The Saturday Night TKC Playlist: Trashy Political Connections Run Kansas City!!!



I've heard it before . . . It's all about who you know.

Thanks to this blog I've met some rather awesome people who know a great many things about Kansas City. Again, everyday KICKASS TKC TIPSERS prove they know more about this town than so many other elitists at other local media outlets.

Still, I hear that political connections can "make it rain" for the right people doing business in this cowtown.

The story of a big money eco-contract at City Hall is the latest example that it pays to be friendly to well-connected people and it proves not only that the power of personal influence is great in Kansas City but also that local environmental efforts are a joke and mostly about getting paid not the laughable goal of saving the planet.

Here's the latest example comes from over the Summer . . .

TETRA TECH ENGINEERING FIRM WON A SWEET CONTRACT FROM KANSAS CITY THAT MANY CITY HALL INSIDERS ARE CALLING A "NO BID" CONTRACT!!!

Check out Ordinance #090551

As usual, The Star's Lynn Horsley reported (half of) the story using only the press release copy:
"The council has just approved a contract with the Tetra Tech engineering firm, not to exceed $553,775, to provide a road map for how Kansas City can dramatically reduce trash going to landfills, including building a waste-to-energy facility."
There are a great many things missing from that report now buried behind the pay-wall of the paper-of-record archives.

Chiefly, what didn't come up was that City Hall insiders say there wasn't much competition for that contract and . . .

MORE THAN HALF A MILLION BUCKS IS BIG MONEY SIMPLY TO COMMISSION A REPORT!!!

It gets worse . . .

What really has City Hall denizen up in arms is the involvement of Tetra Tech's Director of Government Affairs Teresa Loar. Kansas City political watchers in the know might remember that Loar was first elected to the City Council in March of 1995 and since that time she has made the most of her connections.

She regularly is seen going out to dinner with Former KC Mayor Kay "Country Club" Barnes and she has the ear of almost all of the current City Council folk . . . Make no mistake, she's connected and that's why she's able to do her job so well and bring home the bacon for so many big businesses for which she has worked. Maybe that's why folks are angry at the lack of competition from this big money eco-deal?

The defense for what many are calling a "No Bid" contract to save the planet: In this instance Tetra Tech (an engineering company) isn't really doing any engineering work.

I guess that works given that so many local environmentalists are willing dedicate so much effort to their cause but don't really want to look at the slimy details of how eco-efforts are put together. And this giant, trashy, hot mess is just one of many examples that people are disgusted with the way business is done at City Hall in Kansas City, Missouri.

To wit, this Kansas City Environmental Disaster has inspired this week's playlist.



As always, thank you for reading and have a safe and fun weekend.

Comments

  1. great tunes

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  2. Ok All I hear is more money the city is spending!

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  3. I thought we were broke? Why pay so much for a fuckin report?

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  4. Lynn Hinkle and Kim George Carlos are also tied to Tetra Tech. They both have a history of no-bid-no-work-high dollar contracts.

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  5. What a waste har

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  6. Until some more councilpeople are willing to fire Wayne, this kind of corrupt garbage will keep happening, our city budget will be blown through, sweetheart gigs (Aim 4 Peace, etc.) will be kept going and we will continue in our downward spiral. Services to citizens are just ignored; it's sweetheart no-bid contracts that are at the forefront.
    C'mon you council holdouts! You know who you are... get rid of that mess of a manager before he ruins everything that's left.

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  7. Professional engineering services contracts are typically no-bid. As are legal and other professional services.

    What happens is a member of the KCMO professional staff will write a scope of work and estimate the cost to perform the SOW. The selected engineering firm will then provide the city with a bid and then the scope will be negotiated so that the city pays a fair price for the work.

    Can't comment on whether the city needs a half mill engineering study on how to fight tagging. Seems like since there isn't much work reviewing plans for building codes, they could form a team and do the work in-house. Just suggesting and all.

    Very respectfully,
    Government employee, PE

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  8. My bad. strike the fight tagging and substitute reduce solid waste.

    These types of planning studies fall squarely within the professional services that are no-bid. T-T is a fine firm and will provide good work product.

    Gov't emp, PE

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  9. Gov employee... that's the point. Tetra Tech wasn't hired for it's engineering. That begs the question... why wasn't this put out for bid? The answer, as Tony stated, is that it's payback from Wayne to Teresa, via Terry Riley. Pure and simple. Gotta keep it simple for some of these players.

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  10. Gov't emp, PE... is that code for "Teresa Loar" or "Wayne Cauthen?"

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  11. "These types of planning studies fall squarely within the professional services that are no-bid."

    What a load of crap
    These type of studies are put out for bid all the time.

    I believe that Tony said there was a bid process just that nobody else bid.
    The way things work in Kansas city why would they. Putting a proposal together costs money. If you know who is going to win why bother.

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  12. There was no bid process on this gig. This was a case of patronage, pure and simple.
    Good reporting, T.

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  13. Too bad Tetra Tech wasn't hired to tell someone how to clean up the Citadel site. Wonder how much money was spent cleaning up that mess?

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  14. I know for a fact that there was an RFP put out for this contract; that several other engineering firms bid and were shortlisted; that interviews were held; and that Tetra Tech was the selected firm (I know this for a fact because unfortunately I was on another team that was not selected for this project -which by the way is more than just a "study"). Most firms that submitted were engineering firms - many do have core focuses in environmental consulting as well and not that I want to defend my competitors, but Tetra Tech is a very well respected environmental consulting and engineering firm worldwide - like many other firms that submitted. Now, for those that don't understand how these processes work at city hall, some tips and background from my own experience: I suggest you go to city hall's procurement office and ask what the proces was here and ask to look at the actual contract that was awarded - that will provide you the scope of services and what they are actually doing for this contract. For contracts like this, it goes out for bid, firms respond to the RFP, a selection committee reviews and ranks, and then at that point, they can determine if they want to shortlist and do interviews or just select the best RFP response based upon how many responses were received (that may vary and oftentimes is stated in the RFP itself as to what process they will use). I know many firms submitted here, including ours, and we spent hours upon hours, just like every other firm that responded, including Tetra Tech, responding to the RFP and then doing the interviews - this was not a no-bid contract. I'm just pissed our team wasn't selected to do this work - but we submit proposals on many RFP's that the city puts out and you don't get all the work - although I think our team was better of course. This is not an environmental disaster but something that will end up creating something that will save this city money in the long run. Tony, please get educated on these issues before you just put this out there. I don't like Teresa Loar, I think she is a washed up user who has her ass so far up Wayne Cauthen and Terry Riley's ass that she can't see straight, but this work was going to be done by some firm and it was not a no-bid contract.

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  15. Good to know City Hall reads your blog T.

    Fuckin losers.

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  16. How much you want to bet that Tetra Tech personnel wrote the specs for the RFP, gave it to Riley, Cauthen or Eddy, and then somehow was the best firm to meet the specs?

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  17. City hall IS his blog. I expect his readership is local movers and shakers, mostly curious to see who they know will get trashed by an awesome backstabber, er TKC TIPSTER... and the media looking for newstips. SInce he doesnt' check his sources, he can break stories that reputable rags can't.

    Its really a good service, if you like government baseball, and both the politicos,wannabe politicos, and media all do.

    They may claim they read Tony for the articles. I don't. I'm vastly more superficial than that.

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  18. What would Radioman know about the term reputable?

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  19. www.tetratech.com check them out, they do engineering and environmental work and are a larger firm than both of the hometown Burns & Mac and Black & Veatch. Get a clue these firms don't submit on price, it's illegal in MO, they submit on Quals, go thru selection process that narrows down to a shortlist, then there are oral presentations. Once selected the price is negotiated with city staff. How is it news that a very reputable company that does this kind of work all over the world, has offices in KCKS and KCMO, beat everyone else on qualifications is working in Kansas City on a problem that will just get worse if nothing is done. Must be a slow news day, and by the way every engineering firm in town has gov't affair/politicos...Pat Grey represents CDM, and the esteemed Ron Coker has the council all tied up...after spending over 80 million of the cities $$$ on the sewer problems and not building a thing. Just check out the contributions to the council folk...Burns & Mac are the biggest spenders, and they didn't get selected. Sounds to me like maybe there is a sore loser out there.

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  20. This was a no-bid award based on who knew whom and who wanted to give a favor to Teresa Loar. Nothing against TT; they are a good company. But this deal was not above board, there were no presentations, it was done purely on the down low, much as many things are done in the Cauthen administration. TT didn't "beat" anyone else out for this deal... they were handed the contract, pure and simple, without bidding.
    With the way things are in Wayne's World, why is anyone surprised?

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  21. Just because something is illegal in Missouri does not mean it is not done.

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  22. Dudes, several firms submitted, including B&M. This contract was shortlisted and presentations were done. I know, we presented one of them and we lost...pretty simple stuff, I think maybe you all got bad info on this one. Cauthen or Eddy wasn't even in the room for presentations.

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  23. The star had a great article about the solid waste contract that was awarded to Tetra Tech. It was back on August 19th in the Jackson County section.

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  24. Lunch at City Hall10/18/09, 3:47 PM

    Read it, wasn't that great more like the marketing stuff we were inundated with when we gave the no bid contract to TT.

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  25. Does not work at B&Mac10/18/09, 3:57 PM

    Was Loar's blond, big-tittied, assistant in on this deal? TT thinks of everything when hiring a sales and lobbying team. She takes guys' minds off of how ugly Loar is and she has the reputation for going the extra mile for the company.

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  26. 1:42 is wrong. There was an RFP that was put on this project. Firms did bid and submitted proposals based on the scope presented in the RFP. Burns & Mac, Tetra Tech, HDR and not sure who else submitted but know there were a few others as well. There was then a shortlist and then there were presentations and then TT was selected. I agree with 2:17. Think you got some wrong info on this one.

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  27. You know, if we had an FBI to look into this stuff it would be really cool.

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  28. Dudes this has nothing to do with whether or not it was no bid. It has everything to do with finding any way to smear Cauthen and Eddy. Tony knows if he throws up half assed allegations, most people who know nothing about how the RFP procedure works in City Hall will believe it. Did Tony actually do some research? Check out the procedure? Find out how many engineering firms submitted? Talk to any of them OR Tetra Tech? Let's get serious, that would require Tony putting down the snack cakes and we all know that's not happening.

    Please keep in mind, Tony's not here to make things better or suggest well thought out solutions for the problems in Kansas City, he's here to be the stick that stirs the shit. As much as he enjoys half clothed white women, he enjoys whacking the hornets nest so much more.

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  29. Tony doesn't need to do a smear campaign on Cauthen and Eddy... they do plenty of stuff to smear on themselves as it is. I don't know T's source on this story, but I know the story and Tony is right on. Let's get serious and get rid of the problem... Cauthen.

    Stirring the mix might be what it takes to get some of the dead wait on the Council to actually move and do the right thing, which is remove Wayne.

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  30. I find it interesting... if cauthen is so pure and innocent, why does he have his staff post rebuttals on tony? How ya doin' Kimiko!

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