News-Press.com

December 11, 2007

Another Cape utility-expansion audit offered

Auditor Michael Kessler said he would be “more than willing” to do another audit of Cape Coral’s utility expansion if asked to by the city.

“The truth is the truth, and it should be made public,” he said Tuesday.

Kessler said he had not spoken with Mayor Pro Tem Tim Day before the councilman called Monday night for bringing Kessler back to the city.

“We should bring the man back and have him have another look,” Day said.

Kessler produced a controversial report in 2006 on the city’s utility expansion which made claims throughout of possible bid rigging, inflated profit margins among the contractors, lack of cooperation in obtaining information among city staff and contractor Montgomery, Watson and Harza, and poor record-keeping by the city.

In July 2006, Kessler reported to council, but left abruptly to catch a plane, saying he did not have time to answer council questions.

The report was lambasted at the time by city officials, sans Day. City Manager Terry Stewart said at the time numerous parts of the report were flawed and contained a great deal of “innuendo and allegations.” Officials at MWH said the report was “inflammatory.”

But critics of the program have said Kessler didn’t go far enough. Resident John Sullivan asked Monday night for further investigation by Kessler.

Stewart said afterward he had no further comment about Kessler’s work.

“I think I have said all I have to say about Michael Kessler,” he said.

Day said if Kessler is brought back, he needs access to information that is not redacted.

Kessler said circumstances of his last audit were atypical.

“Normally an auditor has full reign on records,” he said. “It is highly unusual to have any redacted records from a contractor that is getting paid by the city and has audit clauses in the contract.”

When Kessler did his last support, Day was largely on his own defending the report.

But when he brought the topic up Monday night, some interest in returning to Kessler was shown.

District 7 Councilman Derrick Donnell said he would like a decision on bringing the auditor back to be made soon.

“It’s like a big cloud on us, and I would like to bring it back at an appropriate time,” Donnell said.

Donnell said after the meeting that he wanted to erase the public sentiment that the city acted crooked somehow in its handling of Kessler’s last report. He wants that addressed, whether that means bringing Kessler back, bringing in a new auditor or simply giving a fresh look at the previous Kessler report.

Sullivan said bringing Kessler back would help restore a trust with the public, which in November voted two incumbents out of office and elected five new members onto the council.

By Jacob Ogles
jogles@news-press.com