Pursuant to the authority conferred in KSA 14-301, as well as the authority vested in me pursuant to city code, the City Attorney and I have appointed special counsel to deliver to the District Attorney of Johnson County, Kansas, allegations of impropriety in the process to select a bid for broadband provider for the City of Spring Hill, and to request that the District Attorney or his designee expand such investigation as the assigned investigator so deems.

I have further instructed the City Attorney to order a legal hold on all documents, papers, emails, and any and all records in any form related in any way to the Request for Proposal process.  I have directed all City staff to cooperate with any investigation conducted by the Johnson County District Attorney’s office.

The benefit of referring this matter to the Johnson County District Attorney’s office is that is an independent office over which the City has no authority.  The sole function of Special Counsel is to carry forward the request for investigation, and provide any information requested to avoid concerns of undue influence from anyone associated with the RFP process.

Trust in government is the foundation upon which democracy sits.  When questions erode that trust then nothing stable can be built upon that foundation.  I have full faith in the District Attorney’s evaluation, assessment, and any investigation, and hope that you do as well.  If corruption is uncovered, we will prosecute that corruption to the fullest extent of the law.  If none is found, then we must accept that and move forward in the way we always have … together.