Last Updated on November 18, 2020, 9:26 AM | Published: November 18, 2020
Commissioners will take up an item on their special meeting agenda Wednesday that, if voted in, would name an Iowa firm for consulting on expenditures of CARES Act funds and name Commissioner Kevin Calvey as the manager of the relationship.
Commissioner Kevin Calvey submitted the agenda item to name RSM US LLP as the consultants on the use of CARES Act funds including the draft of the engagement letter.
And, the letter, in its current form, names Kevin Calvey for oversight of the relationship. (See the agenda and draft of the engagement letter below.)
Consulting but no audit
If the Board of County Commissioners votes for the item as written, this agreement listed in the letter would be as follows (original has numbering errors):
“…management of Client [Oklahoma County] agrees to the following:”
- “Client has designated Kevin Calvey, County Commissioner, a senior member of management, who possesses suitable skill, knowledge, and experience to oversee the Services.”
- “Kevin Calvey, County Commissioner, will assume all management responsibilities for subject matter and scope of the Services.”
- “Client will evaluate the adequacy and results of the Services performed.”
- “Client accepts responsibility for the results and ultimate use of the Services.”
The draft letter makes clear that the firm would not be responsible for an audit or opinion but would be in a consulting role.
However, the agreement would give the firm “… access to key people, facilities and data, and that all levels of your employees and contractors will cooperate fully and timely with us.”
“We will also let you know where we feel we are not getting the appropriate cooperation or direction and advise you of any other issues related to this engagement,” the engagement letter draft reads. “The success of this engagement is dependent upon full openness, communications, cooperation and timely direction.”
Fees will not be a flat contract figure but would be charged on an hourly basis ranging from $450 per billable hour for “Partner or Principal” all the way down to $150 per hour for an “Associate.”
Latest turn
This is the latest in a four-month process driven primarily by Kevin Calvey and assisted by Brian Maughan’s voted with Calvey to first transfer all CARES Act funds to the Jail Trust without their requesting it.
CARES Act funds must be spent by the end of 2020 or in six weeks.
Calvey then attempted to resist the Jail Trust returning a portion of the money back to the county so it could be used for small business relief in Oklahoma County. He was outvoted.
When the item was taken up in the last Oklahoma County Budget Board meeting, Calvey attempted to delay the vote on the CARES Act funds until later in the month but lost that vote and the money went to the BoCC.
At the BoCC Monday where the assistance program was voted on, Calvey submitted a motion to set a “hard deadline” on expending the funds for December 9 or about three weeks later.
In contrast, the City of Oklahoma City started their assistance programs for small businesses very soon after receiving the money and are now in their second round of assisting the businesses. The program has kept many businesses open in the city limits according to a survey reported by Cathy O’Connor who has coordinated the program.
Agenda Oklahoma-County-Engagement-Letter-DRAFT
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
