7SU N DAY, NOV E M BER 1, 2009T H E E X A M I N ER
LOCAL NEWS
ByVioletaIkonomova
SpecialtoTheExaminer
The revelation that Mayor Adrian
Fenty's housing authority awarded
tens of millions of dollars without
authorization could jeopardize sev-
eral parks and recreation projects,
officials said.
Thequasi-independentD.C.Hous-
ing Authority awarded roughly $170
million in contracts for the Fenty
administration that were neither
reviewed nor authorized by the leg-
islative branch as the law requires.
The D.C. Office of the Chief Finan-
cial Officer agreed Friday to suspend
further transfers of money to DCHA
inthewakeofthecontroversy.Dozens
of construction contracts, many for
parks and recreation projects, were
steered to firms with close ties to
Fenty -- and the council knew noth-
ing about it.
The company to benefit most was
Banneker Ventures, owned by Fenty
fraternity brother Omar Karim.
Banneker was awarded millions to
manage construction projects for
the parks department and the D.C.
schools modernization office.
D.C. law requires the council to
review and approve all contracts in
excess of $1 million. Members were
furious Friday as they learned the
FentyadministrationhasusedDCHA
asaconduitformanymorecontracts
than they thought.
The explanations offered by City
Administrator Neil Albert for the
contracting maneuver are "unpalat-
able," Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary
Cheh said during the hearing.
"Ihappentobelievethatthesecon-
tracts are not lawful," said at-large
Councilman David Catania, usually a
defender of the Fenty administration.
Attorney General Peter Nickles
issued a legal opinion that all con-
tracts in excess of $1 million must
be vetted by the council, but that the
DPRcontractsalreadyawardedwere
"legal and binding."
Albertdidnotcommittoreturning
the contracts to the council.
Rachna Butani, director of HRGM
Corp., a firm that competed with
Bannekerfortheconstructionmanage-
mentcontracts,saidtheawardprocess
was "definitely not transparent." The
lower bid didn't win, she said.
TheD.C.Councilwillfurtherinves-
tigatethematterinasecondroundof
questioning Thursday.
Contract awards by Fenty housing
authority face fresh questions
Name: GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
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three; File Name: 142029-0; Comment: HRD;
Zone: PCaa
Name: Long Fence & Home LLP; Width: 34p8.4; Depth: 13 in; Color: Black plus
three; File Name: 143980-0; Comment: LONG HOME; Zone: PCaa
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