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Breaking News: Cop's Contract

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May 13th 2008

(August 21, 2003) The Observer has learned that a Plymouth Cleaning Company, owned by the wife of a Kingston police officer was awarded the contract for cleaning the Kingston Police Station. On July 1, the start date of the contract, Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) was waiting at the station to arrest Almir J. Raposa, age 39, the employee assigned the task. Raposa was in this country illegally, having already been deported once before. To assess the problems with this entire mess, let us break it down into three categories:

Conflict of Interest

Off-Hours Management, Inc. of Plymouth is owned by Cheryl Wager, wife of nine year Patrolman Michael Wager. State bidding laws frown on bidding where direct relatives are involved. Although Cheryl Wager hold all the offices of her corporation, husband Michael, whether directly or indirectly, benefits from her employment at the station. What complicates the issue is that Chief Gordon Fogg’s office cannot be cleaned unless the chief or Lt. Kelley is physically present. Personnel and health records, which include Michael Wagers, are housed in the office his wife’s company has access to. Essentially, this procedure can certainly be construed as an alteration of the bid specs. Former Kingstonian Bill Rosenberger (Royal Cleaning) had previously held the contract for 18 years, never requiring supervision. Rosenberger told the Observer that his price for 18 years was $1,100 a month. This year he increased his bid to $1,250 ($15,000 annually). Wager beat him out at $1,050 a month ($12,600 annually). A thirst company, Clean Link out of Brockton, bid $1,895 a month ($22,700 annually). Wager presented three current clients as references, which Customer Service Rep John Burns of Clean Link says is frowned upon. “Especially on a police contract, it’s intimidating for a police officer’s wife to be getting Kingston recommendations. What are they supposed to say? We always name out-of-town references under any circumstances.”

Illegal Alien Assigned
Cleaning Responsibility

It became obvious that Cheryl never did an adequate background check on her employee. Fogg informed Wager that he would be conducting a CORI background check not only on her, but any employee that might ever be assigned the cleaning chores at the station. It was Fogg that discovered Raposa’s status. “The man was using a false date of birth but did have a tax number and was paying taxes” said Fogg. “Raposa was deported about 11 years ago and was not in this country legally”. Burns said that any company hiring anyone with a Green Card could do their own background check through CORI in Charlstown or through INS itself. “We do it all the time,” said Burns. Fogg contacted INS and agents were already inside the Kingston Station when Raposa arrived for the start date of the contract. He was quickly whisked away presumably for another deportation to Brazil.

Company Fails To Meet Bidding Qualifications

The bid requirements for the station cleaning contract requires that “Venders shall have been engaged in the building cleaning business under the same corporate name for a minimum of two (2) years prior to the bid date and shall be required to prove same if required.” Cheryl Wager’s company was incorporated on August 27 of last year. The First year anniversary of the entity will occur later in August, far short of the two year requirement.

What Should Happen Next?

There is no question that the entire situation stinks! It reeks of conflict and insider positioning. Certainly Cheryl Wager has a right to her own business and destiny. It should not however include work at the same facility her husband works and should not have created cause for security issues to require supervision when working in the Chief’s office. The failure to research a valid background check was within her ability to conduct. During the post 9-11 era this gaffe should not have been tolerated.

The obvious failure to meet the two-year requirement for bidders should have resulted in a breach of contract. Off-Hours Management should be immediately terminated. Rosenberger told the Observer that the contract was “awarded the same day the bids were opened. They never allowed any time for the company to be checked out.” Certainly this matter has been kept quite hushed since the July 1 fiasco. One police officer that knew we were on the story quipped, “How the hell did it ever get leaked to you?” Well, it did. What happens next is the bigger question.
 

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