He won two Emmy Awards last year for his investigative pieces, and it looks like a third might be in the offing for KSHB 41 Action News investigative reporter Ryan Kath.
Kath unveiled his latest investigation Wednesday (2/8) at 10 p.m. where he took a long, hard look at the beleaguered Kansas City School District and how it awarded some major contracts for conservation services. (See story below.)
His story has shaken school officials so much that they have issued a press release before his story even airs (see below).
The school district has said it will post its own video of Kath’s interview on its Web site.
Kath says in his story that about a $32 million project featured a number of bids that were tossed out and then awarded to a relatively unknown Johnson County company called HMM Construction Services.
Was it an inside deal?
Putting together the story involved considerable legwork on Kath’s part, including four different “Sunshine” requests and numerous delaying tactics by the District.
“When they finally agreed to an interview with the Chief Operating Officer,” Kath told Bottom Line, “they had five other people in the room (PR staff, attorney and they videotaped the entire interview).”
UPDATE: HERE IS KATH’S STORY
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY KC SCHOOL DISTRICT
KANSAS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Press Advisory - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement: Project 360 bid process was transparent and ethical
KANSAS CITY, MO. – The Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) always follows state law and uses nationally-recognized procedures to ensure the proper use of taxpayer resources when procuring services or making purchases. Those processes are spelled out and available for public consumption through the KCPS website and through direct contact with employees.
KCPS worked openly and in a transparent way with KSHB for more than two months, including answering four Sunshine Law requests, exchanging more than 20 phone calls and emails, allowing a reporter to review the documents at KCPS offices at no cost, and scheduling an on-camera interview with two staff members.
KCPS followed state law, its policies and procedures, and maintained a high level of ethical behavior when requesting bids for both the ECSO and Project 360 building maintenance projects. Transparent activities included:
• Posting the bids both on the KCPS web site and in publications of record.
• Obtaining the services of numerous experts to assist with the review of bids and to offer vital insight to ensure taxpayers would get value for their investment.
• Protecting taxpayer resources by rejecting all bids for the ESCO when it was determined none of the bidders would be able to provide the required school refurbishments at an affordable price. All bidders had three opportunities to revise their bids, and none met the original requirements.
• Following state law and published KCPS procedures by notifying all bidders in writing that their ESCO bids would be rejected.
• Finding a debt-neutral approach to use existing funds to address vital maintenance concerns, including a lack of air conditioning at East High and Northeast High. That was the basis of Project 360.
• During the Project 360 bid, KCPS selected the only bidder that chose to cap their project management costs, giving KCPS and taxpayers the assurance of protection against unrestrained costs.
• As part of standard operating procedure, posting the recommendation for the winning bid on the KCPS website. As part of this openness, interested parties could also note the Board agenda where the item was considered. No requests for public commentary on the issue, including from firms that did not submit the successful bid, were received.
KCPS’ consultant on the project, CST Group, determined the bid process was fair and open. David Harvey of CST shared the following sentiments:
“The critics are probably people who have a vested interest in creating controversy in hopes of trying to change the outcome. I do not believe Buddy Hahs or anyone else had an advantage with regard to Project 360. From what I saw in all my work with KCPS, I’m 100 percent convinced that the top executives at KCPS are 100 percent committed to always doing the right thing for the kids and patrons of KCPS. I saw no personal agendas. I’m convinced that they are not only top notch but beyond reproach in all their business dealings. I believe they are people with a very high degree of integrity. I never questioned the process, even though I lost, because I completely trusted that whatever process they used it must have been both fair and also in the best interest of KCPS. Most people have no idea how complicated such projects are. Organizations that make such decisions need to account for more than just simple comparisons of percentages.”
Full video of KSHB’s interview with KCPS team members will be available at www.kcpublicschools.org during the evening of Wednesday, February 8, 2012.
The Kansas City Public Schools is dedicated to graduating students that are college, career, and workforce ready. This mission is supported by innovative classroom instruction, engaging programs, highly-qualified employees, and an engaged and well-informed community. To learn more about the ways our community of schools supports students and the community-at-large, please visit www.kcpublicschools.org, KCMO School District on Facebook, or KCMOSchools on Twitter.
For more information please contact Eileen Houston-Stewart, Chief Communications and Community Engagement Officer, (816) 379-0385 or Andre Riley, Sr. Media Relations Specialist, (816) 442-9337.
