Contractors deserve the microscope

Five years ago, amid the fallout from the Great Recession, the Chico City Council made sweeping changes to cut costs. Among them were instances in which the city cut loose employees and turned instead to private contractors, including for legal counsel and park maintenance such as tree care.

We at the CN&R were wary of such arrangements, especially when it came to the city’s legal representation. Over many years, we’d watched the in-house attorney shield the city, and thus taxpayers, from potential lawsuits. The system worked well.

Back in 2014, we cautioned the council that attorneys from out of the area would lack historical knowledge. We feared that the move to outside representation would eliminate the community connections we believe ensure the best interests of the city are served. The council didn’t listen and hired a firm with offices outside of Los Angeles and in the Napa area.

Over the ensuing years, we’ve noted problems with outsourcing on a few occasions, but two recent blunders have solidified our concerns.

As the CN&R reported last Tuesday (March 5), during the City Council’s regular meeting, it appears Chico may be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars of legal fees related to the court battle over the amortization of Chico Scrap Metal. During that meeting, allegations surfaced that the contracted city attorney had wrongly advised the panel that the business would pick up the tab for certain ongoing litigation. The price tag now stands at about $200,000. (See “Legal jeopardy and weed,” Newlines, March 7).

The other event putting outsourcing under the microscope is the recent hatchet job at Lower Bidwell Park that resulted in the felling of a beautiful grove of valley oaks. In that case, without proper oversight, a contracted crew mistakenly cut down 27 of the trees (see “Oak grove chainsaw massacre,” page 9).

Both of these events should give the council pause. From our perspective, it’s time for the panel to review its relationship with contractors. Our advice: Study whether cost savings have been realized, and to what degree. It may be time to part ways with outsiders, especially those who do more harm than good.