Files showing all past ARPA awards, applications along with the spreadsheet showing the dates of when applications were received, amounts requested, amounts awarded, applications statuses and the links to the applications had all been removed permanently from the files.
By Halisi Moyo (Developing Story)
City Councilor Tracye Whitfield says she has been barred from reviewing data requested to effectively serve as the new appointee to the city’s ARPA Advisory Committee. Whitfield appointed by City Council President Jesse Lederman, states that while in attendance of her first advisory meeting on January 3rd, she was told by colleagues on the committee that she did not have all of the information required to make informed decisions or vote on the items before her. Whitfield says at that point she put in a request for “all” files and data relevant to the ARPA Advisory Committee and the ARPA process.
On January 4th, Whitfield picked up her assigned laptop from City Hall only to discover that the that the ARPA folders had been altered. The files showing all past awards, applications along with the spreadsheet showing the dates of when applications were received, amounts requested, amounts awarded, applications statuses and the links to the applications had all been removed permanently from the files.
Whitfield, who has been leading public discourse and holding ARPA meetings months prior to her appointment to the committee says she was disappointed and saddened by the removal of information to purposefully preventing her from reviewing files and being brought up to speed on all that had taken place with the ARPA process.
Whitfield says these issues only serve to support my suspicions that the mayor, his administration, and/or his departments have covertly committed some wrong doings and are attempting to cover-up. Whitfield states that she is not done and that she will be filing to receive the data via the freedom of information act. Whitfield states that residents of this city need to know what is happening and need to have full access to this public information.
Whitfield cites as an example, during a very public and recorded finance subcommittee meeting, Whitfield states that she was informed by Melanie Acobe that all applications were date/time stamped and found it strange that Tina Quagliato would follow up by communicating to her (Whitfield) that there were no time stamped dates associated with each application. Whitfield says, it is discrepancies such as this that (one) can only confirmed via direct access to the actual data and (two) breeds distrust between public officials, and the public.
Whitfield says she has worked diligently as a public official to ensure that full transparency with everything that happens downtown to ensure that her constituents have a clear understanding of the process of running our city along with all that that entails.
In a letter to Tim Sheehan and the ARPA Advisory Committee, Whitfield writes:
“I hope that all of you who may be involved in these actions consider doing the right thing and ensure all the information on ARPA applications and the process in awarding funds be transparent. In addition, I hope those involved will return all of these folders and documents back in the respective ARPA folders where they legally belong. This looks very bad on the City’s part.” She concluded, “please send me the ARPA advisory committee tracking spreadsheet created by Melanie Acobe that tracks all applications.”
