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Fenty construction contracts questioned by D.C. council


Washington Examiner
October 23, 2009

Andrew Harnik/Examiner Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, second from left, along with New Chief Executive Officer for the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission Gregory O'Dell, Former Chief Executive...
Andrew Harnik/Examiner Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, (Examiner)

Updated: 1:17 P.M.

The Fenty administration has handed out construction management contracts worth tens of millions of dollars for parks and recreation projects without obtaining legislative approval, and D.C. Council members are crying foul.

A partnership between Banneker Ventures LLC and Regan Associates has become the go-to manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, handling construction contracts worth some $72 million, public records show.

"We are concerned that the transfer of procurement authority may circumvent District procurement laws and is significantly less transparent," members Kwame Brown, D-at large, Harry Thomas, D-Ward 5, Mary Cheh, D-Ward 3 and Marion Barry, D-Ward 8 wrote to Fenty on Thursday.

Among the Banneker contracts

»  Bald Eagle Recreation Center: $5.3 million, awarded Sept. 21

»  Barry Farm Recreation Center: $15 million, awarded Sept. 21

»  Chevy Chase Recreation Center: $3.3 million, awarded Sept. 21

»  Fort Stanton Recreation Center: $12 million, awarded Sept. 21

»  Rosedale Recreation Center: $16 million, awarded Sept. 21

The four council members have scheduled a joint-oversight hearing on the contracts for Oct. 30. Brown chairs the economic development committee, Thomas the parks and recreation committee, Cheh the government operations committee and Barry the housing committee.

Doxie McCoy, Council Chairman Vincent Gray’s spokeswoman, said the Gray is simply “concerned about this practice and looks forward to the information generated from the roundtable.” 

The contracts were awarded through the city's Housing Authority, even though they focus on parks projects. City law requires that the council approve contracts worth more than $1 million, but none of the Banneker-Regan contracts were vetted publicly.

Banneker has ties to Fenty friend and former fraternity brother Sinclair Skinner, sources said. The company is owned and operated by Omar Karim, a Bethesda lawyer and longtime friend and business associate of Skinner.

Skinner founded his own company, Liberty Industries LLC, shortly after Fenty took office. Karim has been Skinner's main client through Banneker and a company calling itself the Liberty Law Group for at least a year, according to sources close to the matter.

Karim hung up the phone when asked for comment Thursday morning. Skinner couldn't be reached for comment. Nor could A. Scott Bolden, Skinner's attorney.

Attorney General Peter Nickles didn't respond to requests for comment.

Skinner has been involved in other recent disputes between Fenty and the city council.

He was the person who engineered the donation of a D.C. firetruck and ambulance to a Caribbean resort town, according to Vladimir Cespedes, the mayor of Sosua in the Dominican Republic, and others.

Skinner's relationship with owners of a would-be lottery vendor was a chief reason council members cited when they voted against the vendor's contract last year.

Earlier this year, the city paid for a Kappa Alpha Psi party organized by Skinner, though the fraternity reimbursed taxpayers once the arrangement went public. 

bmyers@washingtonexaminer.com and mneibauer@washingtonexaminer.com




 


 



 

Reader Comments

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Delta Soror

Oct 23, 2009

Where is the First Lady of the District of Columbia? Has anyone seen or heard from Michelle Fenty, the mayor's wife? She has been very invisible during his tenure as the mayor. Something is not right with this marriage. There's a rumor going around, the mayor and his wife are separated.

Adrian Fenty is corrupt and it's time for the D.C. voters to vote him out of office.

For the record, Sinclair Skinner is still Fenty's Fraternity brother. Once you are a NUPE, you will always be a NUPE.

Ward 4 Voter

 

Oct 23, 2009

Orange is going to look very bad on Fenty.

 

Siggy

Oct 23, 2009

I heard from MPD officer that domestic violence complaint got swept under the rug by Lanier.

 

Sick of the Foolishness

Oct 23, 2009

Wow. How can complaints about domestic violence get lost? Can't people trace information like that? A report can't just up and disappear. What in the name of God is going on in DC?

People can say what they want but there was never flagrant dishonesty and arrogance at it before. Something is truly wrong! It's a disgrace!!

 

Oct 23, 2009

Will the FBI raiders of Graham's office please give us a repeat performance of Ghandi, Nickles and Albert Neil's offices?

 

i predict

Oct 23, 2009

Michelle Fenty was treated at PG Hospital on October 19th purportedly for injuries sustained in a domestic violence incident with Adrian Fenty, the mayor. Supposedly, the records are sealed but patient confidentality protects her privacy but if there's truth to these rumors, then a crime has been committed and the authorities should intervene. Remember, swept under doesn't mean swept away. What doesn't come out in the wash, surely will surface in the rinse.

 

runtellthat

Oct 23, 2009

Dont expect Vince Gray to investigate any allegations of abuse by Fenty. He would do a cartwheel over Mount St. Helen to avoid stepping in this mountain-size pile of manure. Everyone knows he himself was the Golden Gloves champion in his own house and his late wife, Loretta was reportedly his personal sparring partner. She even told Mayor Kelly about Vince's fistfuls of rage and abuse. I bet if the authorities had a conversation with his wife's exhumed body, her death certificate might read a whole lot differently. By the way, all of your expert sleuths should sniff the stink off of his hide too. Vince's ex, Camille Pierce, I think, who he kicked to the curb after she helped him win the chair's seat, once had to get his inebriated behind out of jail after he caused a horrible accident in Upper Marlboro, MD. Check it out. Some good came of it though. It sobered him up. Let the games and the investigations begin!!!

 

Frustrated

Oct 23, 2009

Scandals like this and what will be done about them except for some jumping up and down and screaming? Nothing. Hartsock must have known something about this, so it is a good thing her nomination went down. Do any of the Councilmembers except Thomas have the guts to put an end to Fenty's corruption? It's just more of the same, and who will actually do something? How many Councilmembers are beholden to the developer community?

 

Former Fenty Supporter

Oct 23, 2009

Well, Gray has to do something since he plans on running for Mayor. Fenty is doing what he has always done...whatever the hell he wants with no opposition for the council. I am just glad they are now beginning to question his behavior. He has been home alone for awhile--unsupervised. And we all know what happens when we leave children home alone. They bring their friends over and anything else they want to do. In this case his friends are Karim and Skinner. And anything else he wants to do...domestic violence. Michelle Fenty needs to call Michelle Obama to come over to bear arms and break some legs.

 

Former Fenty Supporter

Oct 23, 2009

Fenty is operating as usual. He does what the hell he wants without any opposition from the council. He is just like any other kid unsupervised and left home alone. We all know what happens when kids are left home alone. They invite their friends (Karim and Skinner) over giving the free rein of the house and do whatever else they want (domestic violence). A little supervision (oversight) goes a long way and prevents disasters such as this! Kwame Kilpatrick will not be the only Mayor going to jail.

 

up-for-a-good-fight

Oct 23, 2009

I'm nominating Vince Gray - Supreme Wuss of the Year!!! How do you let a spineless, mentally-challenged, Uncle Festus-looking imbecile diss you on a regular basis? Vince should be tired of the media and other folk labeling him as Phil Pannell would say, "gut wonder!" If Fenty sold tickets to his "a--whipping, kiss my butt, embarass Vince expeditions," I would buy a box seat. Vince needs to man up and stop letting Fenty finger him. If he's too weak to fight, then he should call his tag-team member, Yvette Alexander the Great. Heck, she could smother him to death. I'm about ready to slap his name out of the phonebook and tell Ma Bell, "Heck yeah, I did it!"

 

Oct 23, 2009

Perhaps the rumors of Fenty's learning disabilities are true. Perhaps it's reading or he's ADD. To follow down the same path as Kwame Kilpatrick illustrates he is not right for the job.

 

*******

Oct 23, 2009

Fenty? Wasn't he the taxicab bully everybody wanted?

 

up-for-a-fight

Oct 23, 2009

My apologies to Phil Pannell. In honor of him, I have to get it right. I meant, "a GUTLESS WONDER."

 

hot-off-the-press

Oct 23, 2009

I just heard that Gray's son works for the Housing Authority and managed some of those deals. Don't know if or how true, but it's worth looking into. Just as well as his daughter supposedly works with Bob Bennett, the attorney reportedly investigating Marion Barry's unethical contract to his girlfriend. If any of this is true, Vince should have fully disclosed his connections. He's forever in a compromising position. However, in 2010, he's going to find himself caught between a rock and a hard place. All I can say, don't let the jagged edge cut you where the good Lord split you.

 

Gray for Mayor

Oct 23, 2009

I support Gray for Mayor or Mayor WIlliams return?

Why?

We have to stop voting for cute and likeable. Who you want to drink a beer with is only a qualification for a best man. You cannot know someone's heart. Fenty should have proved that to people.

Vote experience, knowledge, management, and know how.

Kwame Brown, Micheal Brown and Harry Thomas are all people I like but would not be right to be mayor.

Mary Cheh seems like she has the experience AND the cajones to challenge and not waiting for the political wills to let her know this is the right move. She didn't wait to the polls to tell her battling Fenty was the right thing. She has been doing from the start.

I would support Gray and Cheh. And Cheh doesn't even know my name. But she is always accesible friendly, and knowledgeble.

Gray for Mayor

CHEH for CHAIR.

 

Oct 23, 2009

Hot off the press, Gray fully disclosed his connections with Bob Bennett and his daughter. Her put that on the table as soon as Bennett was being considered.

 

Oct 23, 2009

typo: He put that on the table as soon as Bennett was being considered.

 

Oct 23, 2009

typo: He put that on the table as soon as Bennett was being considered.

 

Oct 24, 2009

More and more it looks like Skinner is the real mob boss in all of this. Who's following whose orders? Is Fenty obeying Skinners orders or is Skinner a Fenty flunky?

 

Oct 24, 2009

The Eastland Gardens Civic Association(EGCA)Has been and are doing a fantastic job. Since the duly elected officials, have been instrumental in aquiring all things pertinent in getting us a new recreatiion center, I stand firm in letting President Greg Rhett and his staff, continue their endeavors, without delay or interference, from persons, not elected by me or my peers.

 

letmetellu

Oct 24, 2009

Greg Rhett and his staff? Hell, that pompous sniffling rogue! Does he even have a job yet? Rhett the Rat as he is known in sewer circles is yet another wannabe-cant be politician who has a proven track record of shady deals, backstabbing, and wife-beating. Holding him up with undue praise only makes him an easy target for his enemies' bows, arrows, and tomahawks. I also hear he's setting himself up to run against Yvette Alexander because she supposedly promised him some contracts and didn't come through with them. So now's he's stabbing her in the back and secretly organizing in Ward 7 to oust her. It will never happen though. Check out his numbers every time he's run for office. If his votes were beads of putty, he couldnt plug an ant's behind.

 

Afraid

Nov 10, 2009

Sinclair Skinner is threatening DC Agency Officials that he will get them fired if they don't do as he orders them to do.Being on his good side is an insurance against getting fired. You cross him at your own risk.

 


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