Update: I went to the Greensboro City Council meeting tonight to ask them about this issue. Minutes after I left home the City responded to my request to see the contract by sending me this copy. According to City Council members who already seemed to be aware of the missing $30,000, the money was lost as it changed hands from Center City Park, LLC to Downtown Greensboro Incorporated. There was some confusion between the City Attorney, City Manager and City Council as to whether or not contracts between Center City Park, LLC and DGI are public documents when they involve public money. All agreed the public has a right to be able to follow public money trails and that management fees on pass-through funds are unacceptable.
Begin original post.
A few weeks ago I published Where's The Other $27,000 Dollars?. All the post really was is a blank, repeat, blank contract between Center City Park, LLC., aka Action Greensboro and the City of Greensboro. As I understand it, Eric Robert has asked the City of Greensboro for a copy of said contract because Eric believes Center City Park, LLC, Action Greensboro or Downtown Greensboro Inc. has lost, stolen or otherwise misplaced $27,000 to $30,000 or more of City funds.
Again, as I understand it, Eric was told by the Greensboro Parks and Recreation department that the City of Greensboro does not have a copy of the contract but that the public does have a right to see the contract. Parks and Rec directed Eric Robert to see April Harris of Action Greensboro and ask that she provide Eric with a copy. That was a month ago and April Harris still refuses to provide Eric Robert and the taxpayers of Greensboro with a copy of a contract that should be within the public domain. From Real Progress For Greensboro, Eric Robert writes:
"Almost a month later...and I still cannot get my hands on the action Greensboro/dgi/center city park contract...remember over $30,000 is unaccounted for out of the park maintenance funds . The funds used to maintain the park are public funds...Yet the city does not have a copy of the maintenance contract...I was directed by parks and rec to request the contract from April Harris of Action Greensboro ...she told me that the contract was essentially none of my business and that it is not a public document...I still disagree...in the meantime, funds are still unaccounted for..."
Eric continues,
"The funds are allocated as a passthrough only...The contract itself is supposed to be a maintenance contract...cleaning, wiping benches, emptying trash etc...I am not asking for April PIN number...so why all the drama? Unless of course something is not right. I also asked April if dgi or anyone was taking a management fee out the pass through funds...she ended the conversation"
I don't know how it is that April Harris came to the conclusion that the contract was not a public document when it is in-fact public tax dollars that are paying the bills the contract is written for. In my book there can only be one reason April Harris doesn't want Greensboro to see that contract: Eric never said it but I can, April Harris has embezzled $30,000 of taxpayer funds. Otherwise she would be more than happy to make the contract public.
