Another KCI debacle? This is why people don’t trust government

The threat to open government in Kansas City continued Monday.

KCI Partnership, the company created by AECOM to pursue the airport terminal project, now says it’s ready to reopen negotiations with the city and has added Burns & McDonnell to its team.

The announcement represents a stunning and brazen attempt to improperly interfere with ongoing negotiations between the city and Edgemoor Infrastructure over an initial agreement to build a new airport terminal.

The City Council must firmly reject the KCI Partnership plan. If it does not — if the council ends talks with Edgemoor and opens negotiations with KCI Partnership — it would represent one of the most disappointing betrayals of Kansas City voters in history.

We are not on team Edgemoor. We’re not backing any team competing for the terminal project. We simply support an open, fair, legitimate process that leads to the best airport at the lowest cost.

Edgemoor abided by the rules of the bid process and won the competition fair and square in September. The council ratified the choice by ordinance before voters went to the polls in November and overwhelmingly approved the project.

In recent days, however, a secret cabal of council members has tried to overturn the voters’ will by substituting its judgment for yours.

Their motives are a mix of self interest and political calculations. Some council members want to embarrass Mayor Sly James or future political opponents. Others appear determined to sabotage a new terminal.

Still others have worked for weeks to undermine Edgemoor in favor of KCI Partnership. They’ve done so at the behest of special interest groups more focused on their own agendas than the voters’ decision.

Inclusiveness in hiring, an issue that has proved to be a sticking point in the city’s talks with Edgemoor, is essential. But such agreements should be part of a transparent process — not the result of a backroom deal.

Some council members have genuine concerns about the agreement with Edgemoor. For them, the clear answer is to negotiate those issues.

The City Council should consider a resolution establishing a 30- or 60-day timetable for an Edgemoor deal. If an agreement cannot be reached — and the reasons for that are made public — then the city should reopen the bid process. What the city should not do is blindly accept any new offers from KCI Partnership. That would likely increase the cost of the project, and would allow the group to improperly amend its bid long after the other bids have been opened.

And Burns & McDonnell? Let’s review the timeline: The company sought a secret, no-bid contract in the spring; it was disqualified during the bidding process in the summer. Now, after voters have approved the project, Burns & McDonnell wants to slip in through the back door.

There were signs Monday that some council members understand the incalculable damage this controversy has done to the city’s image and the public’s trust. They’re talking with Edgemoor.

They know that Kansas City’s voters will reject any sign of backroom dealing in the airport contract. They know the KCI mess could imperil other city initiatives, including the capital improvements sales tax next spring.

Trust matters. The November vote should be honored. The City Council must do the right thing or risk further tarnishing the city’s reputation and eroding citizens’ faith in government.

This story was originally published December 18, 2017 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Another KCI debacle? This is why people don’t trust government."