Cornerstone New $80,000.00 Contract

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“MEMO
To: Keith A. James, Mayor
From: Stacey R. Weinger, Sr. Asst. City Attorney
Date: January 31, 2020
Matter No: 24597.001
Dept. 100 Mayor’s Office
Re: Cornerstone; Park Bond; Educational Campaign; Priority Contract”

The 12 page contract was signed by Mayor Keith James and Rick Asnani on 2/4/2020. The entire contract for $80,000.00 can be read below.

“REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP No. 19-20-206
Educational Campaign Services To Inform Voters about the Park Bond Referendum
(Revision 12.11.19)
The City of West Palm Beach hereby solicits proposals from responsible and qualified firms to provide educational campaign services to inform voters about the upcoming referendum on the issuance of a bond to fund improvements to the City’s Parks.”

I placed a PRR to see if any companies supplied proposals and 3 companies did.
1: L.B. Limited & Associates, Inc.
2: Upscale Events by Mosaic, LLC D.B.A. The Mosaic Group
Ann Marie Sorrell, President & CEO
3: Cornerstone Solutions, Rick Asnani, President & CEO.

The second proposal, Upscale Events by Mosaic, please notice the owner is a woman. How serious is James with his ” Mayor’s Task Force for Racial & Ethnic Equality” Also on the City website this humerous little piece reads in part:

“Sec. 66-257. – Purpose. (a)The MWBE program is intended to eliminate discrimination against MWBEs with respect to certain contracting opportunities as found in the disparity study. The MWBE program is intended to provide opportunities for participation by minority-owned and women-owned business”

(MWBE)  “Minority/Women Business Enterprise.

By now readers are aware the contract was awarded to Cornerstone Solutions, Mayor Keith James Political Advisor and Campaign Manager.

If you recall the last 2 stories and contracts awarded to Cornerstone the $248,000.00 contract (Covid-19) didn’t need City Commissioners approval due to James declaring it an “Emergency” and the $29,500.00 contract (Census) also didn’t receive conversation or a vote from Commissions due to the contract being under $50,000.00.

I attend most City Commission meetings and didn’t recall the Park Bond being on the agenda, and placed another PRR for the date of the meeting where the Commissioners voted approval of the $80,000.00 contract.

My request in part:
“One more issue with this contract. Could you please send me the date the City Commissioners voted to approve the contract to Cornrtstone Solutions for Contract # 24597.”

City’s response:

“According to the City’s records, did contract did not go before the City Commission.”

Well, there you have it a Mayor who does what he wants, when he wants, make the rules as he goes along, and seriously who’s to stop him?

I remind readers:

8/19/2021 James has declared “State of Emergency, and as I said previously I smell another Cornerstone Solutions contract in the making.

“FURTHERMORE, pursuant to Section 252.38(3){a)5 Florida Statutes, I hereby exercise my authority to waive the procedures and formalities otherwise required by law pertaining to:”

There are 8 procedures & formalaties James can waive and I listed #2 & 8. The entire list can be read below.

#2. Entering into contracts;   #8. Appropriation and expenditure of public funds.

https://www.wpb.org/home/showpublisheddocument/3770/637649812683770000

Cornerstone Solutions has received a total of $357,500.00 in contracts without a question or comment from residents or City Commissioners.
I received this comment from a reader after posting the last story, and liked it enough to share with readers.

“Emergency power supersedes everything, thus the five Commissioners are just props on the dais. we have five props. “Prop” a pole or beam used as a support or to keep something in position, typically one that is not an integral part of the thing supported”
Contract can be read here: Cornerstone Contract $80,000.00

RFP can be read here:    Cornerstone & 2 additional proposals $80,000.00 contract

The end.