The issues involved in awarding the $200,000 housing counseling contract are more complicated than indicated in the Rhino Times article headlined, “Controversial Housing Counseling Contract To Be Considered March 1,” according to Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan.
Vaughan said that a number of councilmembers had questions about awarding the contract to Family Services of the Piedmont, not only Councilmember Sharon Hightower, and that was why the item was taken off the agenda for the City Council meeting in December.
Vaughan was somewhat sketchy about the reason that the three respondents to the request for proposals (RFP) were called back for additional oral presentations, but said that she and Hightower were not the only members of the City Council to view those virtual presentations. Vaughan said that councilmembers Hugh Holston, Tammi Thurm and Nancy Hoffmann also viewed at least some of the presentations. Vaughan said that none of the councilmembers asked any questions and all city councilmembers were invited to view the presentations.
Vaughan said that she had concerns about the recommendation to award the two-year $200,000 contract to Family Services of the Piedmont rather than the Housing Consultants Group. Vaughan said, “I had some questions because I had worked with the Housing Consultants Group and knew how effective they were.”
Vaughan also said that she had no idea why the city panel charged with making a recommendation on the contract rated Housing Consultants Group third out of the three organizations that responded to the RFP.
But she noted that it is a recommendation and that the City Council doesn’t always follow the recommendations made by such panels.
Vaughan said, “The issue is that all three of these are really good companies, but for the Housing Consultants Group this is really their niche.”
Vaughan said that she thought this was a good opportunity to look at expanding the program and that she wasn’t sure what motion would be made at the Tuesday, March 1 meeting but that it could be to start over and issue another RFP for an expanded program.
One or two individuals (mayor and council person) should not have the authority to overturn a contract award that was evaluated by a committee charged with that duty. This is discouraging to the committee and to the companies that responded to the RFP. If the award is thrown out, the city will likely be in another lawsuit.
Doesn’t banks do this for free. Another liberal government waste of taxpayer money
Mandate Mayor…”we need to deliver money to the group I personally know…..anything else will be pulled off agenda” More crony rewards to supporters of Mandate Mayor getting ready to reap city funds. Elections are long overdue.
Let me guess ‘ Hightower is involved,so that must mean the winner of the original contact is white whereas the one she and the mayor are promoting is black’ .I grew up when there was equal representation ,if the black had the qualifications they got the job,if not they didn’t get the job.In our society today we have entirely to much bickering and backbiting about race .Which is the keywords espoused by Democrats white or black .It’s on the tv ,real life ,radio,internet.
All Democrats need to get a good indoctrination of just being one among many and quit this foolishness of I’m the one in charge,I know and understand everything ,’you are the dumb one.Originally we were one and in the last 10-20 years we have had a hard charge LEFT.There is too much confusion going on in NC and America today.
A good example is how Putin looks at Ukraine who is a THUG and a BULLY.When Joe took office he said he was going to UNITE America,He totally went in the opposite direction.He began by saying all Republicans in America were just like the Jan 6 people who stormed the Congress.All 4 years of Trump’s presidency the Democrats tried to undermine his every decision.This is evident of Hillary and her Thugs going after Trump with Russian collusion. Which went nowhere.Hopefully in the next few months more answers will be coming out as the FBI has finished their review of this sordid Mess.
Yes we need MWWE businesses