The Greensboro City Council voted to deny awarding a $200,000 contract to Family Services of the Piedmont for housing counseling at the Tuesday, March 1 City Council meeting.
Councilmember Sharon Hightower made the motion to deny the contract as soon as Mayor Nancy Vaughan finished reading the agenda item. The vote to deny awarding the contract to Family Service of the Piedmont passed on a 5-to-3 vote with Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter absent.
Those voting in favor of denial were Mayor Vaughan and Councilmembers Hightower, Yvonne Johnson, Goldie Wells and Hugh Holston. Voting against the denial were Councilmembers Nancy Hoffmann, Justin Outling and Tammi Thurm.
Hightower made the motion to deny and explained that there were some flaws in the process that twice recommended the contract be awarded to Family Service of the Piedmont over the Housing Consultants Group.
Outling asked that Hightower go into more detail about what the flaws were.
Hightower said that the award letter was sent to Family Service of Piedmont before the City Council had voted to award the contract.
Outling noted that sending the letter out early didn’t have anything to do with how the respondents to the request for proposals (RFP) were analyzed and ranked by the panel charged with making a recommendation.
Neighborhood Development Director Michelle Kennedy said the letter was “the standard letter that goes out” from her department and agreed that sending the letter had “nothing to do with the process.” She added that the letter was being revised to state that council action was required for the contract to be awarded.
Vaughan said that she had worked closely with the Housing Consultants Group and added, “Quite frankly, I was shocked at the ranking.” The ranking by the Neighborhood Development panel ranked Family Service first and Housing Consultants Group third, even after the panel was told to go back and allow each group to make a second oral presentation.
Thurm said, “I understand the concern over the timing of that letter, however that doesn’t impact the quality of the RFP and I don’t see a reason not to support staff on their recommendation.”
Hightower said, “I’d like to see us redo this again.”
Outling asked if before the rankings were announced if there had been any issues raised about the RFP process.
Kennedy said, “Not to my knowledge.”
Outling then asked if Kennedy saw any defects in the RFP process.
Kennedy said, “On its face it’s appropriate.”
Vaughan said, “There is an issue with the process. I don’t think it reflects the quality of the application.”
Got to fight for those kickbacks!
Once again Hightower gets on her high horse and bullies Queen Nancy.
Just because your choice of candidates doesn’t win is no reason to stop the whole process. Oh wait, we’re doing that on a national level for voting rights so it must be okay!
Agree. It shouldn’t be happening at the federal level by Republicans who are so bent over the idea Trump lost a free and fair election that they undo decades of voter rights.
Really chris Undoing decade’s of voting rights in case you’ve forgotten voting was changed during the early pandemic states are just trying to get back to where they were. Not sure your age but there was a time when voting was done only at polls and had a short window to do it. Don’t even get me started on voter ID we are the only country in the world that doesn’t require it.
We should have it the argument it disenfranchises anyone is a crock. Today you need some form of ID to do anything and if you can go vote then you can go get an ID before you go.
Get ready Greensboro, Family Service is going to sue your pants off!
I certainly hope so, because the Housing Solutions Group is rife with suspect policies, partners who are double dipping, favoritism and brand new never heard of before lending corps, outof retirement slum landlords and it’s al sanctioned by the not so new director of neighborhood development.
BTW I called code enforcement 4 months ago regarding a private owned commercialized public housing facility whose, registered agents
are embedded within the HSG ABOUT serious health and safety issues. I have followed up several times and each time there is confusion on who the assigned agent is.
Yes the the chokehold on the Gso Munis and funding Continues because of past hurts. Can you dig if. And I am Black and recognize it for what it is..
Process at arse it’s all about highwater and the people who run Housing Consultants Group. Just how unfair can you be to the other groups who did the rfp’s. Shame on you Vaughn and highwater. This all stinks worse than pelosi, harris, and bidens administration. Thank God elections are around the corner.
So the Greensboro Pelosi and kind are upset that the charity that owns them was not rated first?