Florida Keys News
Friday, September 3, 2010
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Board will vote on contractor credit
BY JOHN L. GUERRA Citizen Staff

The school system will accept a $25,000 credit for future work from Charley Toppino Sons Inc. instead of a cash or check for that amount -- but with four conditions, the superintendent told the company in a letter Monday.

"We have met with our internal auditor and he has recommended the following parameters to ensure that the credit is applied appropriately," Superintendent Joseph Burke wrote company president Frank Toppino Jr.

The district must ensure the credit is handled properly, Burke told Toppino, especially after the Horace O'Bryant Middle School concession stand project -- for which Toppino was the chief contractor -- led the state Auditor General's Office to cite a lack of controls and other problems.

The credit must be applied to an existing project of the school district's choosing, and within one year of the agreement, Burke stipulated. The company also must tell the district if the credit can be used with other Toppino-owned companies, such as Monroe Concrete Inc.

Burke said he will ask the School Board to approve the plan at its Sept. 28 meeting, if Toppino has responded by then. The board must approve any final agreement, Chairman Andy Griffiths said.

"I don't know if it will be agreed to," Griffiths said, "but we're a lot closer to getting this finalized."

Not all board members are on board.

"We can't pay Keys Energy [Services] with his credit," Steve Pribramsky said. "[Toppino] got a check from us [when he built the concession stand]; he should give us a check. I'll just be a no vote, but that doesn't mean it won't be approved."

The district in June demanded reimbursement from Toppino after determining the company had paid a subcontractor $25,000 to do the work, without School Board permission.

The subcontractor, the late Charles Freeman, was the son of the district's then-construction chief of the same name. His crew wasn't cleared under the Jessica Lundsford Act, which requires the district to perform a background check on vendors and others who work on school property.

jguerra@keysnews.com

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contractor credit

Submitted on Sat, 09/04/2010 - 9:29am by dirtguy
It's unbelievable how they let this issue get "swept under the rug", and will accept future contracts with this company! This is a black and white issue, with the public getting screwed once again. The school board is obviously getting kick-backs from the Toppinos! Why else would they let the taxpayers get screwed over and over with the continuing hiring of them. This is criminal, but we all know how criminals are dealt with, they are awarded contracts, and are voted into office. God Bless America!

WRITE THE BOARD MEMBERS AND TELL THEM HOW YOU

Submitted on Sat, 09/04/2010 - 5:29pm by *.*
FEEL! Their email addresses are right here: http://www.keysschools.com/schoolBoard/members.asp If everyone would write them personally, I believe they'd see how fed up we all are. I'm just thinking that Burke has been bought out. Why else would he recommend this?

Toppino steals from city, City Manager allows it.

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 12:00pm by Sounds like common sense to me.
City Manager was advised by a third party that Toppino was billing the city for 2 men to pressure wash Duval when in fact there was only one man doing the job for months/year!!! Toppino even admitted quilt by paying back the money he stole and said "it was a billing error". However, the city did not find this out on there own, someone had to have a meeting with the City Manager to tell him about the on going theft, his reply was "thank you, I will have someone look into it". Toppino paid back the money, yes, but only after he was caught red handed, how does he/Toppino not know how many men are performing the work for months/years, when he signed a contract stating the scope of work and how many men are required and how does city staff not find out this fact on their own for so long, its not hard to see only one man working when two are required by the contract. City brushed this under the rug, real quick, or should I say the City Manager did. There is a clear paper trail to all that I have stated, if need be proven, even then Mayor Mc Pherson was at the meeting. Toppino was caught red handed billing for man hours that he knew was false, when reported to City Manager he allowed Toppino to write a check for the money, but that don't erase the fact that Toppino was stealing it in the first place. If Monique Acevedo paid back the money she stole would she have got a pass and ALLOWED TO KEEP THE CONTRACT, as Toppino was, I think not. Why does'nt State Attorney look into this as there is a clear paper trail, and can be proven beyond doubt, that Toppino was billing for man hours for work which were not being performed. City Manager allowed Toppino to keep the contract which he was stealing from, with no consequences -other than paying back what he stole-.

If true...

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 12:26pm by Mac
(And I know there was one man doing the job), then this is cause for the City Commission to remove Toppino from its list of approved contractors. We all need to email our commissioners (list at keywestcity.com ) and demand that they remove Toppino.

Pribramsky again takes the high road and stands tall

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 11:11am by 88maverick
Too bad for taxpayers and parents of school age kids that he's not running for reelection. Mr. Ward, Toppino's actions seemingly merit an investigation -- "tip of the iceberg" may well apply.

Good one

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 9:51am by Political Junkie
How gracious of them. They will take 25K off of the next job they get without a bid. Doesn't sound like a good deal to taxpayers. The whole project never had board approval. Why is the board asking for only $25,000 back? This board is all bark and no bite when they talk about reforming the district operations. Approval of a deal like this is proof positive.

I encourage everyone to email the board members and insist

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 9:43am by *.*
that Toppino do the right thing. Clearly they've refused to give the necessary info and records to the district. So they should do exactly as Pribramsky says - WRITE A CHECK. They received a check. They knew it was a 'backroom Bubba deal', they've refused to be forthcoming with the truth, and now they want a half-price deal? NO WAY. If they don't write a check, I say the MCSD and ALL government entities should exclude them from all bidding processes from here forward. They have shown that they are not honest so why should our tax dollars go to line their pockets?

As usual, Probramsky got it right. DON'T TAKE THE "SOFT

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 9:06am by Tina
DOLLARS"! Toppino will only really be paying $10,000 - $15,000 if they do the credit. The MCSD paid hard dollars, they should get hard dollars back, that they can use for the kids or other expenses. All this does is tie them yet again to the crooked Toppino mob.

The criminal element.

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 7:22am by Mac
Is the State Attorney on top of this? Contracts were let without approval. Unapproved contractors were used. They refuse to return funds. All sounds criminal to me. In addition to an S.A. investigation, the City of Key West should cease further contracting with Toppino. But no, the school board is willing to let bygones be bygones in exchange for a "credit" on future work. There should be no future work! They knew damn well what they were doing was outside school board guidelines. Find a new contractor who isn't connected and crooked.

Smoke !!

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 7:20am by RANGOON
Typical Smoke and Mirror BS Make them write a check. They will just overcharge $$50K the next time.

This is just wrong.

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 6:46am by Nickname
Toppino should just write us (the school board, i.e. us, the taxpayers) a check. There should be no PROMISE (and that's what this amounts to) that a given contractor will get future work even if it is LIKELY they'd get it.

Another bubba concession

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 4:32am by Fletch

Will State Attorney Dennis Ward or the Board insist that the Toppinos come up with the records of the "concession stand" or has Ward already dropped that too?

The Toppino companies should get no more city, school or county work until they cough up the records .... but then again this is Monroe County

The Board should do what Ward will never dare

Perhaps Monroe County can begin its own currency - bubba bucks - and when a bubba gets caught with their hand in the public cookie jar they can use that system of credits or bubba bucks from some other bubba deal to get out of jail free

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