Harris Democrats Award $6 Million Dollar Contract to Company Currently Being Audited for $26 million in No-Bid Contracts in Sonoma

In a 4-1 party line vote Harris Democrats awarded an additional $4.6 million to Dema Consulting and Management, a company which currently is being audited after an investigation from the Press Democrat released findings that the company billed at least $800,000 for staff positions that current and former employees say they don’t remember interacting with or even knowing about

During Tuesday’s Commissioners Court session, Commissioner Ramsey introduced his findings to the court of an ongoing Audit of DEMA in Sonoma county.

Through a quick internet search, it appears that DEMA Consulting and Mangement Texas LLC seems to have submitted a proposal certifying they were registered with the Secretary of State nearly two months before they were officially registered with the state.

The additional $4,616,189 now totals $6,116,189 which has been awarded to this company in just a 2-year period for the HART PROGRAM. Which most in the county have found to be a waste of taxpayer funds since the Sheriff has a comparable department.

Most in the County were not aware that the Current Health Director, Barbie Robinson previously had worked with Dema Consulting and Management during her time as health Director in Sonoma County, entering into agreement for DEMA to run six sites for eight months at a maximum cost of $9 million.

The contract was expanded FIVE times as the pandemic progressed, with an amendment in December 2021 raising the payment cap to $21 million. Similar to most of the contracts which were brought on through Harris Health Director Robinson with the emergency health orders COVID graced these departments with.

Could there have been a possibility of steering which took place with this contract? It is precarious that the county chose to pick a vendor Ms. Robinson had worked with previously in California.

On July 16,2021 the County entered into a Smart Pod agreement for $555,748 for two Smart Pods to administer COVID 19 vaccines over the course of a 5-month period for Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian S Garcia.

Upon referencing DEMA'S CORPORATION WIKI I found that the company had purportedly registered in the state of California on Augut 9th, 2021. I have checked for other DEMA’s but have yet to find other registered LLC’s

I have reached out to the counties Auditor and Purchasing department with my findings alongside submitting a PIA concerning Director Robinson’s communications concerning the onboarding of DEMA.

I will keep my readers updated upon response.