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Resident alleges $2.5M waste, urges oversight of city attorney's office
Summary
During public comment David Crockett accused the city attorney's office of poor execution that may have cost the city $2.5 million on the Citizens Bank Drive extension and urged the council to pass resolutions to ensure compliance with state rules for settlements.
David Crockett used the public comment period to urge transparency and oversight of the city attorney's office, saying he had reviewed released documents and asserting that errors "may have resulted in the city wasting $2,500,000 on the Citizens Bank Drive extension." He asked the council to pass resolutions to force compliance with publication and settlement rules he cited.
Crockett cited a statute (as transcribed) he referenced as "l a r s 13 51 0 9" and said the city must publish settlements before they are finalized and follow charter requirements for ordinances when settling claims. "You have to publish those before you even settle something," he said, and argued that the city had not shown ordinances indicating settlements for the matters in question.
Councilman Chris Smith responded on behalf of the council, noting the body spent considerable time reviewing the issue over the last year, implemented policy changes including a requirement that the council president sign off on payments over $50,000, and said the council's goal is to improve processes and restore public trust. "The council president now has to sign off on anything over $50,000. That was unanimously passed last summer," Smith said. The council did not adopt new settlement ordinances during this meeting in direct response to the comment; the speaker urged further oversight.
