"Philadelphia airport backs out of Milton's deal"

Thursday, June 19, 2003

Airport backs out of Milton's deal
Court fight likely by mayor's brother
By DAVE DAVIES
The Philadelphia (PA) Daily News


Two days after Mayor Street's brother Milton threatened to sue if he lost
his $1.2 million airport maintenance contract, it was summarily yanked by
the same airport administration that approved it in April.

Milton Street was unavailable and the offices of his firm, Notlim Service
Management were empty late yesterday, but he said Monday he'd go to court to
save his deal.

"I will immediately go into court for a temporary restraining order against
the city," Milton Street said. "I think I'm entitled to this contract.
There's no wrongdoing in this and we'll let some judge make a decision."

Meanwhile, a review of city records shows Notlim's minority business
certification has expired twice this year, but the firm has been permitted
to participate in city business through temporary approvals.

Newspapers reported June 6 that Milton Street's firm was to become a
subcontractor to Philadelphia Airport Services maintaining baggage conveyers
and carousels.

While Notlim had no experience in the field and no employees, Milton Street
said Philadelphia Airport Services would help in the venture as part of its
commitment to developing minority firms.

Mayor Street said he was troubled by the appearance of "an inside deal" and
announced his brother had agreed to withdraw. Milton Street signed a letter
agreeing to do so. But on Monday he said he would fight to keep the deal,
and the mayor then instructed administration officials to "resist" the
contract.

A two-paragraph statement from the airport said yesterday its initial
approval of the Notlim deal was "preliminary" and "conditional" and that
after conferring with city lawyers and procurement officials, city Aviation
Director Charles Isdell disapproved the contract.

Isdell was unavailable for an interview, as he has been since the Notlim
contract became public.

Airport spokesman Mark Pesce declined to make the initial written approvals
of the Notlim deal available or to explain what considerations prompted the
change.

Mayor Street's spokeswoman Barbara Grant said the underlying reason was the
mayor's concern about the appearance of the contract.

City officials yesterday permitted the Daily News to review Notlim's file in
the city's Minority Business Enterprise Council, which certifies companies
for participation as minority, female and disabled firms in city contracts.

The file shows Notlim's certification expired March 2, and was temporarily
extended on April 14, just three days before airport maintenance manager
Robert Cusick approved the Notlim subcontract.

The May 28 extension period has expired and Notlim still hasn't submitted
its re-certification application, but MBEC permits it to continue operating
as a minority business until the re-certification is complete.

MBEC deputy director Candace Hitchcock said yesterday said yesterday that is
routine practice.

"We don't want to kick our contractors to the curb because they're a little
late," she said.

The 2000 certification review noted that "Mr. Street has requested that his
application for MBE certification is approved absent his financials and tax
information because of the sensitive nature of this information."

Evaluator Charles Thorpe recommended approval because "there are now
immediate business opportunities that this company can be part of if it
certified as an MBE post haste."

Hitchcock said Thorpe had reviewed some financial information that was not
included in the file.

In another section of the MBEC file, a one-page statement indicated that the
"personal financial statements" of Milton Street and his son Milton Jr., the
two owners of Notlim, had been "redacted" (removed) by senior Law Department
attorney Michelle Flamer on Tuesday.

Hitchcock said that is standard practice when a file is opened for
inspection by an outsider to protect a businesses' proprietary information.


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