Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

by friscowhistleblower | May 4, 2023 | Expense Reports, Frisco City Secretary, Politics, Public Information Requests, Taxpayer Dollars, Universal Kids

Imagine you are a high-strung marketing executive on a business trip in New York and you just want to get home for the Thanksgiving holiday.  You get to the airport and your flight is delayed and you get seated next to a goodhearted but annoying shower curtain ring salesman who likes to talk.  Your plane gets diverted to Wichita due to a blizzard in Chicago which is your final destination.  You can’t get a room but the annoying guy next to you did and he offers to share the room with you for the night.  The next day you both get on a train which breaks down near Jefferson City leaving passengers stranded in a field.  You then travel with the  annoying companion by bus to St. Louis where you try to get a rental car by fail.  Then that annoying travel companion shows up in his rental and offer you a ride and with no other options in site you head out for a 24-hour death-defying ride.  Finally in Chicago, the new friend drops you at the L-Train (subway) and you jump on to get to your house with the hopes to just enjoy some turkey.  Now imagine how funny it would be when the travelers are played by Steve Martin and John Candy. 

Personally, I loved the movie and I think a trip full of nonsense sounds like a lot of fun. This old fart would love to be young and travel carefree like even if it was a trip from hell. Somewhere in all the crazy you find a little big of “it was worth it moments.” In our previous blog Frisco Delays PIR Request, we mentioned that a citizen reached out to us after they could not get the PIR they requested from the city.  As of today, its been 2 months are still waiting for what the city sent to AG claiming proprietary work product.  It is our opinion that the City of Frisco wanted to delay the citizen receiving the information until after the election.  Is the city with holding information that could change peoples decision on how they vote?

Mayor Cheney said more than once they (the city and council) took a trip to Universal during citizen town halls, council meetings and on social media.  It made us a little curious about the trip, was it anything like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles?  Probably not, but the Curious George in me went into overdrive.  So when we were sent the details we dove right into the deep end to start going through it.

Who went? Based on the travel documents provided to us through the citizens PIR we learned that Jeff Cheney (Mayor), Angelia Pelham, Brian Livingston, John Keating (City Council),  Wes Pierson (City Manager), Ben Brazina (Assistant City Manager), John Lettelier (Development Services Director), Marla Roe (Visit Frisco), Jason Ford (President of Frisco EDC), and Phillip Climer (Building Inspections Division. 

When was the trip?  It appears the participants had different travel dates.  Jason Ford and Marla Roe traveled 10-8-22 to 10-11-22 and the rest of the city staff went flew out on the 10-9-22 to 10-11-22.  Then Jeff Climer went in November for two days, but we are not sure what the point of that trip was.   

How much was the airfare for City Council?  Jeff Cheney, Angelia Pelham and Brian Livingston were booked for direct flights on Southwest Airlines from DFW to Orlando and the total shows $2678.88 (base fare + fee’s) and each Amex was charged $892.96.  Then we noticed a credit was issued for Brain Livingston’s ticket and a new ticket was purchased in the name of John Keating.  It was a direct Southwest Airlines flight which cost $809.96. 

How much was the airfare for City Staff?  John Lettellier’s direct flight on Southwest Airlines was confirmed on 09/19/2022 and it totaled $553.20.  Wes Pierson our new city manager confirmed his ticket 09/22/2022 on American Airlines for a total of $911.04 which included the Preferred Seat Charge of $15.71, Main Cabin Extra charge of $78.13.  Ben Brezina’s trip was confirmed 9/22/2022 on American Airlines and cost $730.20 and Phillip Climer airfare was $623.00. 

How much was the airfare for Frisco EDC and Visit Frisco?  We did not find any airfare cost for Marlo Roe so we assume she rode on the magic carpet with Aladdin.  According to Jason Fords expenditure sheet his airfare was $1284.73.

How much was the hotel cost?   Each room at the Sapphire Falls Resort was $167.63 (tax included) per night.  All together it was about $4000 for the travelers.  Now here is where it gets interesting.

Resort Details:  If you remember there was a ticket for Brian Livingston that then was credited back to the Amex.  A new ticket was purchased for Councilman Cheating John Keating.  However there is a room expense for Brian Livingston and NO room charge for John Keating.  My wife did her thing online and confirmed that Brain Livingston was in DFW during the time of the trip, so how did he have a room in Orlando Florida for $335.26.   If Livingston didn’t go, and Keating went in his place then the city should have updated the reservation with the hotel, but they didn’t.  Awe golly, maybe he stayed in some girl’s room as he is known to get around and he didn’t need a room. We feel confident that he stayed in Livingston’s room, which still leads us to ask – why did the city not change it?  Is it illegal to expense it under Livingstons name?  Did Livingston know he had an expense in his name?

What about other expenses?  There are no expense reports for Cheney, Pelham or Keating so we have no idea what they spent on food or “extras.”  Ben Brezina and John Lettellier expense reports had no food charges, and based on both men being pretty fit we just assume they don’t eat.  Both men had about $56.00 each in parking or taxi expenses.  Phillip Climer had $172.50 in food for two days.    

Who wins the award for the “HEY, BIG SPENDER” gold trophy?  Well, that would be Mr. Jason Ford, President of the Frisco EDC.  We believe his travel expense report may be inaccurate because it does not add up to what we received.  It reads his flight was $1284.73, then $116.77 in transportation charges, $439.16 for meals, $3047.89 for lodging and $15 for airplane Wi-Fi.  Let the suspense music begin because when you look at his Sapphire Falls Resort Hotel Bill his room for 3 nights was $512.04.  That means he either paid the bill for everyone’s room or something on this report is NOT RIGHT. 

We did find some of his receipts.  The evening he arrived he had a meal that included a Flatbreed Pizza, two side salads and lava cake which came to $38.34 + $7.20 tip for a total of $46.24.  Then on 10-9 Jason Ford expensed a dinner that he notes with John Keating on the receipt, and it included sliders and Mich Ultra- since when does the city pay for alcohol?  The total came to $24.50 + $5.50 tip for a grand total of $30.00.   It appears the morning of 10-10 Jason took Keating, Pierson and himself to breakfast and the total was $89.46 plus a $15.54 tip!   It appears that evening he took everyone to dinner at a Universal Sports Grill and the total was $194.64.  Before I tell you THE BIG TIP, just remember at this week’s city council meeting the city tried to hide on the consent agenda a $5 million parking garage for some collector’s cars that were donated to the city and candy store (side note Livingston removed the item from the consent agenda to post pone it).  Either way that must mean the city has a “big purse” and we have the money to spend!  As Angelia said the night of the council meeting in March where they made the big Universal Decision “money is not a bad word, it is how people use money that is troublesome.”   

DRUM ROLL PLEASE: Jason Ford left a $5.35 tip!  We thought maybe they included gratuity since it was a large party but we could not find it so unless it got cut off the page, it was $5.35. (You can’t make this shit up).

It was clear after reviewing everything that a lot of details for the traveling city representatives was missing from this PIR request.  There was not a travel expense report for each person.  Hotel room bills for people who didn’t go, and no hotel room bills for ones who went.  We are guessing the trip cost tax dollars at the minimum $10,000+ dollars.  As a taxpayer I think maybe instead of sending 9 people we could have done it with half the number of people.  Now they will argue, it will bring us millions in tax revenue over 30 years, but I am old and most likely will be 6 feet under in a few years and my kids will be arguing over their inheritance so who am I to care about 30 years from now.  I like many other taxpayers hope you had a good time on our dime. If I were not in a wheelchair I would come to the next council meeting and break out in song during citizens input and sing

The minute you walked in the joint
I could see you were people of distinction
Real big spenders
Good lookin’ so refined
Say, wouldn’t you like to know what’s goin’ on in my mind?
So let me get right to the point
I don’t pop my cork for everyone I see
Hey big spender, Spend a little money on me

Wouldn’t you like to have fun, fun, fun
How’s about a few laughs,

Hey big spender
Hey big spender
Hey big spender
Spend, a little money on me …or just help me with my property tax bill that is due since we have money to build a garage and take $10,000 dollar trips.