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Philadelphia pays consultant $200,000 for Wi-Fi work
As it turns out, Wireless Philadelphia, the supposedly cost-free solution to the city's digital divide, is not completely without costs, the city's chief information officer said yesterday.
Responding to questions from City Councilman Frank Rizzo during a budget hearing yesterday, Terry M. Phillis, the city's CIO, acknowledged that he was paying a consultant $200,000 this year as his "technical project manager."
Although Mayor John F. Street had promised that EarthLink would build Wireless Philadelphia at no cost to the city, officials had always anticipated that someone from the city would have to oversee the project, Phillis said.
The project manager is Strategic Staffing, a consultant company with branches around the country. The company's representative in Philadelphia is Varinia Robinson, who was first contracted in 2004 as an assistant to Dianah Neff, then the city's CIO.
The city paid Strategic Staffing $128,000 in fiscal year 2005, $4,000 in FY 2006 (the rest paid for by Wireless Philadelphia), and $188,000 in FY 2007. In FY 2008, which ends June 30, the company will be paid $200,000. It was unclear yesterday what the company's role would be after that.
"This is the cost for managing this, not for building it. I know this is splitting hairs," Phillis said in an interview. "Doesn't it make sense that you have someone to manage the project?"
Wireless Philadelphia is about 70 percent built - the city's Northeast and Northwest remain uncovered - but EarthLink has announced plans to sell its municipal Wi-Fi business.
Phillis said the project must be completed by November or EarthLink would be in default of its contract.
