Moody's role in DeKalb construction case a twisting tale
AJC Investigation
"Moody plans to continue to bid on construction projects while he is on the committee"
"Pat Pope is friends with Moody and officials at Turner Construction, her husband has told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Moody, who declined to comment for this article, has worked on 19 DeKalb school construction projects since 2003, collecting nearly $40 million, documents show."
"H.J. Russell & Company and its excellent staff repeatedly met or exceeded all of our expectations during the pre-construction, construction and post-construction phases on several school projects totaling over $53 million dollars. Many of these projects had significant cost and sequencing challenges that Russell worked through in a collaborative manner with the school system and the design team."
Stanley J. Pritchett, Sr., Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent
DeKALB COUNTY SCHOOLS
But read this, and ask yourself, would you give this company millions of SPLOST dollars?
http://flagpole.com/Weekly/Features/TheProblemOfBethel-23Feb11
Majority ownership of Bethel is controlled by H.J. Russell and Company, a massive real estate development and property management firm based in Atlanta. This sets Bethel apart from other local public housing, which is managed by the Athens Housing Authority, a seemingly well-funded and sufficiently staffed agency whose only job is to operate and maintain public housing in Athens—except for Bethel. H.J. Russell, on the other hand, is an absentee landlord with what can only be described as divided attention. The company’s web page proudly announces its high-profile construction and development projects for multi-billion dollar global corporations, while Bethel appears to be an afterthought. Big-ticket crime prevention needs, such as an entrance gate that actually works (Bethel's gate opening onto College Avenue routinely sits wide open in disrepair), are rarely met, if at all. Even simple weather stripping is difficult to convince Russell to provide: residents complain about inexplicably high heating bills (as much as $300–$400 per winter month for the small units) while cold air enters unhindered through cracks around doors and windows.
To be fair, Russell has pitched in lately on G.E.D. and “leadership” classes for Bethel residents, spending a reported $16,000 on the educational measures. The threat of closure—loudest in early 2009, when ACC Police Chief Jack Lumpkin and County Attorney Bill Berryman sent a letter to H.J. Russell threatening to condemn the property if the company didn't take measures to reduce crime there—seems to have managed to loosen Russell’s purse strings somewhat, but the company still shies from the substantial construction costs involved in assuredly securing the neighborhood. The residents agree that the current gate’s design is flawed, as its large swinging doors act as sails in the wind and are often wrenched open. A new, sliding gate is needed, they say. Others suggest a more ambitious plan, with the gate moved from its College Avenue location. But seeing as residents have waited for over a year for minor repairs on the existing gate, it is unlikely that Russell will eagerly step up with a final, expensive replacement. To hire an off-duty police officer as a guard, the group agrees, is the only sure way to ensure that outside crime stays outside. Russell did employ off-duty ACC police officers for a short time with great success, but the company soon ended the practice, citing costs.
Do you trust this Board of Education and this Central Office to properly, responsibly and ethically spend hundreds of millions of your tax dollars for another SPLOST?
65 comments:
Maybe HJR has some New Birth connections?? Hundreds of millions spent on SPLOST, with little to no oversight. And that ain't changing under Ramona Tyson and a Tom Bowen-led board.
If the current leadership is in place when SPLOST IV comes up for a vote, I will vote NO! These folks lied to the taxpayers when they used SPLOST funds for the wonderful Palace on Stn. Mtn. Industrial. Remember folks that building was not on the list of SPLOST projects.
So until Tyson, Turk, Moseley, Thompson, Mitchell-Mayfield, Ramsey, Tucker, Berry, the Guilroys and the rest are looking for new jobs, then I will vote to give DCSS more of MY money! Thanks Ms. Tyson, you told me to trust you to turn things around, all you have done is taken us for a huge pension, a huge raise and more failing schools, NICE!
DCSS is failing!
Incredible....irresponsible, distorted and wrong! I had been reading this blog for interest but now...??? I suggest you begin to get you facts current with some accuracy...seek respectability.
All the events you mention are OLD news....Prichett hasn't been around for years. The referenced SW DeKalb addition is so old, SPLOST III has a new project in planning.
Way to go...distort the facts, stop SPLOST spending, watch the property taxes increase and let the kids suffer...NICE!!!!!
Get your head out of the sand and actually visit 1780 Montreal Road...
Anon 4:42:
Hummm....whose head is really in the sand?
I think Pritchett did a horrible job. But he was put there by Halford, not Lewis, not Brown, and not Tyson.
This is old news.
Pritchett, I believe, was already in place when SPLOST was created by the state legislature. Why Halford and the Board then didn't have the foresight to replace him with someone who actually had a background in construction is beyond me and probably you as well.
Much of the first SPLOST went to pay off some bonds and perhaps Halford felt the number of projects were manageable. BUT he left him in place for SPLOST II as well.
Inexcusable.
But old news.
Patronage and good old boyism a go-go!
All of this is just making sure that the usual suspects that stand behind the curtain get their take.
Two construction firms that have held a monopoly on contracts in Atlanta for decades under an affirmative action smokescreen.
Stir in Brown, in the thick of things since the 70s. His HQ is in the old Decatur Federal building, still haunted by Scott Candler's ghost.
I doubt that Russell was thrown into the mix because of New Birth: Long comes up looking like chump change when you compare his operation to one that received all of the contracts for Olympic venues in the city of Atlanta.
While this may be "old news", I think the author of this post is trying to show the poor performance of the DCSS leadership in the past is indicative of their future performance. At least that's how I read it.
Mr. Pritchett (I've stopped calling them Dr. unless they have an MD) did not manage SPLOST correctly, and we all know how Pat Pope/Reid managed it. Your stock broker may say past performance is not a guarantee for future returns, but that's not the case with DCSS and SPLOST. Can anyone say Stan Pritchett or Pat Pope used construction dollars wisely?
The same administration is in place (Ms. Tyson was the Deputy Superintendent over Business Operations when Pat Poe was Chief Operating Officer) when Pritchett and Pope were there. Until we change the top echelon of DCSS, we have a right to be skeptical of future performance. Do you all think the same administrators have now morphed into business savvy leaders?
"Until we change the top echelon of DCSS, we have a right to be skeptical of future performance."
True That! Great post Anon 10:39.
And let's start by booting Tom Bowen from the BOE! His lack of leadership during the Crawford Lewis/Pat Pope era has carried over to the Tyson era.
And I've heard some complaints that the public and media were much harder on the Zepora Roberts "I'm gonna slug you" comment that they are on the Womack "Yes, I'm God" comment.
Womack does deserve harsh criticism, not just for making such an ignorant statement, but doing so to the head of the DeKalb Delegation, which we need to support the school system! Womack crossed the line and embarassed the system equally as much as Zepora did, but Zepora did so to a reporter, not to an elected official whom we need as much help as we can get from.
Unbelievable.
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/legislator-claims-ethics-violation-853174.html
“He can file anything he wants. I didn’t think it was an ethics violation to voice an opinion,” Womack said. “Yes, I said ‘I’m God,' but he brought it up."
One could only imagine the condition of DCSS if God lost the election.
Cynical? Yes!
I feel Womack needs to apologize just as much as Zepora Roberts needed to. If he can't control his temper at an official event, he should not be an elected official.
Womack represents my district. Talk about a shoo-in at the next election. Who's willing to risk the wrath of The Creator by running against Him? You think Shayna Steinfeld's willing to take that heat? Just imagine how long He, in His divine wisdom, could suspend a legal license.
My understanding is that Womack says he won't run again. If he does I think he will be beaten. He had a much poorer track record than Jim Redovian, and Redovian lost. The District that really came through was the one that elected Donna Edler by a landslide. Districts do not want to be embarrassed by their BOE reps. That's what Womack did to his constituents.
I will be shocked if Womack runs again. I would not be shocked if another board member ran for that position instead of the position this person is in now. It depends on what the positions are going to look like in a year.
"The District that really came through was the one that elected Donna Edler by a landslide."
I do believe Mr. Womack is about to find out he is not as divine as he thinks he is. Apparently he is unaware who helped unseat Zepora.
I suspect Womack will get get a slap on the wrist. There is not an ethic committee other than the school board who oversee themselves. This is the reason that an ethics board is needed for the school board.
Ella
I wonder if Pam Speaks will run for District 4 if the legislature does away with super districts? Maybe that's the deal she and Womack have already cut.
It will be interesting to see if Tom Bowen and the BOE respond like they did for the other 2 BOE members who mis-stepped. SACS is watching and so are those who see color.
How can we find out if Jones went through with filing an ethics complaint?
Tom Bowen publicly reprimanded Zepora at a BOE meeting. He is obligated to do the same with Womack/Foghorn Leghorn.
And why wouldn't Womack apologize for his rude behavior to a public official while in a professional capacity? I already emailed Emanuel Jones that I support his efforts to reduce the DCSS BOE to 5 members and stating how concerned I was that Paul Womack showed him such disrespect. I already thought Paul Womack should resign for his support of Pat Pope and Crawford Lewis and his support for Lewis's mistress still holding a position making educational policy for our children. This just shows he is even more out of touch with what this job is all about.
11:54P.M. You are so right but who wants "change except for babies".
Emanual Jones is a BIG JOKE. He is the most arrogant, none performing, State Senator we have. He is a Deal... a bad Deal. He has a multi-million dollar mansion in Henry Countyand a lousy family life thta I HOPE will come out soon. Hello, NEW Birth! He is suppose to represent a small portion of DeKalb but really represents Henry which he does nothing for either. HE IS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF CLEWIS...HELLO...
Go Wommack, fight it out with' who is God? Both of you loose to the
Devil. However, we do need Wommack on the Boars. He has institutional knowledge and REALLY cares about children. He has a right to speak his disagreements. I have voiced my opinions with him with lots of emotions at times. He listened and then was honest enough to say he disagreed but would consider my opinion ...and he did.
As for Jones and Wommack in reference to God, ...My God. oh God" ain't YOUR GOD.
I must live on the Bizarro World of Anon 12:07. I've dealt with Emmanual Jones many times, and found him to be professional, smart and a good listener. Even though DeKalb is overwhelmingly Democrat, he works well with the delegation's Republican state senators and rep's.
On the other hand, I've dealt with Womack, and found him to be condescending, sexist and a bloaviating ham. Cares about children? More like cares about his massive ego and constantly reminding people on what an all-star businessman he was (a few decades ago). He might have known what the school system needed 25 years ago, but he is completely lost in today's times. And he's obsessed with bringing back Briarcliff High, along with McChesney. And Heritage too.
Womack also despises this blog and those who post to it, even though it's been an incredible agent of change.
For such accomplshed businessman, you'd think he'd want the public to see the 2004 E & Y audit.
Womack was part of the Board of Ed that inexcusably extended the desegregation lawsuit back in the 80s. His institutional knowledge, if it is even there, is of a time when things were truly separate and unequal.
He was elected because he campaigned door to door, with fliers, etc that promised the bring Lakeside back to the way it use to be. Let me know, if you need to know what he was inferring, but I will tell you I don't think the race of the new principal is a coincidence.
Finally, Gene Walker only ran because Womack was running. Joy. Two for the price of one!
Something should be cleared up regarding this post. Tom Bowen picked David Moody to the Citizens Advisory Committee. This is a committee with oversight responsibilities and help the public understand the progress of the CIP (these points are listed in the bylaws for the committee). It does not have any decision making authority as the elected school board members are the only ones with that responsibility.
At the first meeting of this committee on June 24, 2008 and after introductions, the committee members elected David Moody as the chair. They did so knowing he had a active project with the school district. He was elected the chair the help run the meetings and because other members felt he had insight to the construction process that could help others with asking good questions. David informed members that he would NOT bid on any DCSS projects while serving on this committee.
If there is someone that can show David Moody bidded on a project after being asked to serve on this committee, you have a point of him going back on his word. Legally there would not be a violation but ethically there would be. He did not bid on any projects while on this committee so nothing was done wrong.
Too many people here seem to think that a chair elected by their body of members has additional decision making powers. The role of the chair is to help with the agenda, lead the meeting and act as a spokesperson for the group. They have one vote like the other members.
Interesting no one is speaking about the additions to Druid Hills, the work done on Cross Keys and Lakeside, along with the new Tucker. These were some of the projects on the SPLOST III plan that either are in progress or being worked on. No one is talking about the savings to the district with projects coming in under budget, allowing more needed work to be done.
Hope this truth does not get in the way of more conspiracy theories.
Uh 7:20...I think you left out appoint committee chairs...do all board members do that? I think that gives Bowen a little more power than the others?
@7:30, you are correct, they do appoint committee chairs. The reality behind that is do you think the chair does that without consulting with the other members?
Don't be naiive, this is not done in isolation for any organization.
I forgot to also point out that even though the chair may appoint committee chairs, it has to be voted on by the full board. Again to my point that there are discussions behinds the scenes before this is brought before the public.
Did you find anything wrong with other parts of the post? If so, please share it so it can be cleared up. The key was to clear up much of the miscommunication (I don't think the original poster knew the facts behind what they said) that goes out regarding the SPLOST program.
Fred
I know members of this committee who did not understand that Moody was in business with DCSS. They also claim they have tried to elect a different chair and have been unable to even get it on the agenda. (If only to clear up the perception of a conflict of interest.)
What do you know about this?
I was at the first meeting of this committee on June 24, 2008. David Moody was upfront with everyone at that meeting regarding who he was and the work he has done. He was elected by those at that meeting.
In accordance to the by-laws, each term was for one year. An officer could serve for no more than two consecutive terms. I recall questions begin asked (mostly due to misinformation that came from this blog) but I don't know of a vote to remove him prior to his second term ending. If he was asked to step down, he was in is right to refuse if the reason for asking was due to misinformation.
David's tenure as chair should have ended last year. I don't know if someone else is serving in that role as it has been a while since they have had a meeting. I don't know if they are as active as they once were.
"Moody plans to continue to bid on construction projects while he is on the committee, and would recuse himself if any of his future school projects were reviewed by the group, Hayes said."
Oh my, Fred. Even if it was lgal it was still a major conflict of interest. Moody got firsthad access on DCSS construction, operations, management styles, etc. He clearly gained a competitive advantage for future bids. How can you not see that this was an extremely poor decision by Moody.
And t top it off, Moddy and Bowen barely knew each other. Moody cntacted Bowen and wanted to be named to the CAC.
http://www.ajc.com/news/moodys-role-in-dekalb-282366.html
A Lithonia construction company owner caught up in a DeKalb County criminal investigation into school construction projects heads a committee that oversees such projects, documents show.
David Moody, owner of C.D. Moody Construction Company, has been chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee since August 2008 and has served on the committee since July 2008, documents show.
The committee monitors construction projects, primarily focusing on whether the projects are on time and under budget. The committee informs the DeKalb school board of any delays or overruns, but does not get directly involved in the projects.
School officials do not plan to remove Moody as the group’s chairman — no criminal charges have been filed against him — but some members of the oversight committee are questioning whether he should remain while the investigation continues.
Moody is one of three business owners or businesses being scrutinized by the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office in its criminal investigation of the district’s former chief operating officer, Patricia Pope.
Authorities are probing whether Pope broke Georgia law by allegedly steering construction contracts to her husband, architect Tony Pope, Moody and a third company, Turner Construction, according to school district documents. In October, authorities searched the homes and offices of Moody and the Popes.
Pat Pope is friends with Moody and officials at Turner Construction, her husband has told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Moody, who declined to comment for this article, has worked on 19 DeKalb school construction projects since 2003, collecting nearly $40 million, documents show. All those projects had been completed by the time Moody joined the board, according to Garet Hayes, a public relations specialist who spoke to the AJC on Moody’s behalf.
Moody has previously said through Hayes that he is cooperating in the investigation.
But committee member Pam McCorkle Buncum said the committee cannot provide transparent oversight if Moody continues as chair.
Part 2
“I just think it’s going to raise questions if he is still having that responsibility as chair,” said McCorkle Buncum, who does not object to Moody staying on the committee as a regular member. “How do we know we’re not getting maneuvered in a direction that they want us to go?”
Committee member Marshall Orson said he didn’t want to prematurely judge Moody, but said Moody’s connection to the criminal investigation “certainly makes it more compelling that he should not be on the committee.”
Other committee members, such as Will Thomas, disagree.
“Until there is an indictment or some sort of conviction, I have no problem with Dave being on the committee,” Thomas said.
Superintendent Crawford Lewis declined to comment for this article, school district spokesman Dale Davis said.
But in an e-mail sent to McCorkle Buncum, obtained by the AJC, Lewis made it clear that Moody was staying put for now.
“I am in ongoing discussions with our legal counsel,” Lewis wrote, “and we are in agreement that it would be premature to act on the matter of CAC officers as the DA’s investigation is ongoing.”
Moody does not intend to step down from his chairman post, Hayes said.
Patricia Pope served as the advisor to the oversight committee before she was removed from her position and replaced by Barbara Colman, the district’s interim chief operating officer.
Moody was appointed to the committee by school board chairman Tom Bowen, who described Moody as a friendly acquaintance. Each school board member and the board chairman appoint two people to the committee.
Bowen said he first met Moody in late 2001, during his first school board campaign.
Bowen said a mutual friend referred him to Moody, saying Moody was one of the “key business leaders in the district.”
“They said, ‘If you’re going to run for office, I think this is someone you should know,’ ” Bowen said.
The men stayed in touch over the years.
“We’ve talked on the phone,” Bowen said. “I would say we probably communicate a couple times a year, usually by e-mail or a phone call.”
Bowen said he appointed Moody to the committee because he is one of the area’s most successful businessmen and also lives in DeKalb County.
Unless Moody is charged with or found guilty of a crime, Bowen has no plans to ask him to step down.
“In the event that the investigation turns a different way, I would have to revisit the appointment,” he said.
Orson and McCorkle Buncum, arguably the two most vocal members of the committee, also questioned whether Moody should have ever been appointed to it, considering that Moody has regularly received multimillion-dollar contracts to build or renovate schools.
“You always want to maintain the appearance of propriety,” Orson said. “In order to build public trust, you need to instill the public’s trust. And you can’t instill the public’s trust if you include the people you’re overseeing as part of the oversight group.”
Part 3
Thomas disagrees. If Moody was involved in a project being reviewed by the committee, he should simply recuse himself from those discussions, Thomas said.
It’s not clear from committee minutes or interviews with committee members whether the group reviewed any projects in which Moody was involved or any of the other projects under investigation.
Hayes, Moody’s spokeswoman, said the committee did not review any of Moody’s projects.
The two Moody projects that are under investigation — Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Center and Flat Rock Elementary — were completed before he joined the committee, according to the school district.
Moody plans to continue to bid on construction projects while he is on the committee, and would recuse himself if any of his future school projects were reviewed by the group, Hayes said.
Bowen and Hayes both said they believe Moody’s position does not create a conflict of interest because the committee has no regulatory power and does not award contracts.
“I would think that he would have to have some ability to influence construction in some way to benefit him,” Bowen said.
The AJC’s report last month that Moody was involved in two of the six construction projects being investigated by authorities prompted a flurry of calls and e-mails among committee members.
At the committee meeting on Jan. 14, McCorkle Buncum brought up the issue of Moody’s status on the board, considering the allegations.
Moody did not address her concerns.
Moody’s attorney, Richard Valladares, stood up and explained that he had instructed Moody not to talk.
“I just don’t want Mr. Moody’s silence to be misconstrued by the public,” Valladares said.
Moody did add one remark, telling McCorkle Buncum that he had no hard feelings.
“I don’t take any of it personally,” he said.
Fred,
Your understanding of ethics is very questionable
http://www.ajc.com/news/moodys-role-in-dekalb-282366.html
A Lithonia construction company owner caught up in a DeKalb County criminal investigation into school construction projects heads a committee that oversees such projects, documents show.
David Moody, owner of C.D. Moody Construction Company, has been chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee since August 2008 and has served on the committee since July 2008, documents show.
The committee monitors construction projects, primarily focusing on whether the projects are on time and under budget. The committee informs the DeKalb school board of any delays or overruns, but does not get directly involved in the projects.
School officials do not plan to remove Moody as the group’s chairman — no criminal charges have been filed against him — but some members of the oversight committee are questioning whether he should remain while the investigation continues.
Moody is one of three business owners or businesses being scrutinized by the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office in its criminal investigation of the district’s former chief operating officer, Patricia Pope.
Authorities are probing whether Pope broke Georgia law by allegedly steering construction contracts to her husband, architect Tony Pope, Moody and a third company, Turner Construction, according to school district documents. In October, authorities searched the homes and offices of Moody and the Popes.
Pat Pope is friends with Moody and officials at Turner Construction, her husband has told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Moody, who declined to comment for this article, has worked on 19 DeKalb school construction projects since 2003, collecting nearly $40 million, documents show. All those projects had been completed by the time Moody joined the board, according to Garet Hayes, a public relations specialist who spoke to the AJC on Moody’s behalf.
Moody has previously said through Hayes that he is cooperating in the investigation.
But committee member Pam McCorkle Buncum said the committee cannot provide transparent oversight if Moody continues as chair.
“I just think it’s going to raise questions if he is still having that responsibility as chair,” said McCorkle Buncum, who does not object to Moody staying on the committee as a regular member. “How do we know we’re not getting maneuvered in a direction that they want us to go?”
Committee member Marshall Orson said he didn’t want to prematurely judge Moody, but said Moody’s connection to the criminal investigation “certainly makes it more compelling that he should not be on the committee.”
Other committee members, such as Will Thomas, disagree.
“Until there is an indictment or some sort of conviction, I have no problem with Dave being on the committee,” Thomas said.
Superintendent Crawford Lewis declined to comment for this article, school district spokesman Dale Davis said.
But in an e-mail sent to McCorkle Buncum, obtained by the AJC, Lewis made it clear that Moody was staying put for now.
“I am in ongoing discussions with our legal counsel,” Lewis wrote, “and we are in agreement that it would be premature to act on the matter of CAC officers as the DA’s investigation is ongoing.”
Moody does not intend to step down from his chairman post, Hayes said.
Patricia Pope served as the advisor to the oversight committee before she was removed from her position and replaced by Barbara Colman, the district’s interim chief operating officer.
Moody was appointed to the committee by school board chairman Tom Bowen, who described Moody as a friendly acquaintance. Each school board member and the board chairman appoint two people to the committee.
Bowen said he first met Moody in late 2001, during his first school board campaign.
Bowen said a mutual friend referred him to Moody, saying Moody was one of the “key business leaders in the district.”
Fred, read this below, you could not be more wrong!!
Moody plans to continue to bid on construction projects while he is on the committee, and would recuse himself if any of his future school projects were reviewed by the group, Hayes said.
Pat Pope is friends with Moody and officials at Turner Construction, her husband has told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Moody, who declined to comment for this article, has worked on 19 DeKalb school construction projects since 2003, collecting nearly $40 million, documents show. All those projects had been completed by the time Moody joined the board, according to Garet Hayes, a public relations specialist who spoke to the AJC on Moody’s behalf.
@9:32, I don'be believe I said anything wrong. David Moody made the statement I indicated at the July meeting. If he changed it after that meeting, it does not change what he said earlier.
The facts still remain, David Moody being on an oversight committee or serving as a chair did not present a conflict of interest. This committee did not make any decisions. Ask any member of the committee to see if they felt influenced by something he said that could be construed as improper. I am confident the answer will be no. He helped create awareness of why there would be cost savings with SPLOST (due to lower than expected labor costs). Is that a bad thing?
The real proof in the pudding is if anyone can show that David Moody either won or bid on a construction project since July 2008. If anyone can provide documented proof of that, then you may have something. Otherwise you are trying to make something of nothing.
Now I will challenge the premise of this blog even further. Can someone point out something from what was promised in SPLOST III that was not done or at least accounted for? Use the community literature about the program as your starting point:
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/progress/files/4B038D340A174983999463C142F93EF2.pdf
Interestingly it does mention the Freeman Administration building will be affected but it was not as clear as it should have been in #11 on the plan. Some projects were postponed such as the Lithonia High School expansion #16 (the cluster with the greatest number of students living in it but not attending those schools).
This program has done more than what was originally expected however some people seem intent to misrepresent that.
@ Fred
"Now I will challenge the premise of this blog even further. Can someone point out something from what was promised in SPLOST III that was not done or at least accounted for?"
Competent work done on time.
@10:07, surely you can do better than that. Can you provide a specific project? Cross Keys was delayed for various reasons but I think they are happy with the final results.
Constuction is not an exact science, especially when you have to coordinate with county government, architects, contractors, and others. Projects some times slip but if you keep citizens informed and it remains within the allocated budget, you move on.
Fred,
First of all, who is Cointa Moody related to?
You remember, Pat Pope's highly paid assistant that is currently under indictment as well as Tony Pope, Pat Pope/Reid and Clewless!
2nd is your question regarding SPLOST projects not being completed?
What about Henderson MS being retrofitted from a HS to MS during SPLOST II and still not being done during SPLOST III?
3rd and not least is this article from the AJC on 01/24/2010 describing Moody and his relationship with Tony Pope and Pat Pope.
http://www.ajc.com/news/moodys-role-in-dekalb-282366.html
Why do you think he should be a part of the solution on CAC while he has been so closely associated with the PROBLEM within DCSS?
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
S7
Sagamore 7 asks,
"First of all, who is Cointa Moody related to?"
Not sure but it has been reported it is NOT David Moody. What difference does it make? Everybody is related to somebody.
"What about Henderson MS being retrofitted from a HS to MS during SPLOST II and still not being done during SPLOST III?"
It's been acknowledged that SPLOST II was a cluster you know what. Dr. Pritchett lost his job over the failings of SPLOST II. The school district is suing Heery Mitchell over excessive change orders SPLOST II. How can you have a 'fixed price' project then issue a change order for it?
The overall problem with SPLOST II is that the school district also promised more in projects than it had revenues for. Remember the old 'above the line/below the line" Henderson is not the only school that got screwed during SPLOST II. At the same time, citizens are partially to blame (squeaky wheels) but ultimately responsibility should fall on the Board at that time for approving projects it could not afford.
"Why do you think he should be a part of the solution on CAC while he has been so closely associated with the PROBLEM within DCSS?"
The AJC is not clean is all of this either as they have also miscommunicated information in stories. They did not report that the school district could have lost several million dollars of Gates money if they did not move forward with relocation of DECA to Mountain Industrial earlier than expected. As a result, other projects in that facility were done earlier also. Don't let them shape your opinion unless you know the entire story.
At the same time, I think too many are giving too much credit to the CAC. Look up the list of members and ask them if David did anything improper on the committee. If someone believes he did something improper, aske them to be very specific and post it here. Most of the time, the meetings consisted of information sharing by the staff then discussion amongst the members. David had no influence over that.
Fred,
You seem to have a knowledge of past events that is refreshing to this blog.
I hope you stick around a while to see that DCSS gets turned around for the sake of the children.
Are you going to attend the meeting this evening?
I'll ask some of my associates on CAC about David and respond with any information that may arise.
Thanks again for your prompt response.
S7
Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...
In 2001, Tom Bowen, then running for his first BOE campaign, met David Moody through a "mutual friend".
Before then, Moody had no DCSS contracts.
Since 2003, David Moody has worked on 19 DeKalb school construction projects since 2003, collecting nearly $40 million.
Smell test, anyone?
HJ Russell & Company (and family) were always big Vernon Jones campaign contributurs. Enough said.
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/parents-make-one-last-857791.html
I know let's not trust anybody and let our children suffer rather than having the courage and industry to elect a decent board and hold them accountable for spending our tax dollars wisely. I personally will not hesitate to vote for SPLOST to sustain our schools. If you want to abdicate your responsiblity as a citizen so you can then complain about malfeasance then we have met the enemy and it's us.
What bunk, Anon 1:58. This Central Office and BOE have proven it can not competently and efficiently spend SPLOST dollars (unless its for a new Central Office facility), enough so that the systems then top 2 officials are under indictment.
Allowing them to continue to do so "for the children" is irresponsible and wasteful. SPLOST can be deferred for a year or two.
Well said 1:58! This particular post complains about who the school system is spending its dollars with. In the case of David Moody, he is a DeKalb resident, had children attend DeKalb schools, is supportive of the school district and also uses many DeKalb residents to provide the labor. He bid on projects and had the most 'responsible, responsive' bid then delivered the services on time and under budget. I don't recall hearing any complaints from those that bid against him however this open+transparent person wants to bring untruths about a local business person for providing quality service for the county where he lives.
The network of contractors is small. An even smaller network is African American contractors. Isn't it reasonable that most African American contractors in the metro area would know one another because there are so few of them?
Should we go back and look at the contractors used during Jim Cherry's administration and scrutinize each of them? I bet he chose contractors that he felt would provide quality service for a good price. Hopefully he used local business people so that dollars could be reinvested in the county.
I asked if anyone could find a project that David Moody bidded on since being appointed to the CAC and heard crickets. Can someone find a project on the CIP that was not done? Hopefully S7 will validate that David was open about his business dealings with the county and was democratically elected by members of the CAC to be its first chair. Hopefully S7 will also find out that as the chair, he simply ran the meeting according to the agenda and did not seek to influence the discussions.
It is a sad day when people can hide behind pseudonyms and impugn a good business person based on misinformation.
Name one untruth from the post or the AJC article. Just one. C'mon, Fred.
His co-committee members Pam Buncum and Marshal Orson went on record with their concerns.
We don't know the quality of his work. We know little about DCSS construction projects as this administration is consistently secretive. He admittedly was personal friends with Pat Pope.
Nice little competitive advantage that other contractors didn't have, to be friends with the person in charge of hundreds of millions of construction projects, plus serving a citizen's advisory board for said projects.
"The network of contractors is small." You obviously don't know construction in Georgia, as this state has a large number of large and mid-size construction companies. There are plenty of contractors who are capable and qualified, but did not have the advantage of working closely with Sam Moss staff, learning their priorities and management styles, building personal relationships, having direct information on facilities needs, etc., by serving on the CAC.
Moody clearly stated himself he would still bid on DCSS projects while he served on the board.
Sorry Fred. A conflict of interest is a conflict of interest.
"He bid on projects and had the most 'responsible, responsive' bid then delivered the services on time and under budget."
Ha! There were other contractors and architects who originally had the most "responsible, responsive" bid on projects.
Some actually were hired, started work, and then were released as Pat Pope changed the scope of work and alledgely hired her favorites, including her own then husband.
Your arguments Fred, just don't hold up.
"I asked if anyone could find a project that David Moody bidded on since being appointed to the CAC and heard crickets. Can someone find a project on the CIP that was not done?"
Hard to do when DCSS doesn't make such information easily accessible on its webpage.
But committee member Pam McCorkle Buncum said the committee cannot provide transparent oversight if Moody continues as chair.
“I just think it’s going to raise questions if he is still having that responsibility as chair,” said McCorkle Buncum, who does not object to Moody staying on the committee as a regular member. “How do we know we’re not getting maneuvered in a direction that they want us to go?”
Committee member Marshall Orson said he didn’t want to prematurely judge Moody, but said Moody’s connection to the criminal investigation “certainly makes it more compelling that he should not be on the committee.”
Orson and McCorkle Buncum, arguably the two most vocal members of the committee, also questioned whether Moody should have ever been appointed to it, considering that Moody has regularly received multimillion-dollar contracts to build or renovate schools.
“You always want to maintain the appearance of propriety,” Orson said. “In order to build public trust, you need to instill the public’s trust. And you can’t instill the public’s trust if you include the people you’re overseeing as part of the oversight group.”
@3:58 said, "Hard to do when DCSS doesn't make such information easily accessible on its webpage."
Let me help you out since you can't seem to find anything. This is the link to the SPLOST Program Status Report as of January 2011. I'll be waiting on your post.
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/administration/operations/projects/2002-2007/files/SPLOST2/SPLOST_II_Program_Status_TOC_January_Report_Final.pdf
@3:53, if you read my post at 7:20 on 3/1, I outlined what was incorrect. It started with this statement, "DCSS Chair Tom Bowen picked David Moody, a construction company owner, to chair the Citizen's Advisory Committee, as advisory board for school construction projects" which is NOT true.
So Marshall Orson and Pam Buncum had opinions. So what, if the opinions are based on false assumptions, what good are the opinions? You might want to ask them if they voted for him as chair during the first meeting.
Marshall commented he questioned David overseeing projects he worked on. The CAC oversight was for the school district handling of the projects not the actual projects themselves. You think lay citizens are qualified to oversee construction projects? If so, I'd like you to oversee the sale of oceanfront property on US 78.
Also, you do realize that the winner bidder is selected by a team of individuals based on a common scorecard. The biggest piece of misinformation that came from the AJC was that Pat Pope selected the winning bidder. She knew that would not fly because of possible improprieties. If David Moody won a bid, it is because he had the best bid. Again, are you aware of any contractors complaining about his winning a bid? Are you the kind of person that does not like projects being completed on time and under budget? I guess you like Heery and Mitchell overcharging taxpayers with change orders for fixed price projects.
Tell you what, go to his website and see for yourself. Also take note of the other projects he has worked on along with how he gives back to the community. When you can back up anything you said with hard proof, feel free to post it.
Fred must be new to this blog.
He supports millions spent on the Mpuntain Industrial mega-complex for Central Office, $2,000 chairs and BOE offices, jumpin ahead of school house projects and fixing leaking rooofs.
Fred is unaware that the only reasons why Cross Keys High finally got attention, with its decrepit facilities and large hole in the gym, are because of Kim Gokce and this blog, who both brought it the public attention.
Fred is unaware that Lakeside finally got money for an addition after a few months of non-stop atention on this blog, posting photo's of the most disgusting restrooms in Georgia.
Fred is an apologist for the old DCSS Way.
That's fine, Fred. But the times are a 'changin. We are getting close to cleaning house, whether BOE or the Central Office.
David Moody won't be able to have a mutual friend introduce him to Tom Bowen, and go from no DCSS projects to $40 million in a few years after Bowen was elected.
" If David Moody won a bid, it is because he had the best bid."
Dude, what fantasy planet do you live on? The DeKalb DA has brought to our attention that during the Pope regime, when Moody was awarded some of his contracts, firms were awarded because of her manipulations, not merit.
And front row seats to Hawks games for Crawford Lewis paid for b construction companies did hurt either.
Fred, David Moody keeps dubious company. Funny how he never got any DCSS contracts until Pat Pope came on board/Tom Bowen was elected:
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/conflict-in-dekalb-school-523098.html
Those documents also include a list of four references provided by Vincent Pope. One of them is the former Superintendent Lewis; another is David Moody, a Lithonia construction company owner and friend of the Popes. Lewis and Moody, both of whom gave Tony Pope’s company high marks, are also under investigation in the same case.
---
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/school-board-says-its-273593.html
According to records obtained by the AJC, the district attorney is reviewing six construction projects.
Pope’s now estranged husband, A. “Tony” Vincent Pope, worked on three of them. His friend, Lithonia builder David Moody, worked on two of the six projects, and Turner Construction worked on at least one of them.
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http://www.communityradar.com/story.php?title=so-how-is-the-civil-case-between-dcss-and-heery-mitchell-coming-along
On April 19, 2006, according to Heery/Mitchell, Pat Reid informed the construction partners their contract had been suspended until further notice. She also ordered the contractors off school property by the end of the work day.
The following day, according to the indictment, C.D. Moody Construction Co. was awarded the $11.9 million contract for McNair Cluster Elementary. The company's owner, Charles David Moody, was a close family friend of Reid and Pope, according to the indictment.
C.D. Moody listed Vernell Barnes as the project's "architect of record.” But prosecutors say it was Vincent Pope (Reid’s then husband), not Barnes, who did most of the substitute architectural work. Pope tried to cover his involvement in the project in an email that is part of the evidence.
---
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-school-official-faces-238420.html
In one instance, the builder was Moody, who is a friend of Pat Pope and president of C.D. Moody Construction Company.
The project was the construction of McNair Discovery Learning Academy, south of Decatur.
Moody was awarded an $11.9 million contract, later revised to $12.2 million, to build the school in April 2006.
The contract shows that Moody identified Barnes as his subcontractor for the architectural, civil and structural work. Barnes also is listed as the architect on 10 different price revisions to the contract from October 2006 to March 2008.
Pope’s name is not found on any of the paperwork.
Pope, however, said that Barnes, whom he has worked with in the past, got behind in his work so Moody brought him in to help.
Tony Pope said he has known both Moody and Barnes for more than a decade.
He described Moody as a friend, but said that Pat Pope has known him longer. Her sister used to work for Moody, he said.
Over the years, Moody was a guest at the Popes’ home several times “for a Christmas party or something like that,” Tony Pope said.
Tony Pope said he and Moody also have worked together before. Their first project was in 1999, when they worked on a medical clinic in East Point, Pope said.
C.D. Moody Construction is one of the most prominent minority-owned construction companies in metro Atlanta and has gotten much work from DeKalb’s school system in recent years. Since 2003, Moody has collected nearly $40 million from the school district, documents show.
Check out David Moody, Pat and Vince Pope, page 44, 45, 46, 47. Tom Bowen picked this guy to run the CAC??? Wonder if the "mutual friend" who introduced Tom to Moody was Pat Pope or Crawford??
http://www.atlantaunfiltered.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Indictment-10CR2861.pdf
for 3:42 PM
It is a different board of education now and a different central office. The two people you rerfer to are no longer our employees.
The time to improve is now not in a couple of years.
@ anonymous 12:15
"It is a different board of education now and a different central office."
I don't think that's true. We still have all the same people in place when Lewis was there. Lewis put them in those positions. You don't think Lewis came up with all those new positions and promotions by himself. And what about Lewis's girlfriend? She's still in a high ranking position making educational decisions for children.
With their "eyes off the ball" yet again....
We are getting reports that Miller Grove Middle School is suffering the same leaky roof and mold issues as many other schools (Cross Keys, Lakeside, Kittredge, Chamblee HS to name a few).
There is TOO MUCH ATTENTION paid to the politics of the administration and the board - and it appears that very few people are handling the necessary day to day work needed to keep the classrooms clean, safe, supported and well-supplied.
Water leaks cause health hazard at middle school
This is obviously not a north/south issue - this is an issue of inaction and incompetence countywide.
I continue to wiwh folks had it "in them" to get county health and fire officials involved with inspections for health and safety violations when these issues come up... feet to the fire, feet to the fire....
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