Updated: NorCo GPA Boss Wants $200/Hr to Check Work That's Been Checked

Former Exec John Brown and friends
share a good laugh.

Early this month, I told you that the Northampton County's General Purpose Authority (GPA) kicked off the new year with a Sunshine Act violation. Its board members took one look at NorCo Exec Lamont McClure and Council Prez Ken Kraft, who were sitting in the audience, and bolted for the back room. They never bothered to explain why they felt it was necessary to meet in secret. I think I now know at least some of the things going on with this shadow government. Basically, it was an instrument that former Executive John Brown used to do end-runs around County Council. A very willing instrument, too, especially since Chairman Shawn Langen thinks he's going to be paid.

I've filed two Right-to-Know requests with the GPA, seeking information that could be produced in 30 seconds. But Solicitor John Lushis, the designated Right-to-Know officer, is delaying his response for 30 days, hoping that we all lose interest.

In my correspondence with Lushis, he denies that a Sunshine Act violation occurred, stating that an executive session was "discussed well prior to the meeting and was not intended to slight anyone." If true, I'd owe Lushis and the entire GPA an apology. It's not. I reviewed the GPA minutes for well over a year. I saw no mention made anywhere of the need for an executive session. What I did see is a shadow government that appears to have lost sight of its role.

Stan Rugis wants peace ... and coffee

Over the years, the GPA has acted as a conduit for the issuance of both taxable and tax exempt bonds to help finance public and private projects, mostly with hospitals and universities. It also administers the NorCo Loan and Development Fund and the Community Investment Partnership Program Revolving Loan Fund. In 2016, it became the lead agency involved in a plan to refurbish or replace 33 county-owned bridges at a cost of $38 million, with the work being done by Kriger Construction. This is a public-private partnership, and is called a P3.

This P3 project, the brainchild of Lushis, is where the problem has started and mushroomed. This is what the minutes tell me.

First, from the February minutes, I learned from Lushis himself that then Executive John Brown had tapped him and the GPA to do the prison project, and that it would be a P3 project. This way Brown could avoid annoying questions from the people's elected representatives on Council. This also explains why Lushis was present last March when Brown gave a power point presentation to Upper Nazareth Supervisors in a private little get together.

How much is Lushis being paid? How much of his work was related to GPA and how much was an effort to avoid Council inquiries about the new jail?

Stay tuned.

Pick a good one, Joe!

Second, I learned that Sahl Communications and Kim Plyler are back, just like a bad penny. In case you've forgotten, this is the public relations firm that Brown hired and paid with taxpayer money to make him look good. The result was two lawsuits and shitty news releases full of spelling and grammatical errors. Based on her writing skills, I thought she was  promoting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. But as it happens, she's now the spinmaster for the GPA.

According to the June minutes, Sahl was creating a package to market P3 to other counties and municipalities, which is way beyond the scope of the GPA. It is getting paid monthly. From the October 3 meeting. I know Sahl was also building a website with a link to a Facebook page.

I checked, and sure enough, a Facebook page does exist. Its opening picture, in typical Sahl fashion, includes the wrong Executive, wrong Public Works Director and wrong Solicitor. It is replete with pictures that look like they could have been taken by a fourth grader. They include a shot of former Public Works Director Stan Rugis giving a peace sign and one in which Senator Lisa Boscola aide Joe Kelly looks like he's picking his nose.

Very artistic.

This amazing Facebook page also contains what is supposed to be a link to the GPA website, but if you click on it, it tells you that there is no webpage. That's because Sahl installed the link incorrectly and never bothered to check its own damn work. The website is here, and probably has been seen by three people.

Remember, the Brown team are the rocket scientists that bought an $800 popcorn machine.

How much is Sahl being paid for its incompetence? Looks like I'll be filing another Right-to-Know request.

Third, at least one GPA board member is attempting to profit personally from his involvement. According to the January minutes, Chairman Shawn Langen will be getting paid $200 per hour to review the work that is already being reviewed by a third party engineer.

I doubt very much that Council knows what the hell is going on, but they will now.

As luck would have it, one of the Right-to-Know requests I filed asked about these kinds of arrangements.

Updated 3:20pm: Kim Plyler has contacted me to say that her contract with the GPA ended in December.