Early Alert: Lake County Commissioner Campione Discusses Pending Garbage Contract Snafu & Other Issues - ON Video

Tavares, FL - August 23, 2013

Lake County Commissioner and Chair of the Board Leslie Campione spoke at last night's meeting of the South Lake County 912 Project group in Clermont, FL.   She covered several topics, but the major issue was the controversial new contracts approved at the last Lake County Board meeting on August 13 by 4 of the 5 Board members for waste (garbage) pickup and disposal vendors.   You can see the earlier video of the August 13 Board meeting discussion HERE – go to 1:06 on the video, or scroll down the “Event Bookmarks” to item 13 and click it to jump to that discussion (note the County website for meeting agendas and videos is EXTREMELY confusing.  The discussion issue was agenda tab number 34 on the printed agenda, but the “Bookmarks” list for videos doesn’t use the same numbering systems and shows it under Event 13) .   She also talked about impact fee decisions and other topics.

This is an early alert – I will be posting a more widely distributed article later today after I review the referenced videos again.  As a former corporate internal auditor, I always used to watch for purchasing contracts that were too restrictive, because that means they could be biased to only allow one firm to win.  I actually worked at a company that had 40 plants manufacturing and selling large underground concrete sewer and sanitation pipes, and their marketing strategy was to “sell” certain technologies to specification writers at government agencies so only our pipe would win the RFP’s. 

The decisions related to garbage collection contracts made at Tuesday’s Lake County Board meeting may affect the services received and fees all Lake County residents (not city residents) are charged for 7 years, so I recommend you support Campione’s request on Tuesday to reconsider the contracts and email your support for the reconsideration to all five County Commissioners.  I will have better details in my follow up distribution by Sunday.  Note:  I previously stated at the Aug. 13 meeting that the contracts should be approved, thinking the citizen’s committee approved the RFP’s, but that is not the case.  They were never asked to review the RFP according to their Chair, Curt Binney.   You can find the page to email all Commissioners HERE.

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Campione has received criticisms from Board member Jimmy Conner on his blog HERE (see entries for Aug. 16^th & 19^th) , and from the Lake Sentinel’s columnist Lauren Ritchie HERE.   They both seem to make personal attacks.   Conner seems to always attack any initiative from Campione, but we have noted he rarely ever initiates any program, just criticizes others.   Also, here is a Channel 9 TV video report on the dispute between Campione & Conners regarding track pickup.

Keep in mind there are two issues for Lake County trash programs:   The methods and contracts for the 3 selected trash pickup vendors (garbage trucks), and also the separate methodology and contract for how or where the trash is disposed or dumped.   BOTH contract types have become controversial.

Then you have this attack by the Right Side of the Lake blog regarding the trash disposal site selection and use of a possibly biased “consultant”. 

This video of her talk also includes some very good background facts by Curt Binney, a well known CPA who was the chair of the citizen committee that spent 18 months reviewing waste systems and they issued 22 recommendations.  He clearly says the new RFP (request for proposal) and related contracts were processed by staff and a consultant without any consultation with the committee, thus wishes of the committee for a “flexible” RFP that allowed innovative proposals were not followed. 

As a result, the RFP excluded many alternative methods and technologies when the Committee and the Board wanted to SEE alternatives.  That is one of numerous reasons why the contracts are questionable.  

This matter will be decided at this upcoming Tuesday's Lake County Board meeting.   The last meeting approved the contracts, but Leslie Campione, the lone opponent, refused to sign them as chair, so they are unsigned and the issue which can affect future garbage fees for all County residents (not cities) will be discussed this next Tuesday.  Either they start the process over or someone else signs the questionable contracts and they are a done deal. 

I will be posting a more detailed report on this subject later today.

Here is the specific web address for the above video of Campione & Binney’s discussion.    http://youtu.be/85dYamf8cO8  

Vance Jochim

Lake County Fiscal Rangers

Chief Fiscal Watchdog

Volunteers Searching for Ways to Improve Local Government Fiscal Management, Efficiency & Effectiveness

PO Box 1042

Tavares, FL 32778

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