PARK PROPOSITIONS PAYING OFF FOR FAMILIES.

Byline: Christina Sanchez-Camino and Ellen Oppenheim

THE Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks has been spending the last few years successfully completing capital projects for the community.

Since Propositions A1, A2 and K were passed locally, the department has designed and constructed more than 166 much-needed projects across Los Angeles, including many successful projects in the Valley such as the new Pedlow Skate Park, Granada Hills Recreation Center, Tarzana Childcare Center, Hansen Dam Soccer Complex, and the Sepulveda Basin Garden Center Expansion.

In addition to the 166 projects that are already complete, 61 more are under construction including the newly acquired Sepulveda Park West, and 59 more are in design and scheduled to start construction soon.

The 385 park facilities built and operated by the Department of Recreation and Parks enjoy about 30 million park visits from residents and visitors who appreciate the many capital improvements that have been completed thanks to the voter-approved park propositions.

It is unfortunate that the Daily News reporter used, as a basis for his story (``City parks money wasted,'' Feb. 4), the misinformation of a general contractor who has been barred from doing business with any city department for five years.

By law, proposition-funded projects are awarded to the general contractors with the lowest bid in a fair and open competitive process. Most of the contractors who are awarded parks projects complete their projects effectively, adhering to the terms of their contract. Occasionally, we find that the selected bidder proves to be an irresponsible contractor. When that happens, we take action.

Examining, for example, the case of D&M Construction (whose attorney was quoted in the story), this contractor was awarded a total of 14 contracts by the Department of Recreation and Parks. This contractor was given ample opportunity to correct their errors and to adhere to their contracts.

In September of 1998, as a result of D&M's poor performance on the job, the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners put D&M ``on notice,'' and then in January 2001, the board found D&M to be in breach of contract and barred them from bidding on city work for a minimum of five years.

The board canceled D&M's contracts after determining that: 1. D&M took advantage of youth workers by failing to pay them the city-mandated prevailing wage; 2. D&M withheld up to $888,696 in city funds from their own subcontractors; 3. D&M submitted change order requests for additional payments above the original scope of work without substantiating invoices; 4. D&M was repeatedly cited by the building inspector for noncompliance; and 5. Illegal substitution of subcontractors occurred.

In a separate action by the district attorney, the owner of D&M Construction was convicted of criminal labor and wage violations, sentenced to probation, and forced to pay restitution and fines of $185,000.

Even more recently, the city filed false-claims charges against D&M for defrauding the city by submitting falsified requests for payment.

To protect the interests of taxpayers, city law requires contractors to maintain labor and performance bonds in good standing at all times.

When a bonding company representing one of the contractors recently went out of business, the story alleged that the city did not provide the contractor the chance to finish the job.

In fact, when the contractor found themselves without the required bonds, we offered the general contractor an opportunity to get replacement bonds; but the contractor was unable to obtain replacement bonds. Since it is illegal for a general contractor to work without the required performance and labor bonds, we were forced to terminate their contract.

I hope that the next time Daily News readers take their children to a neighborhood park or to a regional park like the Sepulveda Basin or Hansen Dam, they will realize that the children's play areas, the recreation and child care centers, the sports fields, and the other park features have been constructed for them, their families and friends as a result of the successful park propositions passed by local voters.