Column -- Flood Consultants List

I figured, hey, no big deal.

On Aug. 14, I asked the city of Cedar Rapids for a list of consultants hired for flood-related work, how much was spent and what we got for the money. I assumed such a list already existed and would be served with Big Mac speed.

Instead it took a month. Staff in the city manager's office, I'm told, spent 2.5 hours preparing the list. So instead of a Big Mac, it's turkey with all the trimmings.

But before I could dig in, the list was e-mailed to every member of the City Council. And in filling my request, staff listed only work that fits the “dictionary definition” of consultant: “a person who gives professional or expert advice.” That does not include “contractors, monitors and inspectors.” The trimmings were trimmed.

Finally, last Tuesday, my order was delivered - six pages,including a small-print list of 21 consulting firms that were paid $8.47 million between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009. No small potatoes.

The two biggest recipients of city funds are Adjusters International, which was paid $2.78 million, and Sasaki Associates, which received $3.44 million. New York-based Adjusters International is helping the city squeeze out every drop of FEMA money for public facilities. Boston-based Sasaki is a world-renowned firm that laid out detailed plans for riverfront and neighborhood redevelopment.

Some items are specific, like “mileage.” Some are less so, like “disaster recovery.” Payments listed range from $50 for a photo to a $790,469.83 payment to Sasaki on June 22 for “consulting river corridor.”

I asked for the list to get some clarity. We've got an election coming up and a lot of numbers are being thrown around. Mayoral candidate Ron Corbett criticized the city for spending $5 million on consultants. He's a little low.

Consultants are tied up in several key issues - the post-flood perfomance of the council, the city manager's role and the city's financial health, to name a few. We should at least have some numbers to go on. Without good public oversight, the definition of “consultant” can quickly become “rat hole.”

Clearly, the city needed some professional help. Officials contend a good chunk of those dollars will be reimbursed by FEMA or other agencies. And in some cases, what consultants did led the city to big recovery bucks they might have missed.

But how much is too much? And while the city was paying high-priced hand-holders to guide it through recovery, did it do enough to help victims, residents and business owners navigate their own private bureaucratic nightmares?

You can check out the consulting list on my 24-Hour Dorman blog at gazetteonline. (See Below)

Todd Dorman's column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Contact him at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com

Consultant Payments - Flood Fund - FY09 (2)