIG identified exceeded State pollutant limits and that 29 of those sites exceeded the State’s direct-contact safety threshold. Inspector General Kamau Marable told the council those results — roughly 89% and 62%, respectively, of the tested sites — justified an interim suspension issued Sept. 11, 2025, because of potential risks to resident health.
The appellant’s lead attorney, Adam Clemens, disputed the OIG’s portrayal and asked the council to overturn the suspension. Clemens said his client used “public sources” of backfill that contractors are directed to use and presented financial documents and canceled-check screenshots tying purchases to Iron Horse. Clemens said the company had not been interviewed as part of the investigation and characterized the process as incomplete, calling some information “irrefutably false” as to Guyanga’s wrongdoing.
The OIG, represented at the hearing by Inspector General Marable and staff attorneys, described a confidential, ongoing investigation that began with credible tips. Marable said his office requested independent testing from the Construction and Demolition Department because the OIG did not have capacity for all sampling. He noted precedent in a prior case (Denman Contracting) in which backfill testing led to debarment and criminal charges for a different contractor.
Council members pressed both sides on specific matters: whether backfill came from an approved public source or from private vendors, the extent to which contractors are responsible for testing material, the timing of interviews and document requests, and the number of sites Guyanga filled citywide (the OIG said about 2,400 residential sites). Appellant counsel and several public commenters also raised financial harms to subcontractors, with one subcontractor saying he was owed about $274,000 and a city representative saying Guyanga owed the city roughly $611,000 in related claims.
After questions and discussion, Council Member Johnson moved to approve a resolution finding no abuse of discretion by the OIG — in effect upholding the interim suspension. The motion passed without recorded objection, and the suspension remains in force while the OIG completes its investigation. Under the city debarment ordinance the suspension is 90 days with possible 30-day extensions.
The council’s action did not resolve the underlying factual allegations; the OIG said it will continue the investigation and may later submit findings that could lead to further administrative or legal steps. The hearing record included multiple public comments urging broader action, including tighter oversight of approved backfill sources and remedies for residents and contractors affected by contaminated material.
