How to Spend Siemens Settlement Creates Ruckus Between Mayor, Council
How the City of Jackson will spend the $89.8 million recovered in the Siemens settlement has generated a ruckus between the mayor and the Jackson City Council.
The Siemens Settlement, Explained
Jackson's saga of a troubled contract with Siemens Inc. and subcontractors for new water meters seemed to come to an end on Feb. 19 when Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba announced an $89.8-million settlement with the multinational corporation.
OPINION: Stop Talking About Corruption: The Nature of Ethnic Patronage Politics
"Corruption implies dishonesty, sleaze and fraud. Historically, such corruption has taken the form of kickbacks and favoritism to supporters of electoral campaigns. ... Is Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba's regime thus 'corrupt?'"
City of Jackson Reaches $89.8 Million Settlement with Siemens
The City of Jackson has reached a $89.8 million settlement with Siemens Inc., Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba announced yesterday.
Mayor Lumumba Announces $89 Million Settlement from Siemens
"Today, I am pleased to announce that we have recovered every penny that was taken from our community by the Siemens Corporation. We have settled with Siemens for the full amount of the contract- $89,800,627."
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Mr. Mayor, Don’t Let ‘One Lake’ Be Your ‘Siemens’
"The mayor is clearly trying to express support for the people who are experiencing flooding this week. But this isn't (just) about sturgeon, Mr. Mayor. And I sincerely encourage you not to make the One Lake project your 'Siemens.'"
State Auditor Looking at City Contract; Flooding, Water Quality Plagues Jackson
Chief Administrative Officer Robert Blaine drew a unanimous censure from the Jackson City Council following an administrative error in a City contract with a prominent backer of Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba.
City Council Censures CAO Blaine, Pursues Litigation Against Contractor
The Jackson City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to censure Chief Administrative Officer Robert Blaine following an administrative error in a City contract that resulted in the City of Jackson paying a company $100,000 for work that was supposed to have cost $48,000.
Lumumba Vows to Fight Corruption, Cites Progress in 'State of the City'
Corporations and other bad actors will no longer take advantage of Jackson, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba pledged to a crowd during his third State of the City Address yesterday evening.
Water-Sewer Lawsuit Against City Has New Attorney, Carlos Moore
As the City of Jackson continues its own legal battle against Siemens seeking $225 million over a botched water-sewer billing system, Carlos Moore is continuing work on a lawsuit filed in June on behalf of Jackson residents.
UPDATE: Jackson's $7 Million Water Bill Fix Passes; Zoo Closure Ends Worker Benefits
At a special meeting late last week, the Jackson City Council blocked a $7-million emergency loan to fix its water-sewer system, which has been plagued with problems since the City signed a $90-million contract with Siemens Inc. for a new meter and billing system.
Judge Disqualifies Attorneys In Water Lawsuit Against City of Jackson
The City of Jackson, a defendant in a lawsuit over how it is handling the current water-billing crisis, sent out two press statements Wednesday night announcing a victory for its defense in the legal action.
Amid Water-Sewer Problems, Jackson 'Millage Rate' Vote a Temporary Fix
Amid an ongoing lawsuit stemming from concerns over Jackson's water-sewer system, the Jackson City Council voted Thursday evening to not change the overall millage rate for fiscal year 2020.
City’s Water Crisis: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
At its Aug. 20 meeting, the Jackson City Council passed an ordinance to allow administrative hearings for water-and-sewer bill complaints. The City will hire a hearing officer to consider evidence and findings from both customers and the water and sewer business administration manager.
Water Tampering to Bring Penalties, City of Jackson Promises
Water customers have been cutting the wires to their meters or destroying them to purposely prevent the city from reading the meters, City Public Works Director Bob Miller announced at a press conference June 12.
Jackson Sues Siemens, Local Businessmen for ‘Bait and Switch’ Contract
Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba announced today that the City of Jackson has filed a lawsuit against Siemens Industry Inc. and associated divisions in the U.S. and Germany, along with multiple local subcontractors.
City Update: Siemens Investigation Moves Forward, Bridge Closure, JPD Accreditation, Local Heroes
Ward 3 Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes removed his glasses as Council President Melvin Priester Jr. of Ward 2 announced the body would be going into an executive session—its second of the day during its last meeting on May 14.
City of Jackson Warns of Fraudulent Water and Sewer Collections
The City of Jackson issued an advisory notice to warn water/sewer customers of possible fraudulent collections occurrences that have been reported.
Water Customers Still Getting No Bills as City Scrambles for Payments
The City of Jackson over-billed David Thompson several times in 2018, with his most recent water bill coming in at $937, even though he lived alone in his home in north Jackson near Ridgewood Road.
Delinquent Water Customers Seeing Turn-offs As City Copes With Deficits
This week the City of Jackson started making good on recent warnings with water shut-offs for approximately 20,000 customers who are late paying their water bills, many resulting from problems with the Siemens contract to improve billing for customers.
Amid Water Shutoffs, Jackson Assists Siemens Customers With Bills
The City of Jackson's customer-focused process of offering payment plans to beleaguered Siemens Inc. customers since April has not yielded revenue at a quick enough rate to fill the massive $10 million to $20 million deficit due to kinks in the billing system.
More Water and Sewer Changes to Go Before Jackson City Council
The Jackson City Council will consider more changes, some cosmetic and some contractual, to the beleaguered water and sewer system ahead of the city council meeting slated for Tuesday.
Lumumba Signs Water and Sewer Customer ‘Bill of Rights’ Ahead of Shutoffs
Ahead of water shutoffs to non-paying customers, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba signed an executive order Monday, Sept. 24, officiating a “Bill of Rights” to those who pay for water and sewer in the City of Jackson.
More Water and Sewer Changes to Go Before Jackson City Council
The Jackson City Council will consider more changes, some cosmetic and some contractual, to the beleaguered water and sewer system ahead of the city council meeting slated for Tuesday.
‘Stranded’ Siemens Customers Will Pay Two Bills
Two weeks ago, the Jackson City Council voted to accept Public Works Director Bob Miller's proposal to rework the Siemens Inc. contract in order to start getting accurate water bills out to customers and recoup lost revenue.
Lumumba Signs Water and Sewer Customer ‘Bill of Rights’ Ahead of Shutoffs
Ahead of water shutoffs to non-paying customers, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba signed an executive order Monday, Sept. 24, officiating a “Bill of Rights” to those who pay for water and sewer in the City of Jackson.
More Water and Sewer Changes to Go Before Jackson City Council
The Jackson City Council will consider more changes, some cosmetic and some contractual, to the beleaguered water and sewer system ahead of the city council meeting slated for Tuesday.
Midnight Siemens Vote Designed to Recoup Millions, Correct Water Billing
The Jackson City Council voted just before midnight last night to accept Public Works Director Bob Miller's proposal to overhaul the Siemens Inc. contract and recoup millions in missing water revenue from local customers.
More Water Bills Ahead; Siemens Contract Faces Changes Tonight
If Public Works Director Bob Miller gets his way, Jacksonians could start getting accurate water bills in the next couple of weeks.
City of Jackson Wants to Sue Siemens
The City's water-meter issues stem back to the 2012 contract with Siemens that came about when the council during Mayor Harvey Johnson's era gave Siemens the authorization to audit the city's water system and evaluate the need for a new electronic water-meter system.
City Contracting Battles: Veolia, Fisher Fight On
A month has passed since the City held its first Equal Business Opportunity Review Committee hearing to mediate a dispute between the larger Massachusetts-based company, Veolia North America - South, LLC, and Fisher Construction of Jackson.
EDITORIAL: City Contracting Is a Mess, Must Be Repaired
It didn't take two women who can't get payment for hauling nasty sludge from a wastewater-treatment plant to convince the Jackson Free Press that the City's contracting system is a mess, and ripe for abuse and corruption.
Good Faith, Bad Faith: City Contract Controversies Explode ... Again
Arneedra Smith-Gaddis seemed nervous when she stepped to the microphone in City Hall on Jan. 3, but Bridgette Gandy looked more composed. The two women subcontractors were there, separately, to tell the Jackson City Council that a local construction company had cheated them out of money paid through a municipal contract.
Troubled Water, Part I: Explaining Jackson's $91 Million Siemens Contract
It's almost impossible to turn on the nightly local television news without coming across a story of a Jackson resident who was shocked to open an astronomically high City of Jackson water bill after receiving a new meter.
Troubled Water, Part II: The Origins of Jackson's $91 Million Siemens Contract
Nearly two months have passed since City of Jackson Department of Public Works Director Kishia Powell brought the water-meter installation project, the centerpiece of the City's $91 million contract with Siemens, to a grinding halt over concerns about quality control.
Bills, Bills, Bills: Jackson Residents Confused by New Water Systems
Judging by the number of paint-stained overalls and tired faces in the Smith Robertson Museum auditorium, many people who attended Mayor Tony Yarber's recent town-hall meeting came directly from work to press the mayor and his administration on what the heck is going on with their water bills.
Siemens: Sewer, Water Line Upgrades Done; Meter Project to Restart
Siemens, the company which Jackson is paying $91 million for water upgrades, said today that the portion of the contract that calls for water- and sewer-line improvements is complete and that the company has a green light to finish the other half of a massive water-meter change-out.
Public Works Pushes Back on Subcontractor
The City's Public Works Department is seeking to pay outside companies for assistance due to its lack of a qualified staff and potential damages to antennae's and water towers.
City Needs Siemens Until Problems Resolved
As the City of Jackson continues to mull over the next year's budget and its myriad cuts, the talk from recent city-council meetings about possible legal action against Siemens for the $90-million contract has morphed into discussions on how to address the billing problems facing citizens.
Stokes to Propose Siemens Lawsuit, 1-Percent Appointees Head to Council
Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes has placed an order "authorizing legal action against Siemens Industry Inc. (Building Technologies Division) for violations of its performance contractual agreement with the City of Jackson" into the council agenda for tomorrow's 6 p.m. meeting.
MAC Construction Files Lawsuit Against Siemens
MAC Construction LLC, one of the principal subcontractors for the City of Jackson’s notorious $90-million contract with Siemens, filed a suit against the large company for damages
Defying City Attorney, Council Passes New Subcontractor Disclosure Rules
The City now has more “teeth” for requiring disclosure of subcontractors, as well as oversight for switching subcontractors, for all contracts above $50,000, thanks to an ordinance passed at the April 20 Jackson City Council Meeting.
City Council Seeks Input on Subcontractor Transparency Ordinance
The Jackson City Council wants to ensure that minority subcontractors have the ability to take part in major construction projects in the city, get paid on time and be held accountable for their work.
1 Percent Tax: A Test for Contractor Reform
Almost two years after voters in Jackson decided to tax themselves an extra 1-percent worth of sales tax on certain goods, heavy machinery will soon be turning dirt and the City will start spending from the tax fund.
City Must Increase Subcontracting Transparency
Under the City of Jackson's $91-million contract with Siemens for a water-system overhaul and sewer repairs, at least six firms hold subcontracts with Siemens.
Bills, Bills, Bills: Jackson Residents Confused by New Water Systems
Judging by the number of paint-stained overalls and tired faces in the Smith Robertson Museum auditorium, many people who attended Mayor Tony Yarber's recent town-hall meeting came directly from work to press the mayor and his administration on what the heck is going on with their water bills.
Siemens Reboots, Council Critics Remain Skeptical
Jackson council members are cautiously optimistic as Mayor Tony Yarber's administration lifts a work stoppage for the beleaguered Siemens water-meter upgrade project.
Siemens: Sewer, Water Line Upgrades Done; Meter Project to Restart
Siemens, the company which Jackson is paying $91 million for water upgrades, said today that the portion of the contract that calls for water- and sewer-line improvements is complete and that the company has a green light to finish the other half of a massive water-meter change-out.
City Launching Investigation of Water Dept. Finances
"The largest municipal investigation, maybe in the history of the state" is how Jackson City Council President De'Keither Stamps described the announcement he and other city officials plan to make later this afternoon.
Report: Water Dept. Overhaul Needed
The City of Jackson is hemorrhaging cash at its Water and Sewer Business Administration. Detailed in a report completed by an independent consulting firm hired last fall, the losses are primarily due to bad management practices and could even involve malfeasance at the WSBA.
Council Mulls Siemens Deal
Two of the Jackson City Council's newest, youngest members had many questions for the folks at Siemens in an hour-long public hearing Monday afternoon at City Hall.
Costly Objection to Siemens Deal Withdrawn
Advanced Technology Business Solutions has withdrawn a complaint filed in Hinds County Chancery Court regarding a contract the city of Jackson awarded to Siemens Company.
Lumumba Wants More Siemens Oversight
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba has taken a city-first approach to infrastructure—he wants to pave city streets and fix the water and sewer network by hiring local contractors instead of handing work, and money, to businesses located outside the city limits.
Fireworks Over Siemens, Human Rights
The Jackson City Council approved a $7,200 pyrotechnic display for Thalia Mara Hall for New Year's Eve. But the real fireworks came later on in the meeting, when the council received one of its most comprehensive public updates about the ongoing water-meter installation project that's part of a $90 million contract with Siemens AG and a number of Jackson-area subcontractors.
City's Deal with Siemens Makes Citizens Nervous
An agreement to evaluate the city's water and sewer system has many Jackson residents worried about an increase in cost to the public.
Siemens, City Headed for Showdown?
After months of complaints from residents about uncharacteristically large water bills, slow progress on the city-wide installation of 65,000 new water meters and skepticism about the prudence of a $90 million deal with Siemens AG, the city's public works director has halted the project as city and company officials scramble to figure out what went wrong and who will pay for the mistakes.
Dumping Siemens Could Be Lengthy, Costly Process
Kenneth Stokes, in his first week back as Ward 3 councilman, said he plans to offer a proposal to get the city out from underneath its $90 million contract with Siemens Energy Inc. for replacing water meters and making repairs to water and sewer lines.
