Rules - what rules?

Somehow, Mr Mustard has never been here.

Barnet Council have not been to this restaurant either because they don't know about Rules.

There is a little known rule at Barnet Council that no supplier should be more than 25% of the turnover of any supplier so that, as the current Mayor Brian Schama remarked at a meeting which was receiving the report of the procurement task & finish group (or some other ruddy meeting), no supplier becomes dependent upon the council for its survival (the mayor used to be a big time Director so understands about supplier dependency; now he plants trees and cuts ribbons).

Look at this oh so wrong email

It is pointless redacting information already given to me by the council

So we have an interim parking manager, not even a permanent member of staff, fretting about the staff of a supplier. Well Mr Dolan what you should really have been worrying about was the interests of council tax payers and whether or not you were breaching council procedures on procurement rather than RM Countryside. Why were they put first?

We can't ask Mr Dolan if anyone ever told him what the procurement rules were as he only stayed from August 2010 to May 2012 (far too short a time for anyone to do a proper induction) and is now to be found at Peterborough City Council where he is the Interim Parking Manager (will any of these interims ever get a proper job?).

Talking of interim parking managers look at this lovely reference for Mick:

 

“Michael was taken on to plug a short term gap but has proved so useful that we have not only extended his contract but broadened the scope of his role to harness his experience. He is keeping a raft of projects moving along, seeking advice as necessary and reporting back clearly and concisely at key stages. I have no hesitation in recommending his work, and am happy to elaborate where necessary” June 4, 2011

John M., Interim Parking Manager, London Borough of Barnet

Who could John M be? Yes, you guessed it, our old friend John McArdle who used to work for NCP before he came to Barnet Council and is now to be found working as a consultant at NSL Ltd whose name used to be NCP Services Ltd.

Where did Mick work from April to July 06 as a Divisional Director - yes, you guessed it, NCP Services Ltd.

I do hope that he didn't have anything to do with the award of the parking contract to NSL Ltd as this would just be too much of a co-incidence.

Did any other supplier have any realistic chance of getting the contract? Would they have done a worse job? Judging from what Mr Mustard has seen so far, no.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

Parking ticket bailiffs

Have you had the parking ticket bailiffs round because you haven't paid a Barnet Council parking ticket and you keep all of your paperwork stuffed behind a clock on the mantelpiece?

Mr Mustard thinks there is the possibility that the bailiff firm is not following the rules and so he wants to check the paperwork because he likes paperwork. Please contact mrmustard@zoho.com with copies of every single piece of paper so that he can study it and see if the bailiffs are doing their job properly and if Barnet Council are keeping an eye on them or letting them run riot.

Actually the originals would be preferred. Mr Mustard is based in High Barnet just behind the Spires & near the library so you could email him and then pop in by arrangement and leave the originals with Mr Mustard providing copies.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard