"San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder announced on Tuesday that she would call for a hearing to investigate the process that led Mayor Daniel Lurie's office to award a $5.9 million contract to a well-connected tech firm that city staff said was unqualified to overhaul the city's permitting system. The 13-year-old tech firm OpenGov won a contract to lead the city's permit reform effort despite city staff writing that its proposal had "gaps so significant" that it "shouldn't be considered" for the task."
"OpenGov's co-founder and former chair, CEO and an advisory board members were all donors to either Lurie's former foundation or his mayoral campaign. Fielder took note of the ties in her announcement. "My concerns around the OpenGov contract boil down to the quality of the contract, the costs, the process by which it was procured and the preexisting relationships of OpenGov with the mayor's former nonprofit, Tipping Point," said Fielder at today's Board of Supervisors meeting."
"The San Francisco Standard first reported on Oct. 15 that Ned Segal, Lurie's policy chief for housing and economic development, awarded the contract to OpenGov despite another company offering what staffers found to be a superior product at a lower cost. The Standard noted that Segal " unilaterally " overruled staff recommendations in awarding the contract to OpenGov. In a July report with input from 16 technical city workers, Clariti, OpenGov's competing bidder, was deemed "the most suitable of the 3 products," earning an average score of 4.42 out of 5. OpenGov, by contrast, scored 2.88. Both Lurie and Segal defended the choice. Lurie said in an Oct. 15 town hall meeting: "I am hoping and asking you all to be with me on this ... I know it's going to be a pain in the butt. I'm sure all these transitions always are, but I'm telling you, it's going to be worth it.""
Supervisor Jackie Fielder announced plans to call for a hearing to investigate the procurement of a $5.9 million contract awarded to OpenGov to overhaul San Francisco's permitting system. City technical staff judged OpenGov's proposal to have "gaps so significant" and recommended it not be considered, while a competing bidder, Clariti, scored 4.42 versus OpenGov's 2.88. OpenGov founders and board members donated to Mayor Daniel Lurie's foundation or campaign. Ned Segal awarded the contract despite staff recommendations. Both Mayor Lurie and Segal defended the decision and urged patience during the transition.
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