That is why I am calling for an investigation focusing on this agreement and SF Parks Alliance practices," she said. The documents show that in 2019, more than $64,000 that had been raised by the Crab Fest fund was transferred into a general fund. San Francisco Parks Alliance - Better Public Spaces is the city's financial engine and it is sputtering. The Parks Alliance has not been accused of or found to be involved in any wrongdoing as part of the investigation into the government corruption, said its Board Chair Liz Farrell. The move followed a city report last week that investigated the relationship between the park department and the nonprofit. It often pays to have friends in high places. While philanthropic organizations provide tangible benefits to all of our residents, abuses in these relationships undermine the important role they play," said Controller Ben Rosenfield, in a statement. Those undisclosed donations, the analysis found, raise questions about potential conflicts of interest. The analysis found that the problem of not knowing who contributed is that there is no way to determine if the contracts were being awarded ethically. This corruption is part and parcel of the sell off of Golden Gate Park. Prosecutors say Nuru used the fund to pay for everything from T-shirts to gift bags, from funeral expenses for a worker to event entry fees for public works teams. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. Despite the progress, the audit found there remains a lack of adequate controls on the contracts the Alliance makes to provide services for the city. A new report from the San Francisco City Controller's Office, in conjunction with the City Attorney's Office, skewers a system where city departments like Public Works form relationships with nonprofit organizations that raise philanthropic dollars for issues related to that department, saying it's rife with opportunity for corruption. The development of the tennis courts went over $400,000 which the City has to pick up. 20002023 San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center. These subaccounts really operated like a city account, she said, because invoices were directed and approved by Public Works employees and tracked by both Public Works and the Parks Alliance. City Attorney subpoenas business, nonprofits in public corruption Let'sPlaySF! The Historic Preservation Commission is expected to vote on whether to extend the contract through 2025 at its next meeting on March 3. Also, notably, this is the first-ever use of a new subpoena power the board crafted for itself in 2020, in a law written by Supervisor Aaron Peskin. wine startup leaves customers with thousands of Steph Curry adds to his Warriors legend by lighting up Kings for 50. In this arrangement, the non-city organization serves as an intermediary between the City and the contractor or building permit applicant or holder who donates money to the organization in the hopes of influencing the Citys contractor permit approval process. Much of that spending from the subaccounts were related to staff appreciation, including department initiatives with volunteers and merchandise, generally at Public Works direction. I also wanted to say that, throughout this whole process, we are committed to being transparent. Under the terms of its contract with Ferris wheel operator. Selling Off Golden Gate Park: Privatization & Corruption Destroying 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. A visibly mentally ill suspect, who just a month earlier had been jailed for a terrifying incident in which he entered the home of a disabled woman, was arrested again in August following another highly disturbing incident outside a school. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDZ81rocak0, https://48hills.org/2021/03/more-parks-privatization-the-horses-of-golden-gate-park/, https://48hills.org/2021/06/walton-calls-out-breed-for-her-attacks-on-the-board-of-supes/?fbclid=IwAR1fqYoEFKiLQR8oErNMlVic0SUey_THzGSkPAptYeA35jG-pqiBreqavDk, https://48hills.org/2021/06/supes-clash-with-parks-director-over-role-in-private-organizations-threats/?fbclid=IwAR0GYRhvV1WhjAvyzFEk1EHZZ9vJKLLCTiXUTQKdEOWAjnE7glS9RFKq74E, https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/opposition-forces-postponement-of-vote-on-skystar-wheel/, https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/SF-supervisor-subpoenas-parks-nonprofit-in-wake-16635626.php. The report's authors came away with more questions than answers. We have complied with every rule in the book about this and will continue to, and welcome, frankly, any increased efforts at transparency, because that helps all of us, Sarah Madland responded, representing Rec. The Parks Alliance is also a contractor that runs the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, which left a lot of opportunity for conflict of interests, the report author said Thursday in the hearing. These purchases would then be reimbursed through Public Works accounts held by the Parks Alliance "outside of city purchasing rules." Sign up for NBC Bay Areas Housing Deconstructed newsletter. Of the $720,000 that (SF) Parks Alliance paid to vendors, more than half went to just five vendors. 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. Parks Alliance threatens to pull funding for Richmond District playground, S.F.s deal for the Golden Gate Park Ferris wheel may be investigated amid neighborhood fight, Downtown S.F. City Attorney subpoenas 8 organizations in widening public corruption The Parks Alliance said in a statement Monday that it appreciates the citys work to strengthen transparency and accountability between nonprofit organizations and the City of San Francisco. Along with many other nonprofit groups, we continue to work with city departments to meet or exceed these good government controls, the Alliance said. The organizations employees havent been charged with any crimes, and the recent report found no evidence of wrongdoing, although the report author said the purpose wasnt to investigate corruption but the processes in place to minimize its possibility. City Attorney Dennis Herrera issued subpoenas investigating those same city contractors in February, in connection with the ongoing corruption scandal that first ensnared Nuru, but has only grown in the following months. Parks Alliance spokesperson Juliana Bunim said in a statement Thursday that the group appreciates "all ongoing efforts to strengthen transparency and collaboration between nonprofit. It's the breakdown of the sources of the money siphoned into the funds Nuru controlled at the Parks Alliance. The nonprofit could then disburse those funds to be used for city staff appreciation parties in ways that would have otherwise violated city law if done transparently or on pet projects of that department head. Musical Helps Lafayette Bounce Back After COVID, Richmond Review Crossword Puzzle #12, May, 2023, (Spiral): Solution, Richmond Review Crossword Puzzle #12, May, 2023 (Spiral), Designer, Builder Creates Comfortable Works of Public Art, https://richmondsf.salsalabs.org/froghop2023/index.html. A new audit calls for greater controls over the San Francisco Parks Alliance, the major non-profit group named by federal prosecutors last year as helping to foster the citys public corruption scandal by managing an off-the-books contractor fund that Public Works officials tapped to pay for employee parties and swag for city workers. For over 50 years, we've been partnering with communities and public agencies to create, sustain, and advocate for parks and public spaces that welcome and belong to everyone. A bicyclist passes the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. 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. In San Francisco, that goes double for nonprofits that call themselves "friends.". That corrupt slush fund really just a minor piece of the wider public corruption scandal put a dark cloud over the Golden Gate Parks SkyStar Ferris wheel, because the Parks Alliance gets and manages the proceeds from all of those $18 ferris wheel rides. We will implement any additional common-sense policies that provide greater transparency and allow us to continue to support and improve San Franciscos parks and public spaces., Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. "We have issue with the way the vendor was selected. March 10, 2020 / 5:11 PM / CBS San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The Director of San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection, Tom Hui, has been placed on leave amid a. Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox. However, all of this occurred outside of the Citys established financial and procurement systems. 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. We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts! Garbage time: Recology was the major donor to Mohammed Nuru's nonprofit is a partnership between the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department and SF Parks Alliance to transform 13 of San Francisco's most timeworn playgrounds into dynamic hubs for creativity and family life. While the city appreciates and wants the donations the public deserves to know where the money is coming from and whether or not someone is buying influence in our city government.. A report issued just this month from the San Francisco Budget and Legislative Analyst, an arm of the city tasked with researching questions posed by the Board of Supervisors, took a look at the Parks Alliance's financial relationship with SF Rec and Parks. During our review period, Parks Alliance made payments totaling $978,000 to support Public Works activities and as directed by Public Works. The probe stems from federal. We did not benefit in any way nor had any control over the donations that Nuru and Public Works solicited and directed to the sub-account, as the report states. 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