Northpinellas: WorkNet bids to get greater scrutiny

The integrity of the WorkNet Pinellas agency has been clouded by questions about how a contract to help the poor was awarded to a St. Petersburg church, some agency board members say.

The board needs to investigate "thoroughly and publicly," said County Commissioner Ken Welch, who also is vice chairman of the WorkNet board.

Meanwhile, county managers are working with Bonnie Moore, WorkNet's executive director, to overhaul bid procedures at the county's welfare and job placement agency.

The St. Petersburg Times reported earlier this month that Pinellas Community Church was singled out for special treatment by county officials in how it won a contract mentoring welfare clients.

Rick Dodge, then a top county manager supervising WorkNet, attends the church. He introduced the church pastor to county staff, and church officials met privately with WorkNet staffers more than two months before the county advertised for proposals from other bidders. Documents list the church as the program leader before the bids went out.

St. Petersburg City Council member Rene Flowers, a WorkNet board member, said Moore didn't tell her about the church's early involvement -- even after Flowers heard rumors about the contract, asked about it and got copies of other bidders' proposals.

Should Moore have told her?

"Heck, yeah," Flowers said. "You better believe it. There are clearly some ethical issues in question there. . . . The process was completely inappropriate."

Other current and former members of WorkNet's executive committee -- including Welch; his father, David Welch; chairman Leroy Sullivan; the other vice chairman, Craig Brethauer; and County Commissioner Bob Stewart -- also said no one told them that Pinellas Community Church was involved before they voted on the contract in March.

Moore said she didn't remember the discussion with Flowers but would talk with Flowers about it.

"I did not withhold information from any board member," she said. "If a board member comes to me with questions, I tell them whatever."

Moore also said that she didn't recall talking specifically with board members about the church, but that board members knew the agency applied for the grant and that the application was public information.

Moore maintains that the contract award was fair and that the church did not gain an advantage by knowing more. The proposals were evaluated by a committee that ranked the church first.

But Flowers, Ken Welch and other board members raised questions. Welch fired off a sharply worded letter to other board members and to Moore, asking her to provide written answers about what happened.

The episode "raises troubling issues of equity and ethics as it relates to WorkNet's conduct," Welch wrote.

Welch has praised the church for its willingness to help the poor and said his concerns center on county officials' conduct. Neither he nor other board members have criticized church officials' actions in the contract process.

Still, Flowers said the board should consider ending the contract. She also said the questions don't end with Dodge.

"The fault lies, in my opinion, with the executive director. She heads the day-to-day operations," Flowers said. "You can't blame Rick Dodge for everything. He's not there anymore."

Dodge was "loaned" to do a special work for St. Petersburg College, then demoted and ultimately fired after questions arose involving his offers of county help to a local developer.

Moore said she takes board members' concerns "very seriously" and is working on a response to Welch. Most of her discussions with board members last week were "very positive," she said.

"They have confidence we have gone forward and completed the process," Moore said.

Stewart said he felt Dodge's interest in the church stemmed from good intentions. Stewart said Dodge invited him to worship there several times.

"I feel Rick was getting some good spiritual nourishment out of this church and wanted to share it," Stewart said.

Still, Stewart said that the church's early role was "troublesome" and that county officials need to offer an equal chance to all bidders.

Meanwhile, County Administrator Steve Spratt and Gay Lancaster, assistant county administrator, said county managers are working with Moore to change the department's operations.

"The important thing through all of this is we maintain integrity and fairness and control of the process," Spratt said.

Bonnie Moore of WorkNet said she takes board members' concerns "very seriously" and is working on a response to County Commissioner Ken Welch.

The department won't invite any other bidders to meet privately before a contract award, Lancaster said. Instead, if WorkNet staff members need information from bidders, they will issue open invitations to all potential bidders to a public meeting.

County officials also are working on a procedure to ask for broader bid requests before the state advertises a specific grant. That way, the county can respond to state grants quickly but still will have put contracts through a competitive process.

Lancaster said she didn't know of any contracts with similar problems.

"I would hope it hasn't happened before or since. And I would hope it doesn't happen in the future," she said.

The issue comes at a difficult time for WorkNet. A recent county study said that black workers appeared to be making less than white colleagues. Moore said the study compared people with different jobs and experience.

A debate about county processes has renewed talk that WorkNet might be better off independent of the county. County Commissioner Calvin Harris said the problems with the church contract show that's a bad idea.

"I think this is a good example of what could happen even if there was oversight," Harris said. "What all this implies, as much as the county might not like that, we're going to have to have greater oversight."

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