TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! INSIDERS FEAR CONSEQUENCES AS EPIC $18 MILLION NEW KANSAS CITY NO BID ANIMAL SHELTER MOVES FORWARD!!!

Today there will be a lot of congratulatory speeches and maybe even a few doggies at City Hall as the new animal shelter moves forward after a year-long delay following a vote last year. However, behind the scenes there's concern over $18 million worth of professional services, design, and construction contracts that will be awarded without City Hall conducting open bidding.

Check the ordinance language and notice that the Kansas City Campus for Animal Care is running the show . . . It's a newly formed group that's basically comprised of the KC Pet Project and leaders from last year's big money campaign.



While the bidding for construction work has been completely left out of the ordinance deets despite the use of taxpayer funds . . . Here is throwaway line that City Hall is backing up with MILLIONS of bucks:

"The construction project will adhere to the City’s minority hiring, workforce development and One Percent for Art programs. Funding to relocate the Swope Park Disc Golf site to its new home in the park is also included."



That's a nice statement BUT because the KCCAC is in charge . . . THERE IS VERY LITTLE IN THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE THAT WILL HOLD THE NEW ANIMAL SHELTER TO THIS AGREEMENT!!!

More to the point . . .

MANAGEMENT FOR THE FACILITY WASN'T INVOLVED IN AN OPEN BID!!! 

A dangerous precedent for future elections . . .

THE CUTE DOGGIE CAMPAIGN BASICALLY EARNED THE KCCAC $18-MILLION WITH ALMOST NO CHECKS OR BALANCES FROM CITY HALL!!!



And so . . .

EXPECTING THE NEW PET SHELTER TO CONDUCT FAIR AND OPEN BIDDING FOR CONSTRUCTION IS A STRETCH GIVEN VERY LITTLE ACCOUNTABILITY WRITTEN IN THE HANDSHAKE DEAL!!!



Here's the word . . .

"Nobody wants to talk about it but the City is basically entering into a huge risk today. Anybody who gets shot down for a contract on the animal shelter can make a really good case about best practices. The warning has been mentioned but nobody wants to hear it. Frankly, the people running this project might be great at building & running animal shelters but they don't know much about how construction and contracting work in Kansas City. Fact is, most people are just crossing their fingers and hoping for the best. So far it has worked. Very few people are upset that this is a no bid project. With $18-million going out the door, that's really kind of impressive they've made it this far without answering some very basic concerns."

More to the point . . . Cute doggies might be the perfect distraction for Kansas City as an $18-million no bid deal won't merit much opposition from City Council who can only offer token resistance regarding MBE/WBE questions but know that they're no match for far more lovable pets.

Developing . . .