Atlanta slows pace of $2M contract pending Inspector General review

Atlanta City Council members Tuesday withheld support of a $2 million contract for the Department of Watershed Management because they first want to see a study of the contract from the city’s new Office of Inspector General.

Watershed wants to pay $2 million to the United Consulting Group to investigate ground conditions and materials at different work sites.

The council typically approves these agreements after the contract is reviewed by the Independent Procurement Review Office, also known as I-PRO. Independent Review Officers investigate every stage of the procurement process for every function of city government whenever the cost of the proposed service exceeds $1 million.

But Tuesday, the council’s City Utilities committee disclosed it had yet to receive and review the I-PRO report. Atlanta City Auditor Amanda Noble initially told the committee the report was ready, but she apologized and later admitted that is not true.

“I got my wires crossed, and I was talking about a different report,” she said.

“The I-PRO report — it slipped through the cracks,” Noble added.

Watershed Commissioner Mikita Browning also admitted that the department assumed the I-PRO report was ready or pending review.

Noble said the city obtained the report last week and is planning to finish the review by April.

City Councilman Dustin Hillis initially suggested the committee should move the resolution with “no recommendation” as long as the council receives the I-PRO report.

Councilman Howard Shook disagreed. He said he’s “squeamish” about setting a precedent and that this issue is not as simple as “digging” through an email inbox for an “already completed and clean” report.

The committee then unanimously voted to hold the resolution.

BOB ANDRES/AJC 2016 The I-PRO watchdog unit, once under the city auditor’s office, now is under the Office of Inspector General, created in 2020 to tackle Atlanta City Hall corruption.