"Adequate controls against the possibility of corruption and financial transparency were found lacking in our review of key agreements between the two organizations from recent years," the report reads. Required fields are marked *. The new ferris wheel at Golden Gate Park. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for A Recreation and Parks Department spokesperson told the supervisors that the agency follows all codes and laws. Documents Show Charitable Donations Spent on Retreats for SF Parks The Parks Alliance was subpoenaed last year alongside a host of other firms as part of the City Hall probe. But recent revelations have demonstrated that the opaque nature of several organizations, including the SF Parks Alliance, has aided and abetted corruption within San Francisco government.". "Along with many other nonprofit groups, we continue to work with city departments to meet or exceed these good government controls.". Although last week the Recreation and Park Commission approved the contract with SkyStar to continue operating the Ferris wheel at the park for four more years, the Historic Preservation Commission has the final say around whether the wheel will stay up. As approved in 2000 by the public, $150,000 is allocated annually for a period of thirty years toward community gardens. Stay up to date! This report has validated our suspicion all along that Parks Alliance has a problematic relationship with our city departments, she said. The nonprofit San Francisco Parks Alliance directed $66,000 to entities whose figureheads were arrested by the FBI in connection with disgraced former Public Works director Mohammed Nuru's corruption scandal, a new report has found. Contractors and building permit holders made donations to the Public Works subaccounts at the SF Parks Alliance, Sobrepena explained. It concluded, Adequate controls against the possibility of corruption and financial transparency were found lacking in our review of key agreements between the two organizations from recent years.. Every year, millions of dollars flow into the San Francisco Parks Alliance. Do you know when can we expect that information?. They report on how this privatization is taking place and the threat this is to public access and the need to stop the transfer of the park into a commercial profit center for developers with non-union workers and a lack of health and safety protection. Meet the team of park lovers and advocates who work to ensure that all parks and public spaces in San Francisco are vibrant, welcoming, and accessible to all, from Little Hollywood to Lands End. The Alliance has not been accused of wrongdoing in the city corruption scandal and did not get paid for its account management. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. This S.F. And what about the Ferris wheel in Golden Gate Park? While it's gotten a lot of love for its glowing lights at night, the contract to build it wasn't issued competitively, Brousseau said. We are committed to working with the City so that we can continue to improve our parks and public spaces. Peskin worries that the Crab Fest event could allow for an end run around city ethics rules that otherwise restrict direct contributions to city officials by firms doing business with the city. At the same time, the non-profit reaped $11.9 million in city payments. The subpoenas request information related to any donations or payments the companies made to charities affiliated with Bovis, to the San Francisco Parks Alliance or the San Francisco Clean City . "When gifts are solicited from those that do business with the City, it creates a risk to fair and transparent public processes. S.F. Parks Alliance threatens to pull funding for Richmond District Breed's order also requires more transparency from city officers in accepting gifts. Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. I've long had questions about the Parks Alliance and their practices Peskin said. In a statement to NBC Bay Area, the Alliance played up how willing they are to accept any new ethics rules, while not acknowledging any potential for wrongdoing. While the city, of course, appreciates donations, it is also our responsibility to know where the money is coming from, and most importantly, is to prevent the pay to play culture and that it is our responsibility and the reason why I called for this audit.. Nuru and others would direct staff to pay for goods and services for staff appreciation, volunteer programs, merchandise, community support and events from specific vendors, "circumventing city purchasing controls," the report found. . The Department of Public Health has been dragged into this apparently in connection with a facility that was built at 2401 Ingalls Street, just north of Candlestick Point, by Kong's construction-waste management firm SFR Recovery. Chan, who commissioned the report, said the results demanded reform. City Attorney subpoenas 8 organizations in widening public corruption This raised a lot of questions, said City Supervisor Connie Chan, who has been a vocal critic of the Parks Alliances role in city politics. Under the terms of its contract with Ferris wheel operator. Financial transaction records between the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the non-profit San Francisco Parks Alliance are now the focus of a subpoena, after a unanimous vote by the Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. It's the breakdown of the sources of the money siphoned into the funds Nuru controlled at the Parks Alliance. The idea is to avoid arrangements like the one Nuru and other Public Works employees had with the nonprofit San Francisco Parks Alliance and Recology, the trash-hauling giant that holds a monopoly on garbage collection in San Francisco. . The lack of transparency may also allow the Parks Alliance to circumvent good government practices developed by the city, the Budget and Legislative Analyst wrote, including compliance with prevailing wage requirements for contractors and competitive bidding to find lower costs. A memorandum of understanding between the city and the Parks Alliance lays down some requirements for how they operate, and was retooled to strengthen some reporting requirements in 2020 in the wake of the citywide corruption scandal, but the Budget and Legislative Analyst still recommended it be strengthened. All rights reserved, Union Lawsuit Alleges Retaliation for Whistleblowing in SF City Hall Corruption Probe, Former San Francisco Public Works Head Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charge. She previously covered immigration and local news for the Albany Times Union and the Alabama state legislature for the Associated Press. All told, the report found that 33 out of 56 San Francisco city departments benefit from these kinds of nonprofit organizations, which between them have 588 accounts spent on city activities. Haney argued this also showed a clear need for his ballot measure Proposition B in San Francisco, which would create an oversight body for Public Works, and place some of its street maintenance duties with a new Department of Sanitation and Streets. 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This corruption of these officials is being covered up by the SF City Attorney and other officials. and Park.. Chan is exploring every legislative tool possible to implement recommendations. Staff - San Francisco Parks Alliance "It raises the question of whether this is a good government practice and whether such practices contribute to the 'pay-to-play' culture among city agencies. Call (415) 706-6428 for information about advertising online and in the printed versions of the Richmond Review and the Sunset Beacon newspapers. No trains were going in or out of BART's SFO Station for about an hour Wednesday morning due to an unspecified "police matter" that has yet to be made public. That general fund had paid more than $5,000 in costs associated with the parks department staff retreat held in 2018 at Cavallo Point, The Lodge at the Golden Gate. That's a standard practice governments use to ensure they get the best deal. and Park Department as well and I also have yet to receive that information.. But recent revelations have demonstrated that the opaque nature of several organizations, including the SF Parks Alliance, has aided and abetted corruption within San Francisco government.". Haney called Public Works actions "inappropriate behavior" and said the department "is clearly out of control." San Francisco Parks Alliance - Better Public Spaces Abrupt closure of S.F. "These so-called 'friends' groups don't have an entirely friendly history. But that leaves some of their methodologies in the dark, the Budget and Legislative Analyst's report found. Since then, the organization has eliminated anonymous donations above $100, listed all donors on its public website and upgraded its customer management tools to collect and track all disclosure information, Bunim said. SF Audit Critical of Non-Profit in Public Corruption Scandal At a hearing last year, Lisa Bransten, director of partnerships for the parks department, said Parks Alliance backing certainly played a part in boosting job satisfaction to 86% among the staff.