Brian Nakamura
History:
1999-2003; City Manager; Oregon City, OR
Job Highlight: The $600,000+ consulting deal made with Covenant Technology Solutions, against the wishes and without the knowledge of the Oregon City Commission (which is similar to a City Council). Covenant's founder/CEO/President is Timothy Choquette, who was investigated and fined by the SEC for insider trading.
What did Brian Nakamura have to say about the $613,000 consulting deal?
2009-2012; City Manager; Hemet, Ca
Job Highlights: Sold the profitable garbage company; Hired a slew of overpaid and under-qualified consultants; Left Hemet in the hole, looking to privatize/outsource their Police and Fire Departments (for more information see Hemet).
The Consultants:
Andy Hall
HEMET: City official blacking out
October 02, 2011
After being involved in two car accidents in the span of a month, including one in a city-owned vehicle, Hemet Public Safety Director Andy Hall said he is undergoing a battery of medical tests and is not driving until the results come back.
Hall said Friday that the crashes, which both involved other vehicles, probably were caused by blackouts that doctors still have not determined a root cause of.
The first collision was Aug. 25 on Interstate 10, just east of Sunset Avenue in Banning. Hall was in a city-issued 2007 Ford Five Hundred that he said he frequently drove to and from his La Quinta residence.
Five people from two other cars were taken to the hospital with neck and back pain, according to the CHP report. All three vehicles sustained significant damage.
On Sept. 19, Hall was involved in another accident on Sanderson Avenue in San Jacinto, this one in his personal vehicle. He rear-ended a vehicle and sustained a hairline fracture to his hand.
City Manager Brian Nakamura said he was unsure of the city’s liability situation in the matter, but that he had complete confidence in Hall’s work abilities going forward. (link to source)
HEMET: Safety director crashed cold-plated car
October 04, 2011
The city-owned vehicle that Hemet Public Safety Director Andy Hall crashed in late August while commuting to work had so-called “cold plates” on it and should have been used only for undercover police work.
Cold plates are untraceable license plates that by law should only be used by sworn officers, principally for work such as undercover investigations or parolee supervision.
Hall’s driving of the cold-plated vehicle is the second time in 18 months that the city has faced an incident of city staff driving vehicles with the untraceable plates.
In mid-2010, then-Police Chief Richard Dana removed cold plates from cars used by City Manager Brian Nakamura and a City Council pool vehicle primarily used by longtime Councilwoman Robin Lowe after learning the plates are not allowed on civilian cars. (link to source)
HEMET: City cuts ties with public safety director
September 13, 2012
Andy Hall was notified Thursday, Sept. 13, (2012) that his services as Hemet public safety director are no longer needed. Hall signed a one-year,
$208,000 contract in June 2011, and another six-month, $165,000 contract this summer. (link to source)
Consultant report suggests a different way of managing Hemet fire
Thursday, 18 October 2012
The need for the Hemet City Council to seek bids from outside agencies to operate the fire department stemmed from a decision made by former consultant Andrew Hall, or so Hall says in a memo dated June 11.
In his memo, Hall, a public safety consult, took responsibility for a decision to turn down a state/federal grant to keep the department's staffing up.
(link to source)
Joseph Brann
HEMET: Council approves consulting deal, over objections
December 14, 2011
Despite strong objections from members of the public, the city’s public safety unions and two council members, the Hemet City Council on Tuesday night approved the contract of a highly paid consultant whose job is somewhat unclear.
But Brann’s job description in his contract, Foreman said, was extremely similar to that of Public Safety Director Andy Hall, who was hired six months ago on a one-year, $208,000 contract.
“I would much rather look for a new fire chief,” Foreman said. “I don’t understand why we need two people. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”
read the full story (which includes a summary of both consulting contracts) here
Getting out while the getting is good..
Oregon City:
When Nakamura left that position, however, his resignation came as surprise to its elected officials when he made the announcement during a public meeting. City Commission members at the time told the Oregonian newspaper they learned of the decision only hours earlier. (link to source)
Hemet:
When it was reported that he was interviewing in Chico:
Jul 19, 2012:
“I told them my commitment is 110 percent here,” Nakamura said. “My focus is to continue to serve Hemet to the best of my ability. I’m committed to Hemet.” (link to article)
August 15, 2012:
Hemet City Manager Brian Nakamura shocked city officials Wednesday when he announced that he has accepted the city manager’s job in Chico.
Nakamura’s departure comes a month after he admitted to meeting with Chico officials to “share with the council my experience on how we made our city a wonderful place, and that’s it.” (link to article)
This website will continually be updated, if you have information that you can provide either anonymously or on the record, please contact us.
1999-2003; City Manager; Oregon City, OR
Job Highlight: The $600,000+ consulting deal made with Covenant Technology Solutions, against the wishes and without the knowledge of the Oregon City Commission (which is similar to a City Council). Covenant's founder/CEO/President is Timothy Choquette, who was investigated and fined by the SEC for insider trading.
- While Oregon City's top administrator, he oversaw the city's $12.8 million general fund budget and eliminated several full-time jobs to make ends meet. But he was reprimanded for signing close to $613,000 in computer contracts for a consulting firm and the City Commission, similar to a city council, even considered filing an ethics complaint with the International City/County Management Association. (link to source)
- The city canceled its contracts with a computer consulting firm hired by former City Manager Brian Nakamura, claiming he was not authorized to sign the agreements. Some current and former city commissioners said Nakamura also didn't follow orders to solicit additional bids for work. In the past 13 months the city has paid Covenant Technology Systems almost $613,000, but some city officials wonder whether the work could have been done for less. (link to source)
- In November, commissioners voted 4-1 against giving the contract to Covenant, an Oregon City firm formed last spring that was the only
bidder on the city's computer services contract. They told Nakamura to rebid the project. Nakamura hired Covenant in March 2002 to upgrade the city's computer network under an informal agreement after the city laid off its in-house technology specialist. The company was doing work for the city's police department at the time.
On Jan. 6, Nakamura signed a six-month contract with Covenant. A few days before Nakamura left his job Feb. 28, he signed a second contract that could have retained Covenant through June 2007, apparently without telling the commissioners or asking for approval. Terms called for paying Covenant up to $10,000 a month for basic maintenance and service. "I don't feel I circumvented any process," said Nakamura, who is public works director in Riverside, Calif. (link to source)
What did Brian Nakamura have to say about the $613,000 consulting deal?
- "Essentially, it was a question of whether we had the authority to approve a contract" (link to source)
- "I had nothing to hide." (link to source)
2009-2012; City Manager; Hemet, Ca
Job Highlights: Sold the profitable garbage company; Hired a slew of overpaid and under-qualified consultants; Left Hemet in the hole, looking to privatize/outsource their Police and Fire Departments (for more information see Hemet).
The Consultants:
Andy Hall
HEMET: City official blacking out
October 02, 2011
After being involved in two car accidents in the span of a month, including one in a city-owned vehicle, Hemet Public Safety Director Andy Hall said he is undergoing a battery of medical tests and is not driving until the results come back.
Hall said Friday that the crashes, which both involved other vehicles, probably were caused by blackouts that doctors still have not determined a root cause of.
The first collision was Aug. 25 on Interstate 10, just east of Sunset Avenue in Banning. Hall was in a city-issued 2007 Ford Five Hundred that he said he frequently drove to and from his La Quinta residence.
Five people from two other cars were taken to the hospital with neck and back pain, according to the CHP report. All three vehicles sustained significant damage.
On Sept. 19, Hall was involved in another accident on Sanderson Avenue in San Jacinto, this one in his personal vehicle. He rear-ended a vehicle and sustained a hairline fracture to his hand.
City Manager Brian Nakamura said he was unsure of the city’s liability situation in the matter, but that he had complete confidence in Hall’s work abilities going forward. (link to source)
HEMET: Safety director crashed cold-plated car
October 04, 2011
The city-owned vehicle that Hemet Public Safety Director Andy Hall crashed in late August while commuting to work had so-called “cold plates” on it and should have been used only for undercover police work.
Cold plates are untraceable license plates that by law should only be used by sworn officers, principally for work such as undercover investigations or parolee supervision.
Hall’s driving of the cold-plated vehicle is the second time in 18 months that the city has faced an incident of city staff driving vehicles with the untraceable plates.
In mid-2010, then-Police Chief Richard Dana removed cold plates from cars used by City Manager Brian Nakamura and a City Council pool vehicle primarily used by longtime Councilwoman Robin Lowe after learning the plates are not allowed on civilian cars. (link to source)
HEMET: City cuts ties with public safety director
September 13, 2012
Andy Hall was notified Thursday, Sept. 13, (2012) that his services as Hemet public safety director are no longer needed. Hall signed a one-year,
$208,000 contract in June 2011, and another six-month, $165,000 contract this summer. (link to source)
Consultant report suggests a different way of managing Hemet fire
Thursday, 18 October 2012
The need for the Hemet City Council to seek bids from outside agencies to operate the fire department stemmed from a decision made by former consultant Andrew Hall, or so Hall says in a memo dated June 11.
In his memo, Hall, a public safety consult, took responsibility for a decision to turn down a state/federal grant to keep the department's staffing up.
(link to source)
Joseph Brann
HEMET: Council approves consulting deal, over objections
December 14, 2011
Despite strong objections from members of the public, the city’s public safety unions and two council members, the Hemet City Council on Tuesday night approved the contract of a highly paid consultant whose job is somewhat unclear.
But Brann’s job description in his contract, Foreman said, was extremely similar to that of Public Safety Director Andy Hall, who was hired six months ago on a one-year, $208,000 contract.
“I would much rather look for a new fire chief,” Foreman said. “I don’t understand why we need two people. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”
read the full story (which includes a summary of both consulting contracts) here
Getting out while the getting is good..
Oregon City:
When Nakamura left that position, however, his resignation came as surprise to its elected officials when he made the announcement during a public meeting. City Commission members at the time told the Oregonian newspaper they learned of the decision only hours earlier. (link to source)
Hemet:
When it was reported that he was interviewing in Chico:
Jul 19, 2012:
“I told them my commitment is 110 percent here,” Nakamura said. “My focus is to continue to serve Hemet to the best of my ability. I’m committed to Hemet.” (link to article)
August 15, 2012:
Hemet City Manager Brian Nakamura shocked city officials Wednesday when he announced that he has accepted the city manager’s job in Chico.
Nakamura’s departure comes a month after he admitted to meeting with Chico officials to “share with the council my experience on how we made our city a wonderful place, and that’s it.” (link to article)
This website will continually be updated, if you have information that you can provide either anonymously or on the record, please contact us.