Council Candidate Greg Thielen Again Calls on HART for Removal of Executive Director Robbins and Cautions Against Awarding Contract Under Robins' Tenure
News Release from Council Candidate Greg Thielen, Sept 21, 2020
In a letter to the HART Board of Directors (attached), Greg Thielen commended its Human Resources Committee for their recommendation not to renew Executive Director Andrew Robbins’ contract, which expires at the end of this year, and urged the Board of Directors to follow this guidance.
Thielen is running for City Council District 3 (Ahuimanu, Heeia, Haiku, Kaneohe, Maunawili, Kailua, Olomana, Enchanted Lake, and Waimanalo), a seat being vacated by Ikaika Anderson due to term limits.
Thielen tempered this message with a word of caution, urging HART Board Members to ensure that Robbins doesn’t proceed with awarding the P3 contract before the end of the year. Pointing to a need to resolve the rail project’s “underlying issues [of] transparency and a realistic financial plan,” Thielen warned against “a potential worse case scenario of a contract award just before a leadership transition at HART and the City and County of Honolulu.”
In a previous letter to HART, on August 28, Thielen cited Robbins’ ongoing refusal to share any information regarding the proposals received on July 23 as showing “exceptionally poor judgment.”
Reiterating his earlier sentiments, Thielen noted: “This is the biggest contract in City history and will obligate the Tax Payers of the City and County of Honolulu to a 30 year operations contract and an estimated cost of $5.4 billion. This step can not be allowed to take place under a shroud of secrecy, by an Executive in whom both the public and HART Board Members have lost confidence.”
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To: HART Board of Directors
Dear Chair Martyn and Board Members, September 21, 2020
I am writing you today to thank your Human Resources Committee for making the recommendation not to renew Executive Director Andrew Robbins employment agreement and to urge the full Board to support this recommendation.
In my August 28 letter to you I urged you to terminate director Robbins’ contract. I imagine there are contractual reasons you are considering this option instead of an immediate dismissal. This path does leave me concerned on one point though. What if director Robbins proceeds with awarding the P3 contract prior to the end of his employment period? How will you protect the people of the City and County of Honolulu from this potential outcome?
This is the biggest contract in City history with an estimated $1.4 billion in construction cost and a 30 year $4 billion operations contract. I would urge you to be as transparent as possible with the public and share what steps you will take to avoid a P3 award between now and the end of the year. If this issue isn’t addressed, it leaves us open to a potential worse case scenario of a contract award just before a leadership transition at HART and the City and County of Honolulu. I commend your recognition of the need to change leadership but urge you to ensure this solves the underlying issues with the project as well: Namely transparency and a realistic financial plan.
Sincerely,
Greg Thielen
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