[FoCHAT] CHAT News: Questionable Contracts for CDM & ICF; Building Info

[Melanie Ehrlich]

Dear Friend of CHAT,
 
1. Here are items about questionable contracts for Camp, Dressler, and McKee and ICF International (ICF Emergency Management Services, LLC).
 
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1218518584318090.xml&coll=1
Officials scrap contract to issue grants
Possible conflicts of interest cited   Tuesday, August 12, 2008 By David Hammer  Staff writer
In another failed start for a recovery program that has languished for two years, Louisiana officials decided Monday to scrap a contract for doling out home-raising grants after they concluded two top bidders had conflicts of interest. 
The state now plans to run most of the program with in-house staff. 
Louisiana Recovery Authority Director Paul Rainwater convened a special contract review committee last week when he learned that IEM, a Baton Rouge risk management firm, helped the state apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the program's money. Rainwater said the other finalist, engineering consulting firm Camp, Dresser & McKee of Cambridge, Mass., hired the former state official who had coordinated the project from the beginning. 
Both companies said there is no conflict, but Rainwater said appearances are enough to jeopardize the $750 million FEMA hazard mitigation program, the largest taxpayer-financed home elevation program in U.S. history. The state wants to use the FEMA grants to reimburse about 15,000 Road Home applicants for home-elevation costs that exceed what they can receive through the Road Home's elevation program. 
 
The contract review panel decided to throw out the request for bids and have the state administer most of the program. Some functions, such as a call center for homeowners and technical assistance for the state, will still be performed by contractors, Rainwater said. 
"I'm not going to award a contract to anyone questionable, and that includes if you have relationships with former employees and if you played a role in getting the funding," Rainwater said… 
 Rainwater said he also had to pass on Camp, Dresser & McKee because it recently hired Mike Spletto, former director of Louisiana's Disaster Recovery Unit, the agency in charge of the contract. 
 
--- Spletto's role --- 
 
As director and in a previous position as the agency's housing manager, Spletto coordinated Louisiana's plans for using FEMA's hazard mitigation money to help Road Home applicants elevate their reconstructed homes. He also was one of the staunchest defenders of ICF's performance as the lead Road Home contractor. 
 
The former North Dakota grant administrator resigned from Louisiana government about a month ago and subsequently was hired as a management consultant at CDM's Baton Rouge office. CDM spokeswoman Marlene Hobel said Spletto is working on Housing and Urban Development recovery projects in the Gulf Coast region and Iowa. 
 
Hobel acknowledged that Louisiana ethics laws prohibit Spletto from working on projects for his former agency for two years, but she said that "Mike . . . has not been proposed to participate in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program." …
 
Rainwater said Monday, however, that Spletto had placed telephone calls to his former staff at the state to ask about the contract. Spletto said his calls to state employees had nothing to do with the elevation program and that he and CDM had gone out of their way to avoid any appearance of a conflict. 
 
"The state did what it felt it needed to do," Spletto said Monday. "In disaster (recovery work), one project always overlaps with parts of other projects. There are people there (at the state) I lived my life with for two years, and I made contact with them on other things." 
 
--- 'Apples and oranges' --- 
 
Rainwater said he wasn't satisfied with IEM's and CDM's arguments. 
 
"Who wouldn't believe they have a conflict of interest?" Rainwater said. "It just doesn't pass the red-face test." 
 
Rainwater likened IEM's dual roles in the hazard mitigation process to allegedly conflicting work by ICF, which was allowed by former Gov. Kathleen Blanco's administration to help shape the Road Home program before bidding on and winning the lucrative contract. 
 
"That was wrong," Rainwater said. 
 
The state Board of Ethics cleared ICF of any conflict of interest. The contract was awarded as a potential $756 million deal, and Blanco later expanded it to as much as $912 million. 
 
Cranford said the IEM and ICF situations are "apples and oranges." 
 
"They were contracted to design the execution of a program, then executed the same they designed. This is different. We did the application to access the funding, and the design and execution of the program is not part of the application," Cranford said. 

 
As for Spletto's role, Rainwater said he isn't comfortable with even the appearance of a conflict. The Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics does not permit a former agency head, for two years after leaving the post, to "assist another person, for compensation, in a transaction, or in an appearance in connection with a transaction, involving that agency." 
 
The same ethics law also applies to Spletto's former bosses, ex-Community Development Director Suzie Elkins and the prior Disaster Recovery Unit director, Mike Taylor. 
 
 
 
Taylor was cleared by the ethics board to serve as director of the Louisiana Land Trust, which is financed by his former agency. An ethics board opinion said the Land Trust is an offshoot of state government under the ethics law. 
 
 
CHAT notes: LLT is Louisiana Land Trust, also known a Road Home Corp., in charge of Road Home-acquired property before it is delegated to the municipalities. LLT hired Susan Elkins, Special Projects Coordinator and former head of OCD, which a supervisory role in LLT.
 
Mike Spletto was the head of Housing at OCD under Susie Elkins.
 
Despite the clear statements about appearance of conflict of interest in the above article, the Louisiana Land Trust recently announced that Camp, Dresser & McKee (CDM) has just received a major contract to manage the demolitions of about 4000 LLT properties:
 
http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=22775&userID=0&referer=dailyUpdate
January 27, 2009 04:56 PM CST 
Post-Katrina property transfers could start soon
by The Associated Press 
 
NEW ORLEANS — The city's main redevelopment agency could soon receive the first of thousands of properties the state bought from hurricane-affected homeowners after Katrina in 2005. 
Mike Taylor, executive director of the Louisiana Land Trust, or LLT, said the only thing stalling the flow is an agreement between the city, state and his group, which handles properties the state bought through its homeowner aid program, Road Home. 
The agreement is in the final stages, Taylor said, and he hopes to have one finalized, clearing the way for the first transfers of property, in "a week or so." 
The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority would be responsible for putting the estimated 4,450 bought-out properties in New Orleans back into commerce or to use for such things as urban gardens or green space. 
The agency, known as NORA, has been trying to position itself to act quickly once those properties become available. It's been soliciting redevelopment plans in neighborhoods around the city and initiating expropriation cases and programs to let homeowners buy the lots next to them. The goal has been to cluster redevelopment of LLT and other available properties as best as possible and not have bureaucratic processes further delay getting people into homes. 
NORA's acting executive director, Richard Monteilh, did not immediately return a call today. 
Nearly 3 1/2 years after Katrina and the levee breaches left 80 percent of the city underwater and damaged or destroyed much of its housing stock, at least 70 percent of the city's pre-storm population, by one count, has returned. But reminders of the storm remain: decaying homes still stand empty in some neighborhoods and the population of some devastated areas — where businesses have been slow to return and infrastructure rebuilding has lagged — have been far slower to come back. 
Many of the properties the city will inherit from LLT are in hard-hit areas like eastern New Orleans, Gentilly and the Lower 9th Ward. 
Mortgage subsidy programs are being eyed to get first-time homeowners into redeveloped properties — and to help stabilize and strengthen neighborhoods. 
Taylor estimates 9,000 properties will be transferred, over time, to 27 parishes. "Properties" doesn't automatically mean houses; Taylor noted many sites were previously cleared of storm-damaged homes, and LLT, charged with delivering "clean properties," is working with the firm CDM Inc. to oversee the demolition of up to 4,000 more, plus slabs left behind. 
He said CDM will work with local communities in deciding what standing homes to demolish and what to salvage for rebuilding. He expects "several hundred" properties statewide to be rehabilitated. 
While NORA had hoped to begin receiving properties last year, Taylor said that was "more a hope than an achievable goal," citing a list of requirements that had to be met and work done before that could happen. 
He said LLT, with a budget of about $195 million, will handle maintenance costs for the properties for at least a year. Those costs, for such things as cutting the lawn, were a concern for NORA, which has limited cash and has expressed concerns about moving properties onto the market too quickly and flooding it.•
 
http://www.icfi.com/Newsroom/News.asp?ID=229





Department of Health and Human Services Awards ICF International Early Care and Education Contracts Valued at Nearly $4M


ICF to Support Federal Head Start, Early Head Start, and Child Care Research Agency 
Fairfax, VA, November 24, 2008 - ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI) announced today that its subsidiary, ICF Incorporated, LLC, was recently awarded two new contracts with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE). The combined value of the three-year contracts is $3.9 million. 
Under the first agreement, valued at $2.9 million, ICF will support OPRE’s research efforts. OPRE is the research arm for ACF’s Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), including Head Start, Early Head Start, and Child Care programs. ICF will assist in conducting research panel reviews, establishing consultant groups, creating materials, and collecting and coding research documents. ICF will serve as a data coordinating center and create and maintain a Web site. 
Under the second contract ICF will plan and manage OPRE’s 10th Head Start Research Conference, which is scheduled for June 2010. The purpose of the conference is to identify and present current scientific research in early childhood education development, with special emphasis on Head Start research. ICF will select and convene a program committee of early childhood researchers and practitioners, issue a Call for Papers and review submissions, develop the conference Web site, and plan and execute the event.  The contract is estimated at $1 million.
“Our extensive experience in early childhood research and programs, especially in the Head Start, Early Head Start, and Child Care arenas, gives us a solid understanding of OPRE’s current research and support needs,” said Jeanne Townend, ICF’s senior vice president for human services and community development. “We look forward to working with OPRE to advance the goals of these programs through these research and information sharing activities.”
 
About ICF International
ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI) partners with government and commercial clients to deliver consulting services and technology solutions in the energy, climate change, environment, transportation, social programs, health, defense, and emergency management markets. The firm combines passion for its work with industry expertise and innovative analytics to produce compelling results throughout the entire program life cycle, from analysis and design through implementation and improvement. Since 1969, ICF has been serving government at all levels, major corporations, and multilateral institutions. More than 3,000 employees serve these clients worldwide. ICF’s Web site is www.icfi.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lindsey Litton
1.571.265.1472
 
 
http://www.icfi.com/newsroom/news.asp?ID=120





ICF International Completes Acquisition of Jones & Stokes 


Implementation Capabilities Significantly Expanded in Environment, Natural Resources 
Fairfax, VA, February 14, 2008 - ICF International (NASDAQ: ICFI) announced today it has closed on the acquisition of Jones & Stokes, an integrated planning and resource management firm specializing in the transportation, energy, water, and natural resource management sectors. The purchase price was approximately $50 million. The present management team and employees will remain with the company. 
As previously announced, ICF expects the company to generate revenue of approximately $72 million in 2008 with an EBITDA margin of about 9 percent to 10 percent. Going forward, ICF anticipates annual revenue growth of at least 10 percent and similar EBITDA margins. The transaction is expected to be accretive to 2008 earnings. 
Jones & Stokes is a multidisciplinary consulting firm headquartered in Sacramento, California. With 19 offices in seven states, the firm provides a wide range of natural resource management and planning services to public agency and private clients throughout the nation. 
 
About ICF International
ICF International (NASDAQ: ICFI) partners with government and commercial clients to deliver consulting services and technology solutions in the energy, climate change, environment, transportation, social programs, health, defense, and emergency management markets. The firm combines passion for its work with industry expertise and innovative analytics to produce compelling results throughout the entire program life cycle, from analysis and design through implementation and improvement. Since 1969, ICF has been serving government at all levels, major corporations, and multilateral institutions. More than 3,000 employees serve these clients worldwide. ICF’s Web site is www.icfi.com.
For Immediate Release
Polly Shannon
ICF International
1.703.934.3144 
Lynn Morgen / Betsy Brod
MBS Value Partners
1.212.750.5800
 
 
 
 
http://www.icfi.com/Newsroom/News.asp?ID=232





ICF International Awarded $1.5M Task Order under Department of Homeland Security Contract


ICF to Support National-Level Terrorism Prevention Exercise in 2009 
Fairfax, VA, December 15, 2008 - ICF Consulting Services, LLC, a subsidiary of ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI), announced today that it was awarded a new task order subcontract under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Exercise Division (NED). The two-year task order began in October 2008. ICF’s portion is valued at $1.5 million. 
Under the task order, ICF is one of several subcontractors working with prime Northrop Grumman to support National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE-09). The exercise, formerly known as TOPOFF 5, is a high-priority, national-level terrorism prevention exercise scheduled for execution in July 2009. Specifically, ICF is tasked with managing interagency working groups, developing conferences and seminars using Homeland Security Evaluation procedures, and providing specific support to FEMA Region 6 and its states. ICF will also build terrorism scenarios, execute prevention exercises, and evaluate performance following NLE-09 execution.
FEMA’s National Exercise Program (NEP) is the nation's overarching homeland security exercise program. It supports organizations in achieving objective assessments of their capabilities so that strengths, and areas for improvement are identified, corrected, and shared prior to a real incident. 
“Since 2003, ICF has supported DHS’ infrastructure protection efforts as well as provided contract support on regional terrorism exercises,” said John Weber, ICF vice president and expert in national preparedness. “We are excited about working with DHS and the Northrop Grumman team on planning and executing this national-level exercise and assisting the agency in improving its terrorism prevention strategy.”
 
About ICF International
ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI) partners with government and commercial clients to deliver consulting services and technology solutions in the energy, climate change, environment, transportation, social programs, health, defense, and emergency management markets. The firm combines passion for its work with industry expertise and innovative analytics to produce compelling results throughout the entire program life cycle, from analysis and design through implementation and improvement. Since 1969, ICF has been serving government at all levels, major corporations, and multilateral institutions. More than 3,000 employees serve these clients worldwide. ICF’s Web site is www.icfi.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lindsey Litton 
1.571.265.1472
 
2. ICF Emergency Management Services, LLC (ICF) & Quadel Consulting Corp. (an ICF Subcontractor) could not buy the silence of all of its employees 
At the Dec. 10 CHAT meeting being televised by Cox 10, you can hear and see one Road Home employee whose silence about RH problems could not be bought with a severance agreement 
Ø  The problems with ICF upper management intimidating employees who made constructive suggestions and the lack of consulting staff who dealt with applicants about the effectiveness of new or ongoing ICF protocols have been confirmed by additional former ICF staff
·         Many ICF staff members told us they were just as frustrated with the Road Home as the applicants
Ø  We thank George Blow and COX10 for their dedication to getting the facts about Road Home to applicants!
Ø  The 2-hour CHAT meeting on Dec. 10, 2008 about Road Home Contradictions has been/will be shown on:
Tues., Dec. 16, 4 PM; Wed., Dec. 17, noon; Thurs., Dec. 18, 8 AM; Tues., Dec. 23, noon; Thurs., Dec. 25, noon; Fri., Dec. 26, 8 AM; Sat., Dec. 27, 4:30 PM; Sun., Dec. 28, 1 PM; Mon., Dec. 29, noon; Wed., Dec. 31, 2 PM; Thurs., Jan. 1, 1 PM; Fri., Jan. 2, 8 AM & 6 PM; Sat., Jan. 3, 3 PM; Mon., Jan. 5, 1:30 PM; Tues., Jan. 6, 3 PM; Wed., Jan. 7, noon; Thurs, Jan. 8, 4 PM; Fri., Jan. 9, 1:30 PM; Sat., Jan., 10, 3 PM; Mon., Jan. 12, 4 PM; Tues., Jan. 13, noon; Wed., Jan. 14, 2 PM; Thurs., Jan. 15, 2 PM; Fri., Jan. 16, noon; Sat., Jan. 17, 3 PM; Mon., Jan. 26, 4 PM; Tues., Jan. 27, noon; Wed., Jan. 28, 4:30 PM; Thurs., Jan. 29, noon; Fri., Jan. 30, 3 PM; Sat., Jan. 31, 4 PM; Mon., Feb. 2, noon; Tues., Feb. 3, 4 PM; Wed., Feb. 4, 4:30 PM; Fri., Feb. 6, noon; Sat., Feb. 7, 9 AM; Mon., Feb. 16, 12:30 PM;  Wed., Feb. 18, noon; Thurs., Feb. 19, 1:30 PM; Fri., Feb. 20, 2 PM; Sat., Feb. 21, 3 PM; Wed., Feb. 25, 1:30 PM; Thurs., Feb. 26, 2:30 PM; Friday, Feb. 27,
 3:30 PM
 

3. Free Homeowner Contractor Education Forum
LouisianaRebuilds.info, ACORN Housing, UNO-CHART, and LSU's Ag Center will host a FREE public forum on Saturday, February 28 to discuss issues regarding home renovations including how to protect your home from hazards such as hurricanes and floods, how to avoid and/or fight contractor fraud, and how to find and vet licensed contractors. Find more information here.
 
 
 
4. See our website for important new information you might have missed about:
 HMGP elevation grants (especially for those demolishing and rebuilding) and 
a chance to re-open or start a Road Home appeal.
http://chatushome.com
 
Hope you have a good Mardi Gras,
 
Melanie Ehrlich
Co-Chairman, Citizens’ Road Home Action Team (CHAT)
Member, LRA Housing Task Force
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