Awarding of contract to Weekly draws criticism - News

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May. 27, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Awarding of contract to Weekly draws criticism

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARSON CITY -- Nevada officials have begun awarding contracts for "green jobs" training projects that will be funded by federal money, and one consulting contract for at least $48,000 has been awarded to a Clark County commissioner.

The contract was awarded by the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation to Lawrence Weekly. According to internal documents at the Legislature, the purpose of the contract was listed as "green jobs training coordinator -- Southern Nevada," with the contract starting last month.

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Weekly said that although he has seen other elected officials accept state contracts, he held off on accepting the offer because he feared a conflict of interest.

"I didn't sign and start it until May," Weekly said. "I thought that might be a concern if I'm an elected official and working for the state."

Weekly said he asked the Clark County district attorney's office for an opinion and was told that based on his role, there was not a conflict.

DETR spokeswoman Mae Worthy explained that the department awarded a contract to a private job agency for $120,000 to fund two part-time positions. Both will facilitate a program to train a renewable energy work force how to weatherize homes and increase energy efficiency. The job agency then entered into the contracts.

Weekly's contract was listed in the Legislature's documents as $60,000, but Weekly says he will get about $48,000. Job agencies charge fees which could explain the difference.

Weekly said he was hired to conduct outreach and help develop curriculum for training programs.

Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, has been working on legislation that would restrict the state's ability to award contracts to elected officials and public employees. Her bill, AB463 passed out of both houses and was sent to Gov. Jim Gibbons last week.

"His contract was clearly listed by the agency as a consulting agreement," Smith said. "Why are they using a temp agency? When you use a temp agency it costs us a lot more money."

Smith also noted the contract was granted even before major legislation related to the "green jobs" initiative, SB152, was passed. That bill contains the language governing how those contracts should be awarded.

"I think we have to be really vigilant about the process of hiring consultants," Smith said. "And considering that we hired this consultant and we haven't even passed the bill about green jobs, that concerns me. Not because of the person but because of the process."

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. Vote Him Out! wrote on May 27, 2009 12:05 PM: Conflict? Who is he kidding? We watched Weekly as he slowly inched his way into the political system (where we now pay his salary). Year after year Weekly got his face out there, in the press, on TV. Finally we went before the voters and sure enough they picked the most familiar face. Experience, Mr. Weekly? What's yours? Switalla wrote on May 27, 2009 10:01 AM: Wow, so many morally bankrupt BLACK politicians these days: Horsford, Arberry, Weekly, Robinson......etc, etc, etc. Oh, let's not leave out Obama. mrblac wrote on May 27, 2009 09:42 AM: Conflict of interest? How dumb do the politicians think the people are? Scam from the word go! Mr.Black wrote on May 27, 2009 09:39 AM: Conflict of interest? Thats like calling the kettle Black. How do these elected officials look in the mirror at night. All those qualified people out in the Community and Mr. Weekly is taking this job instead of passing it on to someone in the Community that might need that 48K. People check the self-interest of your politicians before you vote. And politicians wonder why the voting public is so apathetic, could it be greed? CORRUPT POLITICIANS wrote on May 27, 2009 09:37 AM: Horsford awarding contracts to his fellow brotha Weekly???? Typical corrupt self-serving politicians. They should both be investigated and indicted! Thomas wrote on May 27, 2009 09:10 AM: Wow....this whole thing is a scam. 'Green jobs" is a scam also. 2zero wrote on May 27, 2009 07:18 AM: Weekly...if you have to ask a lawyer if it is wrong, it might be WRONG! 2zero wrote on May 27, 2009 06:49 AM: DETR paid a private "job agency"? What is DETR...a job agency? If the contract was for 60K and Weekly is "given" 48K then the job agency make 12K? 12K times two jobs is 24K for a private agency to do what DETR should have done in the first place....except then it would look bad giving the contract to Weekly? 2zero wrote on May 27, 2009 06:20 AM: DETR works for Gibbons.....time to lead LUV GUV. 2zero wrote on May 27, 2009 06:19 AM: It is called a "black hole"..... DETR could not find someone that is unemployed and qualified to be a coordinator?