City Committee Will Vote Today on Consultant’s Recommendations to Prevent Future Embezzlements

The City Council’s Municipal Services Committee today will review an independent consultant’s report analyzing how a former city employee was able to embezzle $6.4 million from a city fund and decide if the report’s corrective recommendations should be sent to the full Council to accept.

The report by Managemenmt Consultants indicates the ill-fated Underground Utility Program (UUP) program needs to be firmly controlled by one city department. The patchwork inter-departmental sharing of responsibilities governing the program was a key factor allowing the embezzlement to occur unnoticed for about 11 years, the report concludes.

Danny Ray Wooten, a former public works employee, was arrested in December along Melody Jenkins, his assistant, and Tyrone Collins, who was owner of Collins Electric based in Altadena. The three were charged various crimes related to the embezzlement. The city has since filed a civil suit to recover funds.

A city audit found that Wooten exercised unusual authority over the UUP fund, directing the payment of millions of dollars using little more than apparently forged documents and signatures.

City staff has recommended the Committee accept the 13 corrective procedures and practices recommended by Management Consultants in the report to be presented today.

The Municipal Services Committee is chaired by District 2 Councilmember Margaret McAustin. The other Committe members are Mayor Terry Tornek and District 7 Councilmember Andy Wilson. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Pasadena City Hall.

To see the report and the 13 recommendations, click here: http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/waterandpower/agendas/msc.pdf