"Like everyone, we were outraged to learn of the public corruption in our local government, Becher said, in a statement. needs these 5 sites to thrive so the city can recover. SF Board of Supervisors' Audit Committee to Subpoena Financial Probe also leads to cancellation of $171,000 portable toilet contract with company tied to restaurateur Nick Bovis; more contracts are under review SAN FRANCISCO (Feb. 12, 2020) City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced today that he has issued eight subpoenas as part of a joint public corruption investigation with City Controller Ben Rosenfield. Chan said she was worried the influence of money could determine exactly who gets to have parks built in the city, and where, citing equitable access as a key priority. But the memo said the regulations on selecting contractors may not be fully in the best interests of the City, since many people who work on projects donate their services. Sign up for NBC Bay Areas Housing Deconstructed newsletter. City Attorney Dennis Herrera issued subpoenas investigating those same city contractors in February, in connection with the ongoing corruption scandal that first ensnared Nuru, but has only grown in the following months. The documents show that in 2019, more than $64,000 that had been raised by the Crab Fest fund was transferred into a general fund. The new ferris wheel at Golden Gate Park. All rights reserved. Big shift in weather is headed to California. Stay in touch. The City controls the contracts and we follow the terms of the contracts, so there is a lot of information that came out that is really a City issue. The Parks Alliance was subpoenaed last year alongside a host of other firms as part of the City Hall probe. "These so-called 'friends' groups don't have an entirely friendly history. These payments either went to vendors for the purchase of goods and/or services, or were payments to individuals, primarily city employees, who were reimbursed for costs they had incurred, she said. This S.F. The SF Parks Alliance is a Friends of-type outside nonprofit that raises money or provides philanthropic services on park-related matters, donating money back to the city's Parks and Public Works departments for various projects. Other agreements lack prohibitions against conflicts of interest. Parks Alliance Pushes Back On Accusations, Tells Supervisor - SFist The nonprofit San Francisco Parks Alliance directed $66,000 to entities whose figureheads were arrested by the FBI in connection with disgraced former Public Works director Mohammed Nuru's corruption scandal, a new report has found. The city's corruption scandal investigation is ongoing. But this audit seems like the latest chapter of her ongoing feud with the Parks Alliance, wherein she alleges potential corruption, and the Alliance threatens to pull money out of projects in her district. Supervisors Connie Chan and Aaron Peskin Call for Investigation on SF Parks Alliance . This corruption is part and parcel of the sell off of Golden Gate Park. A city controller report last year called out the connection between the Parks Alliance and the park department after discovering Nurus $1 million slush fund. The non-profits running large parts of the park are now directing the development without public participation and their privatization agenda is supported by Mayor London Breed and her Parks and Recreation Director Phil Ginsberg. But its more of a potentially problematic relationship, as the report found no smoking gun, and the alliance has since agreed to not accept anonymous gifts of $100 or more. and Park Department as well and I also have yet to receive that information.. Drew Becher, CEO of the San Francisco Parks Alliance, expressed shock at the city's findings. And, wouldn't you know it, 88 percent of the money comes from just two sources: $131,948 from Recology and $721,250 from the San Francisco Clean City Coalition, a nonprofit. but even at the lower levels it can lead to more of a culture of corruption where contractors have cozy . The Bay Area will have some live sports to look at for the first time in four months starting next Monday, July 20! Also, notably, this is the first-ever use of a new subpoena power the board crafted for itself in 2020, in a law written by Supervisor Aaron Peskin. The recent report delved into inadequate controls in multiple areas, including an agreement to run the Conservatory of Flowers that expired in 2012 and hasnt been renewed. The audit has confirmed a very problematic relationship between the San Francisco Parks Alliance and city departments, Chan told NBC Bay Area, particularly with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.. Under the terms of its contract with Ferris wheel operator. It was a sole-source selection, there's no competitive bidding by the department," Brousseau said. Just who has influence in renovating parks, and where, is a chief concern, said Supervisor Connie Chan, the lawmaker who requested the subpoena during a hearing of the board's Government Audit and Oversight Committee. Supervisors delayed voting Thursday on three city agreements to accept and spend more than $7 million from the Parks Alliance until Chans questions are answered. This report makes it clear that pay-to-play has been happening in our city. Financial transaction records between the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the non-profit San Francisco Parks Alliance are now the focus of a subpoena, after a unanimous vote by the Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The net encircling former Public Works director Mohammed Nuru has now ensnared more entities in The City's ever-growing corruption scandal. Of the $720,000 that (SF) Parks Alliance paid to vendors, more than half went to just five vendors. It was one of more than 20 firms. Are we now setting ourselves up for a two-tier system for those who can pay to play, literally, and for those who cannot afford access to our public space? Chan asked. That's a standard practice governments use to ensure they get the best deal. Yes, we can go back and look into it, talk to the controller about adding it to our Public Integrity Reviews, Sobrepena responded. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not The San Francisco Parks Alliance was subpoenaed by the City Attorney's Office last year as part of the city's corruption probe. The lack of transparency in those finances leaves the possibility of a pay-to-play culture to flourish in the shadows, the supervisors said Thursday. A total of 10 subpoenas . Without more detailed oversight, the audit found, this benefit of philanthropic support risks being overshadowed by the possibility of corruption.. City contract scrutiny draws attention to Golden Gate Park Ferris wheel It was previously unclear how federal investigators knew about the tipoff Nuru was re-arrested and the complaint against him and Bovis made public in late January after he initially had likely entered into a cooperation agreement with the feds. Stay up to date! SF Supes call for investigation into SF Parks Alliance contracts SF supervisor subpoenas parks nonprofit in wake of report that calls for stronger controls, S.F. How long has it been since May started off this cold in Bay Area? About Us - San Francisco Parks Alliance After Nuru Scandal, SF Anti-Corruption Proposal Seeks to Prevent Bribes Since the FBI arrested and charged Nuru for allegedly attempting to bribe an airport commissioner in January 2020, the investigation has also indicted the former director of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, two heads of trash company Recology, a former senior building inspector and a city building commissioner. Explore: The Mission's gardens - Mission Local Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for Or email us at Editor@RichmondSunsetNews.com. No problem, Chan said. City Attorney Dennis Herrera on Wednesday announced. 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The Controller's Office found at least one of these organizations, the San Francisco Parks Alliance, took roughly $1 million in donations from a number of city contractors which were under investigation by the City Attorney's Office for funneling money to the Public Works department for lavish parties, at the behest of former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, who was arrested by the FBI in January on corruption charges. Near the end of the hearing, Chan said the driving force behind her line of questioning was to ensure that anyone, regardless of the amount of money they can donate to a nonprofit, gets their say in how parks across San Francisco are shaped. The Planning Department, Department of Public Health, and the City Administrator's Office have all been hit with subpoenas stemming from the sprawling federal investigation into corruption in San Francisco government. While no formal accusations have been made, Chan's subpoena comes in the wake of an ever-unfolding corruption scandal that has ensnared four city department heads since early 2020. Every year, millions of dollars flow into the San Francisco Parks Alliance. We are zooming in to really look at a very problematic relationship that a non-profit named San Francisco Parks Alliance has with our city departments, but specifically with our Recreation and Park Department, said District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, who called for the hearing. San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera on Wednesday announced that his office issued eight new subpoenas as part of the corruption investigation in the wake of the criminal charges filed . . Prosecutors say Nuru used the fund to pay for everything from T-shirts to gift bags, from funeral expenses for a worker to event entry fees for public works teams. Call (415) 706-6428 for information about advertising online and in the printed versions of the Richmond Review and the Sunset Beacon newspapers. "It raises the question of whether this is a good government practice and whether such practices contribute to the 'pay-to-play' culture among city agencies. Thank you to Mr. Pendergast for this article. City officials studied the nonprofit last year after it came to light that former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, now charged with fraud, funneled donations from would-be city contractors into an account at the organization that he used to pay for staff perks. The report further alleged the San Francisco Parks Alliance accepted some $1 million in donations from contractors under investigation by the City Attorney's Office and the money was then funneled back to DPW to pay for lavish parties. The audit tracked the money going in and out of the Alliance over a five year period. In that span, the non-profit took in $44 million, including an estimated $3.5 million in anonymous donations, the audit concludes. Those undisclosed donations, the analysis found, raise questions about potential conflicts of interest. The analysis found that the problem of not knowing who contributed is that there is no way to determine if the contracts were being awarded ethically. and Park has a similar practice with subaccounts involving the SF Parks Alliance. 20002023 San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center. But critics say substantial sums ended up being spent elsewhere. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) - City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced on Wednesday that several subpoenas were issued as part of a joint public corruption investigation. "Certainly, some of these groups are operating above board. Your email address will not be published. SF supervisor subpoenas parks nonprofit in wake of report that calls That was at the behest of former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, who was arrested by the FBI in 2020 on corruption charges. Before that, she freelanced with a focus on the Yemeni diaspora while studying at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. Following the release of the report, Mayor London Breed announced an executive order to address the recommendations in the report. In a statement, Recreation and Parks officials denied wrongdoing. The money is used to renovate the city's treasured green spaces large and small for example, erecting a towering Ferris wheel in Golden Gate Park and laying down AstroTurf at Merced Heights Playground. A new audit calls for greater controls over the San Francisco Parks Alliance, the major non-profit group named by federal prosecutors last year as helping to foster the city's public. The Department of Building Inspection issued 218 building permits to seven of those entities. The Historic Preservation Commission is expected to vote on whether to extend the contract through 2025 at its next meeting on March 3. During our review period, Parks Alliance made payments totaling $978,000 to support Public Works activities and as directed by Public Works. What are the names of their anonymous donors? Chan Raises Questions About Park Groups' Accounting And that wheel, apparently, is still going round and round. Garbage time: Recology was the major donor to Mohammed Nuru's nonprofit During a hearing Thursday, Supervisor Connie Chan issued a subpoena to the Parks Alliance to find out how many, if any, similar accounts the Recreation and Park Department has. That's the problem we are talking about here.". The recent report recommended the park department establish a new conservatory agreement, report the budget for the anniversary celebration, and require the Parks Alliance to competitively select contractors and prohibit picking those who have a personal relationship or who have donated to the department or the organization. The nonprofit has not been charged with any crime, but according to federal prosecutors, Nuru used the Parks Alliance to funnel alleged bribes to his department, in the form of donations from. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). "We also found that there was no requirement for how the contractor was selected in this case. A bulk of the report focused on the Parks Alliance agreement to fund the Golden Gate Park 150th anniversary celebration and get some revenue from the Ferris wheel, which came under fire this spring from Chan. This corruption of these officials is being covered up by the SF City Attorney and other officials. Abrupt closure of S.F. Nuru and others would direct staff to pay for goods and services for staff appreciation, volunteer programs, merchandise, community support and events from specific vendors, "circumventing city purchasing controls," the report found. Bride Killed and Groom Injured by Speeding DUI Driver After Wedding in South Carolina, Police Say, 25-Year-Old Makes $200/Hour Without a Bachelor's Degree: I Work Less Than 6 Hours a Day', San Jose Police Arrest 3 Suspects in Robberies Targeting AAPI Community, Malik Monk's Old Comments Motivated Warriors to Game 7 Win Vs. Kings. During this same period, these entities donated $966,000 to the Public Works subaccounts at the Parks Alliance, she elaborated. People thought that what they're donating to is a scholarship fund, she said, but the money instead allowed Parks Alliance to create a slush-fund account to allow the executive staff of the Recreation and Parks Department to use and tap into those funds for whatever it is, at their leisure.. Spokesperson Tamara Aparton pointed out the department was the only one to complete a memorandum of understanding with an outside organization as mandated by the mayor last year. It will be interesting to see what information is uncovered. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. Golden Gate Park officials and members of the Parks and Recreation commission are getting tickets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Lands End Festival as a payoff for their take-over of large parts of the Park. Selling Off Golden Gate Park: Privatization & Corruption Destroying We did not benefit in any way nor had any control over the donations that Nuru and Public Works solicited and directed to the sub-account, as the report states. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@mallorymoench. The San Francisco Parks Alliance. and Park Department and Parks Alliance, it seems to me that General Manager, Phil Ginsburg, had decided to double down.. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. A Recreation and Parks Department spokesperson told the supervisors that the agency follows all codes and laws. Contractors and building permit holders made donations to the Public Works subaccounts at the SF Parks Alliance, Sobrepena explained. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, the Crab Fest had been a major affair in the city, drawing top city officials, community leaders and contractors, raising more than $100,000 annually for parks scholarships.. A new audit calls for greater controls over the San Francisco Parks Alliance, the major non-profit group named by federal prosecutors last year as helping to foster the citys public corruption scandal by managing an off-the-books contractor fund that Public Works officials tapped to pay for employee parties and swag for city workers. That corrupt slush fund really just a minor piece of the wider public corruption scandal put a dark cloud over the Golden Gate Parks SkyStar Ferris wheel, because the Parks Alliance gets and manages the proceeds from all of those $18 ferris wheel rides. "We will implement any additional common-sense policies that provide greater transparency and allow us to continue to support and improve San Franciscos parks and public spaces," the organization said in a statement. Despite the progress, the audit found there remains a lack of adequate controls on the contracts the Alliance makes to provide services for the city. When they're working as they're supposed to, these "friends of" organizations may help put on an outdoor movie night for the public or help build park trails. Get all the latest & greatest posts delivered straight to your inbox, Audit Finds $3.5 Million In Anonymous Donations to SF Parks Alliance, Calls Out 'Potential Conflicts of Interest', Ferris wheel was extended another four years, Parks Alliance Pushes Back On Accusations, Tells Supervisor Chan to Kiss Richmond Playground Goodbye [SFist], Big-Money SF Tech Groups Hoping To Steer Friendlier Policy Toward Big Money and Tech, Board of Appeals Weighs In on Saga of Vacant, Apparently Unclaimed Mission District Lot, Tells Supes to Act, SF Supes Overturn Their Own Ban On Doing Business With States With Discriminatory Laws. Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. I just want you to know that I have asked for that information directly to the Rec. However, all of this occurred outside of the Citys established financial and procurement systems. The Parks Alliance is a major philanthropic backer for the parks and other city departments. If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us. 3 more SF city departments hit with subpoenas in expanding Nuru . 2023 FOX Television Stations, High Stakes: Sports Betting in California, American children missing in Mexico: State Department 'aware of reports of 2 missing US citizens', TikTok CEO to tell Congress video-sharing app is safe, urge against ban, Man survives shark attack off Hawaiis Big Island, officials say, Woman lucky to be alive after 2 trees fall on her Oakland home, America's first-ever tornado forecast issued 75 years ago at Oklahoma's Tinker Air Force Base. But recent revelations have demonstrated that the opaque nature of several organizations, including the SF Parks Alliance, has aided and abetted corruption within San Francisco government.". It's a large amount of money coming to the city, she said. The motion to issue the subpoena was passed by the Committee unanimously. Photo: Keith Crook. Those same contractors were awarded more than $570 million in city contracts by the Public Works Department, according to the report. Feb. 23, 2021 SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) As a discussion by city officials around whether to keep a 150-foot tall Ferris wheel at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park continues to go in circles, two. . The Parks Alliance has said it didnt know it was being used unscrupulously by city officials. That is why I am calling for an investigation focusing on this agreement and SF Parks Alliance practices," she said. Although the wheel was eventually able to open in the fall at limited capacity, a surge in cases halted operations after just five weeks. We did collect a lot of information from all the departments, including Rec. Those city contractors include the SF Clean City Coalition, Recology, PG&E, Clark Construction, Webcor Construction and Pankow Construction. Those nonprofits have looser transparency requirements, creating a "pay-to-play" environment where city department heads could potentially ask city contractors they oversee to donate to the nonprofit, creating a risk that department head would be influenced by that spending when deciding to award multi-million-dollar city contracts. The move followed a city report last week that investigated the relationship between the park department and the nonprofit. "Adequate controls against the possibility of corruption and financial transparency were found lacking in our review of key agreements between the two organizations from recent years," the report reads. So, knowing that it actually does have a close relationship with the Rec. SF public corruption scandal: 8 organizations subpoenaed by - KRON4 Musical Helps Lafayette Bounce Back After COVID, Richmond Review Crossword Puzzle #12, May, 2023, (Spiral): Solution, Richmond Review Crossword Puzzle #12, May, 2023 (Spiral), Designer, Builder Creates Comfortable Works of Public Art, https://richmondsf.salsalabs.org/froghop2023/index.html. The Parks Alliance non-profit said in a statement that it has cooperated and turned over all documents sought by the citys subpoena, but Chan and Peskin are skeptical that the city has all the documents. While philanthropic organizations provide tangible benefits to all of our residents, abuses in these relationships undermine the important role they play," said Controller Ben Rosenfield, in a statement. A memorandum of understanding between the city and the Parks Alliance lays down some requirements for how they operate, and was retooled to strengthen some reporting requirements in 2020 in the wake of the citywide corruption scandal, but the Budget and Legislative Analyst still recommended it be strengthened. They collectively donated $966,000 to the Parks Alliance into a Public Works-specific account funds Nuru was able to freely direct, and sometimes himself was paid from according to the report. Chan explained that she thought it worthwhile to get this information in the hope of avoiding the possibility of continuing practices with the potential to encourage corruption. Often these organizations are called "friends" organizations, like Friends of the Library, or Friends of City Planning. They have very similar names, but the SF Recreation and Parks Department and the SF Parks Alliance are two different entities. Chan is exploring every legislative tool possible to implement recommendations. We did not dive deeper with Rec. The lack of transparency in the deal to bring the Ferris wheel to Golden Gate Park exposed the growing corruption by the Park managers and the Mayor with private contractors. The ongoing federal investigation into corruption at San Francisco City Hall has reached into the City Administrator's Office, the Planning Department and the Department of Public Health,. and Park.. Last year, a report by the City Controller's Office into ongoing corruption within city departments revealed that departments like Public Works engaged in relationships with nonprofit organizations to encourage large donations by contractors seeking lucrative city contracts.
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