Little Rock, Arkansas – After being questioned about a suspicious contract that the board was unaware of, Little Rock director approached Mayor Frank Scott Jr., who has since come under fire.
Tuesday night, Director Capi Peck brought up the subject after receiving a constituent’s unanswered Freedom of Information Act request.
Peck stated that when she requested the documents from Jamie Collins, the director of planning and development, he responded that the mayor had instructed him not to give them.
Then, Peck and the mayor got into a contentious argument over the contract in question and who received the winning offer.
The mayor refused to respond to her inquiries and said he had never ordered anyone to withhold or withhold any records.
The issue is centered on a consultant contract that called for the construction of affordable housing in three different parts of Little Rock, including War Memorial Park.
Southwest Little Rock and downtown were the other two locations.
The contract’s value was $49,140, which is barely below the $50,000 threshold at which the board’s consent is required.
A-Squared was the company that won the offer. which was started by Gerald and Sam Alley, who both contributed to Frank Scott Jr.’s 2018 and 2022 presidential campaigns.
Collins was not in the office on Wednesday when we contacted him to inquire about the contract’s next move.
Vice Mayor Lance Hines is optimistic that improvements will be made in the future to enable the board to be aware of the contracts for which the city is paying, regardless of the cost.
“I think the board needs to be notified of every RFQ that goes out. At least we will be aware of it,” Hines explained.