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QUESTION
What discrepancies exist in the comptroller’s report on security guard contracting, and how does DCAS address these issues?
0:53:50
·
5 min
The comptroller’s report on security guard contracting contains inaccuracies, particularly regarding the status of contracts and negotiated rates, which DCAS is addressing.
- The report inaccurately describes DCAS’s master contract with security guards as active when it had expired before the asylum seeker crisis.
- It mischaracterizes task orders as active contracts and overlooks their specific scopes.
- DCAS contends that the federal government, not DCAS, negotiates rates for security services with Garner, and agencies can negotiate down these federally set rates.
- Agencies collaborating under DCAS, like NYSEM and H&H, are managing security services collaboratively, not at disparate rates as suggested.
- DCAS commits to providing documentation to address perceived report inaccuracies to the committee and comptroller.
Shahana Hanif
0:53:50
I wanna ask about the recent report comptroller and lender published on asylum seekers spending.
0:53:55
Decast has held a master contract with Garner, which you just alluded to, that agencies can helpfully use to purchase essential services.
0:54:03
At prenegotiated rates.
0:54:06
We were surprised to find that different agencies were paying wildly different sums for the same exact service off of this contract.
0:54:13
H and H is paying a $117 per hour for security guards while NICEIM is paying $79 per hour for the same exact security guard service.
0:54:23
It's worth noting that the city has an existing contract with FJC, a unionized security operation that pays $24 per hour for the exact same service.
0:54:32
Or approximately 1 5th of the cost of the highest garner rate.
0:54:36
And just to put in real numbers for a 100 security guards over a month, taxpayers would be saved $3,000,000 at lower garner rate $7,000,000 if we paid the FJC rate.
0:54:47
Despite this being a decast held contract, We read that other agencies were responsible for providing administrative support and reviewing documentation and invoices.
0:54:56
But as a keeper of the master contract was decast, decast aware of these extreme disparities in security guard pay off of the same contract, and should the master contract be revisited to reduce security service costs and tighten the range of acceptable rates.
Dawn M. Pinnock
0:55:11
Before Roman responds, I just want to mention that in our view of the report, there are some inaccuracies that we're actively working to respond to in writing relating to Landers' report.
0:55:22
So Could you
Shahana Hanif
0:55:23
share what those inaccuracies are?
Roman Gofman
0:55:25
Uh-huh.
0:55:26
So just to start off with the initial accuracy, the report calls out that DCAS had a master contract with security guards.
0:55:34
At the time of their emergencies, our master contract with FTC actually expired in November 2022.
0:55:39
Way before the solemn crisis started.
0:55:41
There are But
Shahana Hanif
0:55:42
you don't have the master contract with FGC anymore?
Roman Gofman
0:55:45
Yes.
0:55:45
That that expired in November of 2022.
Lincoln Restler
0:55:48
There are DHS as an active contract with FTC?
Roman Gofman
0:55:52
No.
0:55:53
So so the report calls them active contracts.
0:55:55
Some agencies have extended their previous task orders, but those task orders are set for certain scopes of work.
0:56:01
So like Decast has a task order with FJC to provide security guards to our 55 buildings, we wanted to provide security guards to separate sites of asylum seekers, we would have to issue a new task order.
0:56:11
But the contracts expired, we would be unable to issue a new task order.
0:56:15
So what the comptroller's report shows that there are contracts in effect.
0:56:20
Those are really task orders, but there are for specific scopes of those agencies.
0:56:25
So that that's the initial inaccuracy.
0:56:30
A lot of the controls report also tries to go into titles, the necessary top titles, whether security officer, security supervisor, Those prices were previously negotiated by the federal government.
0:56:44
So our contract, and it's not only the DCAS.
0:56:47
The state has a contract with Garner also for the federal GSA schedule.
0:56:50
Many states localities and municipalities have contracts off of the federal schedule, but the rates are negotiated by the federal government, not the gas, not any other state.
0:56:59
So we have to abide by the federal government's rates that was procured.
0:57:03
Those rates are not to exceed, so certain scopes and certain instances agencies that are requesting services from Garner could negotiate down rates.
0:57:13
But, again, even that the rate of FTC's contract was $24.
0:57:17
That's really the prevailing wage.
0:57:19
FTC does charge, you know, overhead and profit on top of the prevailing wage schedule.
0:57:24
So the rate for FTC contracts were not $24 for security guards officer.
Lincoln Restler
0:57:29
But just if I may, the disparity, the the different agencies were paying for garners through the garnishment contract for security guards off the same contract, is Decast not looking at the back end to say, NICE is paying x, h and h is paying y, there's a major discrepancy here.
0:57:47
We should be making sure that if agency x is negotiating a lower rate than every agency should be benefiting and paying at that rate.
0:57:54
That's I mean, it's a it's a
Roman Gofman
0:57:55
major disparity.
0:57:57
So so as the compliance piece, again, so we we have them not to exceed issued by the federal government.
0:58:02
So let's say it's whatever dollar value is.
0:58:06
The the negotiation to lower a value of the Naartok Cedar is based really on scope of work of the agency.
0:58:11
Now when it comes to the asylum seekers, whether NICEM H and H was paying separate.
0:58:16
I don't think that could be true because H and H and NICE and WER managing 1 one contract.
0:58:21
Right?
0:58:22
So DGAS issued POs for Creedmoorford Benfield in Randalls Island.
0:58:26
All of those are collaboratively managed by H and H and like, buy some together in collaboration.
0:58:33
So it's really one contract swap.
0:58:34
I I haven't seen the paperwork that they're paying the different rates.
0:58:37
The only other agency that's using Garner right now on their own outside of the DCAS, NYSEM H and H collaboration, is a p HPD for Jefferson.
0:58:46
I don't know their rates.
0:58:47
I know at some point when they initially entered into an agreement with Garner, there was some rate conversations that they called me into trying to negotiate down and we did.
0:58:56
But for the report that H and H and NICE are paying different rates.
0:58:59
It's one they're they're managing one contract.
0:59:02
So I I have to We would
Lincoln Restler
0:59:04
greatly appreciate if you could back up any documentation or any response to the chair with control or land or on potential or alleged inaccuracies of the report could be shared with the committee as well.
0:59:12
Absolutely.
0:59:12
I can't remember any did you have anything else you wanna you're good.
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Are Randall's Island, Floyd Bennett Field, and Creedmoor psych facility asylum seeker facilities contracted through the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS)?
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What is the actual hourly rate for security guards at migrant centers, and who is responsible for their hiring?