Laserfiche WebLink
Special Council Meeting <br />June 3, 2014 <br />Page 3 <br />Following a brief discussion about the anonymous letter, Mrs. Clifford verified with <br />Council Member Pickle that he was at the PEDC meeting in which the HWH incentive loan <br />guarantee was discussed and approved. He said he did not have concerns about the loan <br />guarantee, but did have some issues. Council Member Pickle wanted to know the difference <br />between a forensic audit and forensic investigation. Mrs. Clifford said it was semantics and that <br />an audit usually involves a C.P.A. firm while an investigator does not have to be a C.PA. She <br />told the Council the background of the Defenbaugh firm was they were former FBI agents <br />involved in investigating different types of white collar crime. Council Member Pickle inquired <br />if Mrs. Clifford thought there were illegal activities or that things were not disclosed to members <br />of the PEDC during that time. Mrs. Clifford said she did not have an opinion and that she was <br />not conducting an investigation. <br />Citizen Joan Moore said she had called Mayor Frierson and Council Member Pickle to <br />ask if the citizens were going to be allowed to speak and she could not believe that the public <br />were not allowed to give input. Mayor Frierson said there was no public forum at this meeting, <br />but there would be one at the next meeting. <br />Council Member Grossnickle said this investigation was the result of an unsigned letter, <br />which casted dispersions on Harris, Walker, Harper, Rogers Wade, former mayor and now <br />District Will Biard, and Steve Gilbert and apparently Pike Burkhart. He also questioned the <br />invoice, in that it reflected three reports had been submitted, but neither Mrs. Clifford nor the <br />PEDC had received a report. He went on to question why the investigation was ongoing and an <br />invoice paid, but there was no report. He said they should not spend another $20,000 if they <br />were not doing their job. Mrs. Clifford said she had not authorized payment of the second <br />invoice. Council Member Grossnickle said apparently the firm had stayed busy looking at credit <br />card receipts, which had nothing to do with what was alleged in the unsigned letter. He said he <br />did not understand how they went from investigating Rogers Wade's ability to borrow <br />$5,000,000,000 with a $40,000 lot as collateral and how Judge Biard was alleged to have done <br />double duty as working for Harris and Walker while he was mayor and questioned what this had <br />to do with the credit card receipts. Mrs. Clifford said the PEDC Board was instructed to get <br />someone to investigate the operations of PEDC and it was not strictly focused on one deal. Mrs. <br />Clifford said she was not at the meeting to investigate, but to present facts. Council Member <br />Pickle said he would like to see a report that was promised thirty days ago. Council Member <br />Grossnickle said she should demand a report and tell Defenbaugh they are in default of their <br />contract. Council Member Plata also said he would like to see a report, because he hated to <br />spend tax payers' money on something they did not have and recommended that the second <br />invoice not be paid until the report was received. <br />Mayor Fierson asked Vice Chair Stephen Grubbs if the investigation was flowing the <br />way he thought it should with regard to the timeliness or lack of reporting. Mr. Grubbs said the <br />big question was what were they really doing and it was presented to the PEDC as a forensic <br />investigation and not a forensic audit. He said he was a little disappointed in how things turned <br />out because he did not think what had transpired was what was the PEDC charged with as it <br />pertained to the audit. Mr. Grubbs said the most important thing was that they learn the truth, <br />