After kickback allegations, Buncombe County to review 'every facet' of contract system

ASHEVILLE - Buncombe County will review how it selects and pays private companies in the wake of federal allegations three top administrators took kickbacks in exchange for contracts.

Interim County Manager George Wood made the announcement Tuesday at a meeting where the Board of Commissioners voted to end a landfill contract with contractor Joe Wiseman, a Roswell, Georgia, engineer who federal prosecutors said was at the center of a kickback scheme.

“It will cover every facet of how we purchase and it will be all nailed down,” Wood said.

Wood also said that in reviewing Wiseman's past work there appeared to be no issues with the adequacy of the services provided.

Wiseman was involved with county projects as far back as the 1980s through three different companies, including Environmental Infrastructure Consulting, the company that held a landfill professional services contract until Tuesday.

Questions, however, remain about what contract system the county has been using and how county officials were able to allegedly bypass safeguards to steer contracts to Wiseman.

Former county manager Wanda Greene and former assistant managers Mandy Stone and Jon Creighton are facing charges including conspiracy to defraud the federal government and receipt of bribes and kickbacks.

Wiseman has not been charged and was identified in a federal indictment only as "the contractor."

Wood responded through county spokeswoman Kassi Day to questions about the current system, but did not answer follow-up questions after the announcement.

Wood noted local governments, such as counties and cities must follow the "Mini-Brooks Act," which lays out hiring rules for private architects, engineers, surveyors or construction managers-at-risk.

The law mandates local governments put out a request for qualifications. Respondents submit statements of qualifications.

More on the Wanda Greene case:

• Wanda Greene accused of claiming Buncombe County as a loss on tax returns

• Feds: Wanda Greene, assistant managers traveled world under contractor kickback scheme

• EDITORIAL: Corrupt or simply clueless, Buncombe commissioners have failed their most basic duty

• Baseball, seafood, winery tours: Feds allege top Buncombe managers took swanky kickbacks

"Then a selection committee will review and score the RFQ’s," the interim county manager said.

The makeup of the committee depends on the type of project, he said. The committee uses a scoring process to determine the best qualified. If applicants are close in score, the committee may request interviews.

Money is not discussed until an applicant is selected. At that point, government officials enter negotiations with the applicant. If an appropriate fee cannot be arrived at the second-highest ranking applicant is selected for negotiations.

Wood did not address how closely he believed the county adhered to the Mini-Brooks Act prior to his tenure. He also did not say if the county had a legal exemption to the act, which is used by some local governments to avoid the qualifications process and directly award contracts of less than $50,000.

"The county does not currently have an exemption," he said.