Huntington Beach residents could soon get a better look at just how well their city’s major contracts pan out after city council members ordered staff to set up a review program for their biggest expenditures.
The program would take a forensic review of each contract once it’s complete to determine what worked and didn’t, examining elements like whether the project was completed on time and on budget for projects that cost half a million dollars or more.
City council members unanimously supported the new oversight measures, saying it was a necessary oversight tool that private sector businesses regularly practice.
“Our customers are the taxpayer,” said Councilman Don Kennedy, one of the council members who proposed the program, at the council’s Tuesday night meeting. “The goal is to come back after the fact, after the money’s been allocated, and report not just to us but to you all in an open forum.”
Councilman Casey McKeon called it “another example of us fusing the private sector into the public sector,” hoping it would help fix the city’s structural budget deficit.
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“I just look at this as a great idea,” McKeon said. “It really hit home for me because in my mind I’ve been frustrated with this process.”
City staff still need to develop the details of the program before it goes into effect.
The item also came after council members approved 27 public works contracts that collectively greenlit up to $54 million for consulting and design fees without much public conversation.
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“We have to do a better job,” Kennedy said. “The residents don’t know what we’re approving, how we got there, what it’s all about. I really just wanted to restate how we arrived at awarding, the goalpost if you will, for the 27 contracts.”
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.