1 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: What's going on. Thank you so much for listening to 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,640 this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon 3 00:00:09,679 --> 00:00:12,480 to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,719 want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,239 my daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, 6 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,640 go to dpeakclendarshow dot com. Make sure you hit the 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,160 subscribe button. Get every episode for free, write to your 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,719 smartphone or tablet, and again, thank you so much for 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:33,280 your support. Here's wsoctv's write up on the release of 10 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:39,320 the state auditor's preliminary report on Cat's Safety Charlotte Area 11 00:00:39,359 --> 00:00:46,759 Transit Safety or Charlotte Area Transit System Safety. North Carolina 12 00:00:46,799 --> 00:00:49,920 Auditor Dave Bullock said that in twenty eighteen, the cat's 13 00:00:50,119 --> 00:00:53,880 armed security contract called for between sixty eight and eighty 14 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:58,439 eight personnel. However, there were only thirty nine armed security officers, 15 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,960 despite the contract increasing in cost from five point nine 16 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,760 million to its current eighteen point four million. Okay, so 17 00:01:04,799 --> 00:01:09,799 the costs triple and the number of armed security guards 18 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:16,280 declines by forty percent. At first. Bullock said that the 19 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:23,239 security contractor PSS Professional Security Services was only hired to 20 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:27,120 provide unarmed security because they broke the contract into two 21 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:31,239 pieces for armed versus unarmed security. PSS got that. The 22 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:36,280 auditor said that CATS limited its selections from this contract 23 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,920 to firms that were registered in the city's Business Inclusion Program, 24 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:47,359 which is the goal of that program is to direct 25 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:54,480 city contracts to businesses that are owned by women and minorities. 26 00:01:57,519 --> 00:02:01,280 CATS then terminated its contract with the armed security vendor 27 00:02:01,959 --> 00:02:07,400 due to poor performance, and then expanded the PSS contract 28 00:02:07,599 --> 00:02:13,159 to add the armed security responsibilities to PSS, but there 29 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,879 was no competitive bid put out for that contract. Again, 30 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,000 they just handed it off to PSS, even though they 31 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,400 split it up the first time. Gave PSS the bigger 32 00:02:23,479 --> 00:02:28,560 contract for the unarmed security component. They gave another company 33 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,840 that didn't have to be women or minority owned. I 34 00:02:32,879 --> 00:02:35,039 don't know what that. I don't know if they if 35 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,280 it is G fours or sorry Strategic Security. I don't 36 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,439 know if they're minority owned or what. But they won 37 00:02:42,479 --> 00:02:46,520 the initial contract and then they got kicked out for 38 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,159 failure to perform. But there's no data, there's no explanation 39 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,520 of how they failed to perform, and then the city 40 00:02:54,599 --> 00:02:57,240 just turned around and gave it gave that contract to 41 00:02:57,319 --> 00:03:03,680 PSS in response to the audit, Mayor vy Lyles defended PSS, saying, 42 00:03:03,719 --> 00:03:07,240 this report appears to suggest that PSS is not qualified, 43 00:03:07,599 --> 00:03:10,840 but fails to offer specific evidence to support this conclusion. 44 00:03:11,439 --> 00:03:13,800 And when we spoke to the auditor in the last hour, 45 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:18,599 he said, they never made that accusation. She's just reaching 46 00:03:20,479 --> 00:03:24,240 she's trying to find some excuse for something to come 47 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,360 after them over. But they don't make the assertion that PSS. 48 00:03:28,479 --> 00:03:31,639 They don't even make a suggestion that PSS is not qualified. 49 00:03:31,879 --> 00:03:35,879 They simply pointed out that race was a factor when 50 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,280 you went out for these bids. And that's an important 51 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,919 piece of information because it does raise the question of 52 00:03:43,319 --> 00:03:46,879 are they qualified. The Auditor's office isn't saying they are 53 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,879 or are not. They're just pointing out that PSS got 54 00:03:50,879 --> 00:03:54,680 the contract based on race, based on your city policy, 55 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,960 and then they got the second contract without going through 56 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,039 rebidding process. That's why I said last hour that this 57 00:04:04,199 --> 00:04:06,520 just smacks of cronyism. To me, that's what it smacks of. 58 00:04:06,639 --> 00:04:08,280 You got the first contract and now we're just going 59 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,039 to fold this other one in after we let the 60 00:04:10,199 --> 00:04:14,240 other company go. But the mayor says PSS has met 61 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:19,759 contract requirements and continues to provide satisfactory services. And as 62 00:04:19,759 --> 00:04:23,720 the auditor said in the last hour, what are those metrics? 63 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,759 We don't know. You say, Okay, they're doing a fine 64 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:33,079 job providing adequate, satisfactory services. What are like, how do 65 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:40,079 you measure that? So here's the from the preliminary findings. 66 00:04:41,639 --> 00:04:47,079 The scope of work for the original twenty eighteen contract 67 00:04:47,879 --> 00:04:50,439 indicates that the armed personnel would be armed with either 68 00:04:50,519 --> 00:04:54,199 a firearm or a taser. Additionally, at this time, again 69 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,399 six years ago, the number of armed personnel that the 70 00:04:57,439 --> 00:05:02,600 company that had a contract at that time. The number 71 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:07,759 of armed personnel was required to provide cats under the 72 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:12,079 original twenty eighteen contract is not clear. We don't know 73 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:16,519 how many gfours was required to provide cats. It's unclear. 74 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,399 The price proposal attached to the contract, as Exhibit B 75 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,120 shows G four S would provide approximately sixty eight armed 76 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:31,600 company police, but the contract scope of work indicates that 77 00:05:31,639 --> 00:05:35,399 the city requested and G four S agreed to provide 78 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:41,959 eighty eight sworn company police. So the State Auditor's Office 79 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,639 is still working to confirm exactly how many armed security 80 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:51,120 personnel G four S provided two cats under that contract. 81 00:05:51,199 --> 00:05:53,800 In twenty eighteen. So that's why they've got this range 82 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,720 of either sixty eight or eighty eight. We don't know 83 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,519 what the number is. And this is why because in 84 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:04,240 the price proposal, gfours said, here's our price, here's our like, 85 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,279 you put this out for solicitation for bids, here's our bid, 86 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:12,720 sixty eight armed company police. And Katz comes back and says, now, 87 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,279 our scope of work is eighty eight police. We want 88 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,600 eighty eight police. We don't know if gfours provided that 89 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,759 or not, but they still got the contract either way. 90 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,360 The fact that Katz requested in the scope of work 91 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:31,639 eighty eight armed officers but then allowed PSS to only 92 00:06:31,759 --> 00:06:38,759 run thirty nine this year, like, that's a choice. That 93 00:06:38,879 --> 00:06:42,600 was a choice they wanted. They wanted to push I 94 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:48,600 guess more of the personnel into the unarmed category. On 95 00:06:48,639 --> 00:06:53,560 October one, twenty twenty one, that contract for gfours was 96 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:57,839 then assigned to a company called Universal Protection Service LLC, 97 00:06:57,959 --> 00:07:01,360 but it was doing business as ally. You've probably seen 98 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:07,199 them around Allied Universal Security Services. Because Allied had materially 99 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,800 absorbed G four S. Okay, so I guess a merger 100 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,040 of some kind. They bought G four S so they 101 00:07:14,079 --> 00:07:18,439 amended the contract. Additionally, the city then exercised both of 102 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,680 the one year renewal terms which were part of the 103 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:25,000 original contract. So, and this is pretty standard in a contract. 104 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,480 You do an initial term for you know, two years, 105 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,680 three years, whatever, and then you get like the renewals, 106 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,240 you know, one year renewal, one year renewal, and then 107 00:07:34,279 --> 00:07:37,839 you go and do another RFP request for proposal, you 108 00:07:37,839 --> 00:07:41,199 put it out for bid again. So that meant that 109 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:46,160 their contract went through October twenty twenty three, but a 110 00:07:46,279 --> 00:07:51,480 year prior, in October twenty two, in its letter exercising 111 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,920 the second renewal option, the city told Allied that the 112 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,600 city was quote currently in the process of procuring a 113 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:01,720 new transit security contract to take over the provision of 114 00:08:01,759 --> 00:08:05,279 the CATS security services after the second and final renewal 115 00:08:05,279 --> 00:08:07,800 option of Allies contract expired. So they were told a 116 00:08:07,879 --> 00:08:10,399 year prior, we're going to be going out forbid again. 117 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:16,199 The city issued an RFP seeking a new contractor, and 118 00:08:17,279 --> 00:08:20,560 that was in July of twenty two. Based on the 119 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:26,199 Auditor's Office or OSA, the Office of the State Auditor OSA. 120 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,319 Based on osa's initial review, it appears that this RFP 121 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,679 was split into two parts, one part seeking a contractor 122 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:39,000 to provide sworn company police and armed security personnel collectively 123 00:08:39,039 --> 00:08:42,399 the armed Security services, and then the other part seeking 124 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:49,639 a different contractor for unarmed security services. So like, if 125 00:08:49,639 --> 00:08:52,120 that is actually the way the proposal was written or 126 00:08:52,159 --> 00:08:56,399 the request for proposal, the solicitation that went out, Like 127 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,360 did they say that we want two different companies here? 128 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:04,159 What if a company came forward like PSS and they 129 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,519 bid on both they said, we can do both. We're 130 00:09:06,519 --> 00:09:09,080 going to do it all, and we're minority owned and 131 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:14,440 so we can fulfill your racial checkbox quota thing, and 132 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:16,240 so we can check that box. But we can do 133 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,759 we can do it all. Maybe they weren't allowed to. 134 00:09:19,879 --> 00:09:23,039 I don't know. I haven't seen what the solicitation said, 135 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:27,519 but according to this write up in their report that 136 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,799 they wanted a different they were seeking a different contractor 137 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,600 for the unarmed security services. The proposal for unarmed security 138 00:09:35,639 --> 00:09:38,879 services was targeted only to businesses that were registered and 139 00:09:38,919 --> 00:09:44,240 certified with the city's Charlotte Business Inclusion Program, or the CBI. 140 00:09:45,039 --> 00:09:49,320 The CBI program seeks to enhance competition and participation of 141 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:54,679 minority women in small business enterprises mwsbes in city contracting 142 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:59,639 leveraging the commitment of city leadership. CBI's goal is to 143 00:09:59,639 --> 00:10:03,759 be a national model in the business inclusion space. To 144 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,639 accomplish this, all city departments have increasingly examined their procurements 145 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:14,759 and set specific participation goals on a contract by contract basis. 146 00:10:16,279 --> 00:10:21,200 During discussions regarding the request for proposal, City Compliance Officer 147 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:26,240 Terrence Watson noted that the solicitation for unarmed security services 148 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:31,240 quote is only open to CBI security firms. It is 149 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,480 not open to other firms, regardless if they have other 150 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:41,360 certifications by other parties. What does that tell you? They 151 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:45,200 would not even look at a bid if you were 152 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:49,120 a white dude, if you were a company owned by 153 00:10:49,159 --> 00:10:51,360 white dude. Like, that's what that says. You got to 154 00:10:51,399 --> 00:10:55,559 be in the CBI program. If you're not credentialed in 155 00:10:55,799 --> 00:10:59,360 that program, you don't get to bid on the bigger 156 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:06,480 securecurity contract. And this is all for equity. The next day, 157 00:11:06,519 --> 00:11:09,960 mister Watson sent another email emphasizing that the advertisement must 158 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,120 mention the unarmed scopes have been designated as targeted for 159 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:16,879 CBI security firms only. So they made sure everybody knew 160 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:19,960 we're not taking any bids. We're not looking at any 161 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:26,080 bids unless they are compliant with our CBI program. The 162 00:11:26,279 --> 00:11:30,840 requirement that it only accept proposals submitted by CBI certified 163 00:11:30,919 --> 00:11:35,360 vendors functionally excluded other qualified vendors who could have provided 164 00:11:35,399 --> 00:11:40,399 security for the CATS writers. Additionally, certain communications put forth 165 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:47,639 by the CBI Advisory Committee raise questions about CBI's partisan motives. 166 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,519 All right, if you're listening to this show, you know 167 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:52,600 I try to keep up with all sorts of current events, 168 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,639 and I know you do too, And you've probably heard 169 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,799 me say get your news from multiple sources. Why Well, 170 00:11:58,799 --> 00:12:01,519 because it's how you detect media bias, which is why 171 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,759 I've been so impressed with ground News. It's an app, 172 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,159 and it's a website, and it combines news from around 173 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,639 the world in one place so you can compare coverage 174 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:13,559 and verify information. You can check it out at check 175 00:12:13,799 --> 00:12:18,039 dot ground, dot news slash Pete. I put the link 176 00:12:18,039 --> 00:12:21,159 in the podcast description too. I started using ground News 177 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,919 a few months ago, and more recently chose to work 178 00:12:23,919 --> 00:12:25,960 with them as an affiliate because it lets me see 179 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,840 clearly how stories get covered and by whom. The blind 180 00:12:29,879 --> 00:12:32,639 spot feature shows you which stories get ignored by the 181 00:12:32,759 --> 00:12:36,440 left and the right see for yourself. Check dot Ground, 182 00:12:36,639 --> 00:12:40,320 dot news slash pete. Subscribe through that link and you'll 183 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,519 get fifteen percent off any subscription. I use the Vantage 184 00:12:43,519 --> 00:12:47,000 plan to get unlimited access to every feature. Your subscription 185 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:49,799 then not only helps my podcast, but it also supports 186 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:53,120 Ground News as they make the media landscape more transparent. 187 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,039 On the text line, I got a message here from 188 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:00,919 the grumpy major who says the does the audit report 189 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:06,720 mentioned that PSS Company president Celestine Ratliffe is former command 190 00:13:06,759 --> 00:13:10,919 staff at CMPD. You mentioned cronyism. Well, there you go. 191 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,159 It does not mention her by name. It does mention 192 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:24,559 that the president is a thirty year CMPD veteran and 193 00:13:24,639 --> 00:13:28,080 her husband is Lee Ratliffe. And I knew Lee Ratliffe 194 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:32,960 when he was the public information officer for CMPD years ago, 195 00:13:33,159 --> 00:13:38,600 like twenty five years ago, So it does not mention that. 196 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:44,120 But they've both been, you know, in law enforcement in CMPD. 197 00:13:44,879 --> 00:13:48,279 They've been in the local area for the last you know, 198 00:13:48,399 --> 00:13:52,159 thirty plus years. I gotta believe they know a lot 199 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,440 of these people. In fact, I saw when I was 200 00:13:54,480 --> 00:14:02,000 doing some background research on Lee, when I saw that 201 00:14:02,039 --> 00:14:04,440 he was connected to this PSS I did not know 202 00:14:04,519 --> 00:14:08,720 this is that they started this company. I came across 203 00:14:08,759 --> 00:14:12,559 a couple of videos where he was confronting people. Do 204 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:16,879 you remember this would have been in like twenty twenty twenty, 205 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,039 nineteen twenty twenty. I want to say, where people these 206 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:25,159 leftists set up. They set up a tent outside of 207 00:14:25,159 --> 00:14:31,039 the jail and they were offering post release services to 208 00:14:31,279 --> 00:14:35,759 formerly incarcerated persons. Do you remember this? And then they 209 00:14:35,919 --> 00:14:40,320 like the sheriff like didn't want them there and whatever, 210 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:42,879 like there was a big thing about it. Anyway, Lee Ratliffe, 211 00:14:42,879 --> 00:14:45,919 there's a video of him coming down in his capacity 212 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:50,600 as PSS. He came down and was talking to these 213 00:14:50,639 --> 00:14:53,279 people trying to get them to clear out, and they 214 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:55,639 were like recording him. You know who are you? And 215 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:58,679 you have no authority and all this stuff. And so 216 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:02,960 he was, I guess, contract with the Mecklenburg County government 217 00:15:03,559 --> 00:15:07,000 to provide security at the government center or the jail 218 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:11,879 area or something. So he apparently has been getting contracts 219 00:15:11,919 --> 00:15:14,440 with the local government or his company is beginning contracts 220 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:18,000 with the local government for a little while twenty years so, 221 00:15:20,879 --> 00:15:28,679 I don't know. There is this CBI Charlotte business initiative 222 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:37,039 the CBI Advisory Committee, and these are volunteers that advise, 223 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:43,440 that offer their input and such and the Office of 224 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:48,399 State Auditors report says that certain communications put forth by 225 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:53,279 the Advisory Committee raise questions about the CBI's partisan motives. 226 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:58,399 For example, April ninth this year, at a meeting of 227 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:02,120 the CBI Advisory Committee, there was a discussion about House 228 00:16:02,159 --> 00:16:08,559 Bill one seventy one, that is quote an act eliminating diversity, 229 00:16:08,639 --> 00:16:12,919 equity and inclusion initiatives in state and local government. At 230 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:15,879 the time, House Bill one seventy one was being debated 231 00:16:15,919 --> 00:16:19,279 and considered by the North Carolina General Assembly. At the 232 00:16:19,279 --> 00:16:25,879 committee meeting, then committee Chair Siara Lilly encouraged committee members 233 00:16:25,919 --> 00:16:29,799 to quote listen to the Republican argument made in support 234 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,679 of the bill during the committee hearings so that they 235 00:16:32,679 --> 00:16:37,559 could quote be prepared to counter it. They go on 236 00:16:37,639 --> 00:16:42,000 to note in a footnote that Lily's LinkedIn profile notes 237 00:16:42,039 --> 00:16:45,360 that she is the quote Senior Vice President of Culture 238 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:51,519 and Belonging. That's a title at Diversified Maintenance, where she 239 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:56,360 ensures the company's culture evolves in alignment with its business strategy. 240 00:16:57,159 --> 00:17:00,480 She served as chair of this advisory committee until September 241 00:17:01,799 --> 00:17:08,680 last month. So this raises the question, right, like, if 242 00:17:08,759 --> 00:17:11,559 this is the ideology of the people that are advising 243 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:17,119 your CBI program, how much of that is pervasive in 244 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:21,000 the awarding of the contracts? Is the advisory committee weighing 245 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:24,880 in and making recommendations on particular companies? Are they putting 246 00:17:25,039 --> 00:17:28,960 race at the forefront for equity and inclusion purposes? Would 247 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,680 that have run a foul of the state law? Yeah, 248 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:35,640 there's a lot in this report that has yet to 249 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,880 be unearthed. And as the auditor kept saying when we 250 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:41,599 talked with them last hour, this is just a preliminary report. 251 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:45,119 This is just the information they have, and obviously this 252 00:17:45,279 --> 00:17:49,119 is for the community to digest and to start asking 253 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:53,640 questions that this report is starting to surface. Here's a 254 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,559 great idea. How about making an escape to a really 255 00:17:56,599 --> 00:17:59,799 special and secluded getaway in western North Carolina? 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Call or text eight two 273 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,799 eight three six seven seven six eight or check out 274 00:19:01,839 --> 00:19:04,200 all there is to offer at Cabins of Aashville dot 275 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:08,799 com and make memories that'll last a lifetime. From the 276 00:19:08,839 --> 00:19:13,799 Audit the State Auditor's report here on the Charlotte Area 277 00:19:13,839 --> 00:19:20,640 transit security. When the city rebid the contracts right, they 278 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,839 split the contracts. In twenty four they split them in half. 279 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:26,880 They're like one a contract for armed security, one for unarmed. 280 00:19:28,319 --> 00:19:33,880 The city received eight proposals. One of those proposals was 281 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:38,720 submitted by Allied that had the contract, so they resubmitted 282 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:44,519 a review panel. Don't know who that review panel was. 283 00:19:45,759 --> 00:19:49,400 They evaluated each of the proposals received and did not 284 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:54,920 recommend that the city recontract with Allied. Instead, the panel 285 00:19:55,000 --> 00:20:00,599 recommended awarding the armed security services portion to Strategic Security 286 00:20:00,599 --> 00:20:05,039 Corporation and the unarmed security services portion of the RFP 287 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:10,920 to Professional Police Services PPS but doing business as Professional 288 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:20,440 Security Services PSS. PSS is AZBI Certified Minority Business Enterprise 289 00:20:21,079 --> 00:20:24,880 and the wife of PSS's founder and CEO was employed 290 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:30,880 by the CMPD for thirty years. That's the ratlifts. After 291 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:34,359 the panel reviewed all the submitted proposals, it sought the 292 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:40,319 City Council's approval to contract with SSC and PSS. This 293 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:45,160 was then debated. Sorry so this was in twenty twenty three. 294 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:50,799 City Council debated this. At that meeting, the Brett Kagel 295 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,799 or Brent Cagel rather sorry, who is now the cat's 296 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:58,279 interim CEO. He pointed out that PSS quote had previously 297 00:20:58,319 --> 00:21:02,640 served the city as a minority business enterprise subcontractor, and 298 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:07,440 that splitting the RFP into two parts allowed PSS quote 299 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:12,359 the opportunity to move into the prime contractor position. He 300 00:21:12,519 --> 00:21:16,680 noted that giving PSS this opportunity was a benefit of 301 00:21:16,799 --> 00:21:20,079 breaking the RFP into two pieces, so this was held 302 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:24,759 up as an advantage as a benefit. The City Council 303 00:21:24,839 --> 00:21:30,160 voted to approve the panel's recommendations. After getting approval from 304 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:33,880 the City Council, the city executed the contracts with PSS 305 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:39,960 and SSC. Then in twenty twenty four, the city canceled 306 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:45,559 its contract with SSC so like a year later canceled 307 00:21:45,599 --> 00:21:48,839 it with SSC because SSC quote failed to meet certain 308 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,440 requirements of the contract and to perform its duties to 309 00:21:51,519 --> 00:21:56,720 the satisfaction of CATS. The cancelation was effective December fourteenth, 310 00:21:56,759 --> 00:21:59,039 twenty twenty four. Around the same time, the city also 311 00:21:59,599 --> 00:22:04,519 changed the contract with PSS so PSS now provides both 312 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:09,599 armed and unarmed security services. Based on the osays the 313 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:13,160 Office of State Auditor's initial review, there is no clear 314 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:18,799 evidence that the city issued a new RFP for the 315 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:24,119 contract for armed services, nor did they engage in a 316 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:31,440 competitive procurement process before they amended the PSS contract. The 317 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,359 osay has not come to a conclusion on the quality 318 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:39,160 of service provided by PSS at this time. That's important 319 00:22:39,279 --> 00:22:44,960 why because the mayor, in response to this said in 320 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:50,200 her letter, the report appears to suggest that PSS is 321 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,599 not qualified, but fails to offer specific evidence to support 322 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:57,680 this conclusion. The audit didn't say that. The report didn't 323 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,799 say that. It literally SAYSSA has not come to a 324 00:23:00,839 --> 00:23:03,960 conclusion on the quality of service provided by PSS at 325 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,759 this time. They haven't said that they made no conclusion. 326 00:23:07,559 --> 00:23:11,400 They're just pointing out that PSS got the contract without 327 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:17,559 a competitive bid process. This from seven oh four number 328 00:23:17,559 --> 00:23:20,480 on the text line the PSS contract reeks of insider 329 00:23:20,559 --> 00:23:26,039 connections and kickbacks. Forget about the CBI or DEI. Nonsense. No, look, 330 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:28,279 this is what I've said from the beginning. This is 331 00:23:28,319 --> 00:23:32,599 to me, the rub is that there was no competitive 332 00:23:33,079 --> 00:23:38,160 bid process or procurement process that was entered into. It's fine, like, 333 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:40,480 you don't think this other company is doing a good job, 334 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:42,839 you want to scrap the contract, fire them for cause, 335 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,079 go for it, but you should say why they're not 336 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:52,640 performing and you put out another RFP. You go out 337 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,279 and find other companies that now want to bid on 338 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:59,039 this work. You don't just roll it into the contract 339 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:04,559 with PSA. Why Because PSS didn't get the contract the 340 00:24:04,599 --> 00:24:08,759 first time, right, PSS didn't get the armed services contract? 341 00:24:10,519 --> 00:24:12,839 Did they come in second? And that's why you rolled 342 00:24:12,839 --> 00:24:18,559 it in because there are certain exceptions for when you 343 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:22,680 are able to go without a request for proposal process 344 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,880 to go out to you know, for solicitation of bids 345 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,839 and and there's no indication that any of those exceptions 346 00:24:31,799 --> 00:24:34,200 applied here. Now maybe they did, I don't know. It's 347 00:24:34,279 --> 00:24:39,920 not been divulged until right now, it says. The report 348 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:44,680 says at this preliminary stage, OSA State Auditor has not 349 00:24:44,799 --> 00:24:48,640 yet confirmed the specific reasons why the city canceled its 350 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:53,720 contract with SSC, So we don't know to me, and 351 00:24:53,759 --> 00:24:57,079 that's why I said, this is what the central issue is. 352 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:00,880 After reading through this report, for me, it just reeks 353 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:07,359 of cronyism. And maybe that's completely wrong. I'm totally fine 354 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:11,799 to say I was totally wrong. There's completely legitimate reasons 355 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:15,119 why they got the contract without going into a solicitation 356 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,039 for BID's process. Totally happy to acknowledge if they have 357 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,079 a good explanation for why they did it this way, 358 00:25:21,559 --> 00:25:23,640 But we haven't heard that yet. Maybe we'll hear that 359 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,519 at the press conference today. Oh no, sorry, they postponed 360 00:25:26,519 --> 00:25:30,599 the press conference till Friday. I guess they want to 361 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:35,079 get all of their answers lined up so they can 362 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:37,400 address all of the points. Let's hope they did a 363 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,240 better job than Mayor vy Lyles did in her letter 364 00:25:40,319 --> 00:25:45,480 to the OSA. And look, if any if there's anything 365 00:25:45,519 --> 00:25:47,920 we can learn from recent experience with the mayor, you 366 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,319 got to give her at least three tries before her 367 00:25:50,319 --> 00:25:53,359 statements are actually responsive. So I'm willing to give her 368 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,240 some time and a couple of drafts. You know, stories 369 00:25:56,279 --> 00:25:58,480 are powerful. 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Hello, Joe, welcome to the show. 389 00:27:06,039 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 2: Hi, Pete, I think you picked up the wrong line. 390 00:27:08,039 --> 00:27:08,720 This is Jerry. 391 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,359 Speaker 1: Jerry, welcome to the show, it says Joe on the 392 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:12,920 call screener box here. 393 00:27:13,079 --> 00:27:14,559 Speaker 2: So I'm so sorry. 394 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:16,759 Speaker 1: That's not your fault. It's Bernie. He's fired. Now. 395 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 2: Well, I didn't want to throw Bernie under the bus, 396 00:27:19,279 --> 00:27:21,559 so maybe I said it wrong. 397 00:27:21,799 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 1: That's totally fine. 398 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:26,400 Speaker 2: Pardon me. I heard you say at one point where 399 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:28,839 you were reading from the report the city council had 400 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,400 to approve blah blah blah. But the question I have 401 00:27:31,599 --> 00:27:33,720 is does this run through the city manager. 402 00:27:34,079 --> 00:27:37,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, all the all of the city departments are under 403 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,319 the city manager's control. 404 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,079 Speaker 2: Right, so I have I've had a problem with him 405 00:27:45,079 --> 00:27:47,799 for a long time because the whole four hundred and 406 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:52,359 ninety thousand dollars a year just chase me no end. 407 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:57,680 And what upsets me even more is I don't even 408 00:27:57,799 --> 00:28:05,359 think we have any group or body or organization in 409 00:28:05,519 --> 00:28:10,079 Charlotte that has the gumption or the financial wherewithal to 410 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:15,799 even like pursue this legally. Like I don't either. 411 00:28:15,559 --> 00:28:20,880 Speaker 1: The Democrats pursue, pursue, pursue what legally well to try to. 412 00:28:20,839 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 2: Find a way to get to hold people accountable for this. 413 00:28:24,799 --> 00:28:28,359 If this runs through the city manager's office, why why 414 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:30,880 are who's going to have a hearing to pull him 415 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,440 in and make him explain all of this because you know, 416 00:28:33,519 --> 00:28:35,240 the city, the city council is not going to do 417 00:28:35,279 --> 00:28:35,640 it right. 418 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,279 Speaker 1: Well, that's the answer though the city council. He works 419 00:28:38,319 --> 00:28:39,720 at the pleasure of the city council. 420 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,839 Speaker 2: So right, And that's what I'm saying that they're like Democrats, 421 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:48,240 sue Republicans and too oblivion, whether they have legal standing, 422 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:50,359 whether they have a legal leg to stand, they just 423 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,119 they just sue. And what I'm saying is what upsets 424 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:56,400 me is that for those of us in Republicans here 425 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,400 in Charlotte that I'm not I don't even want like 426 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:06,200 revenge or I just want accountability, Like if you've screwed up, Okay, 427 00:29:06,799 --> 00:29:12,839 take some responsibility. We don't have any way of forcing 428 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:15,640 these people to be held accountable. 429 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: Well, the ballot box is the way you hold them accountable. 430 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,400 You turn up the public pressure on them. But this 431 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:22,319 is what being in. 432 00:29:22,279 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 2: The minority and how you always say, you know, how 433 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,240 you always say the media, democrats and the media. I'm 434 00:29:26,279 --> 00:29:28,680 repeating myself. Yeah, like you know, we could ye the ballot. 435 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,279 Speaker 1: Box right, Well, but this is hang on, but hang on, Jerry, 436 00:29:31,319 --> 00:29:36,119 hang on. This this preliminary report from the Auditor's office 437 00:29:36,799 --> 00:29:41,119 is a good first step. It's identifying certain issues that 438 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,319 need to be looked into and answered for. Because if 439 00:29:44,359 --> 00:29:48,400 this was a decision to split the contract up, right, 440 00:29:48,599 --> 00:29:51,480 did this come from the City Manager's office, did it 441 00:29:51,519 --> 00:29:55,240 come from this the CBI people, the advisory committee to 442 00:29:55,279 --> 00:29:57,960 the CBI, did it come from the city Council, Like, 443 00:29:58,039 --> 00:30:01,480 I don't know, but this this is the first step 444 00:30:01,519 --> 00:30:04,960 in that process. I think so you're saying, I want accountability, 445 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:06,519 but we don't even know all of the facts yet. 446 00:30:06,519 --> 00:30:09,000 We don't even know who made the decision to split 447 00:30:09,039 --> 00:30:12,440 the contracts. We don't know why they then folded them 448 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:14,960 back into one company. We don't know any of that yet, 449 00:30:15,039 --> 00:30:16,839 So we don't know who to hold accountable. 450 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 2: If knowing about the murder of Arena Zaruska and then 451 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:30,920 having the most horrific video evidence proof of what happened 452 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,440 to her, and yet seventy percent of the people in 453 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:37,000 the city were still felt moved to vote for in 454 00:30:37,039 --> 00:30:41,559 the primary for Mayor Lyles. I am sorry to say 455 00:30:41,559 --> 00:30:43,200 that I don't really hold out much hope. 456 00:30:43,279 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 1: Right, well, seventy. 457 00:30:44,359 --> 00:30:46,480 Speaker 2: The information would come out would change anything at the 458 00:30:46,519 --> 00:30:47,519 ballots off it may not. 459 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:52,039 Speaker 1: But also, just for context, seventy percent of Democrat primary 460 00:30:52,119 --> 00:30:57,920 voters in a tiny turnout primary, right, so there were 461 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:00,559 I mean, the vast majority of people in Charlotte registered 462 00:31:00,559 --> 00:31:04,720 to vote did not vote. She won her Democrat primary, Yes, 463 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:07,960 but the turnout, I forget what it was. Wasn't it 464 00:31:08,079 --> 00:31:10,240 single digits? It was very low. 465 00:31:10,799 --> 00:31:13,519 Speaker 2: So do you think do you honestly think that anything 466 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,960 that any of this the her murder and when and 467 00:31:17,039 --> 00:31:19,440 this news coming out will make a difference. 468 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:23,519 Speaker 1: I hope so lifeline piecee No, I mean I hope 469 00:31:23,599 --> 00:31:25,400 so so here but here, well, I mean, here's the thing. 470 00:31:25,799 --> 00:31:30,000 I think what you're engaging in is speculative. Right, You're 471 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,200 you're you're already worried that nothing is going to change, 472 00:31:33,759 --> 00:31:36,599 But you've got to go through a process to get 473 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:40,160 the information and the evidence in order to effectuate that change. 474 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,640 Now if because like I don't know what's going to 475 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:46,079 come out of the auditor's full audit, right, what if 476 00:31:46,119 --> 00:31:49,000 they can pin it on somebody, What if they can right, 477 00:31:49,039 --> 00:31:52,200 what if there was malfeasins or cronyism or illegal activity 478 00:31:52,279 --> 00:31:54,839 or something like that, Then yeah, I mean I feel 479 00:31:54,839 --> 00:31:57,640 like that probably that could move the needle, But I 480 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,160 don't know that yet. So I'm just in fact gathering 481 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,839 mode at this point because we don't know. 482 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,079 Speaker 2: So will we even have any of that before the election? 483 00:32:08,599 --> 00:32:09,000 Likely not. 484 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: Well, I mean that's why you put this report out now, 485 00:32:12,759 --> 00:32:15,519 so we can start asking these questions now. That's what 486 00:32:15,559 --> 00:32:19,799 he said in the interview at noon. He wants the 487 00:32:19,839 --> 00:32:23,319 public to have this information now, and so now maybe 488 00:32:23,319 --> 00:32:25,839 media will start asking some of the questions and I'm 489 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:28,079 trying to answer to raise some of these questions that 490 00:32:28,119 --> 00:32:30,680 I've got. They need to divulge all of this stuff. 491 00:32:31,039 --> 00:32:33,960 But do I have a lot of confidence that the 492 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,279 city Council is going to act in a transparent manner? 493 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,319 I do not know. I do not I do not 494 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:41,000 believe that the Charlotte City Government and the City Council 495 00:32:41,319 --> 00:32:43,720 have any desire to be more transparent than they have 496 00:32:43,759 --> 00:32:47,160 been so far. So I can't throw your lifeline, but Jerry, 497 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:48,799 it's good to hear from you. I appreciate the call. 498 00:32:50,599 --> 00:32:52,920 All right, that'll do it for this episode. Thank you 499 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,000 so much for listening. I could not do the show 500 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,519 without your support and the support of the businesses that 501 00:32:57,599 --> 00:33:00,720 advertise on the podcast, so if you'd like, please support 502 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:02,400 them too and tell them you heard it here. You 503 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:05,039 can also become a patron at my Patreon page or 504 00:33:05,119 --> 00:33:08,720 go to dpetecalanarshow dot com. Again, thank you so much 505 00:33:08,759 --> 00:33:12,000 for listening, and don't break anything while I'm gone.