How have we let the Most Troublesome and Worst Ever Road Service Area (RSA) contractor in the History of the MSB become the “expert” on Roads for the MSB?

Op-Ed by Dennis R. Garrett

Tews Inc. (and his numerous related companies, some of which have  changed names) was a contractor in the MSB for over 15 years, and have  built quite an impressive record of non-compliance. The link includes an  11 page PDF document listing

Road Maintenance Contractors-Negative Action Spreadsheet 2001-2015

Tews: 85 Negative Actions. 6 Letters of Deficiency, 22 Letters of  Non-Compliance, and 1 Refusal to Correct. And 3 (Three) Terminations  from the MSB. This is an 11 page document obtained through the Freedom  of Information Act.

During this same time period, all 5 other Contractors combined  received a total of just 11 Negative Actions, and of those 11, one  Contractor received 7 Notices. McKenna Bros. had 0 Negative actions.

Over the past three years the Public Works Department, with Mr. Tew’s  encouragement, has slowly been pushing long time, highly experienced  employees out the door and replacing them with non-experienced  employees. The RSA superintendent, who oversees the road contractors,  had a requirement to have 10 years of road construction experience, is  now a “road technician” with no experience required.

No need to have expert oversight on how millions of tax dollars are spent, and especially, diverted dollars.

The Public Works Department formerly had superintendents that would  or could respond 24 hours a day for public safety needs. Now this  position only works 8-4:30 so they don’t have to pay overtime. And  Alaska never gets snow or ice at night!

Mr. Tew claims to be out of the contracting business, but his son  Claton Tew, or Clayton Tew Jr, in various documents, is listed as 51%  owner (Whitney Tew owns the other 49%) Battleground, LLC, Entity #:  10195275. https://www.commerce.alaska.gov

. is actively bidding on MSB works continuously, and getting some of  the work. 

How is that not a conflict of interest, and yet another  example of Tew’s nepotism? Tew also rents equipment and shop space to  his son and other contracting companies. The contracts Assembly member  Tew is approving in his Official capacity at the Assembly are coming  back as rent and leases to his family.

“Mokie” has been busy in the Assembly, but is frustrated by his  failed attempts to change Borough codes for his and his family’s  benefit. “…violating MSB ethics code provisions… which prohibit  self-dealing and nepotism by introducing Matanuska Assembly Resolution  No. PC 22- 02,” which would have terminated an existing road service  contractor in the Big Lake area and, established a time-and-materials  contracting method for road service work.”

“…directly benefits Tew and his family members despite the additional costs to Borough taxpayers.”

Now, for some inexplicable reason, “Mokie” Tew is considered to be  the Assembly’s and Managers expert on roads and road service items. I’m  thinking he’s the expert on how not to do it.

It’s long past time for a change. We have been without representation  or a voice in the MSB Assembly for years, and we need a new  Representative that is there to Represent the Citizens of his district,  rather than for personal and financial interests.

Sources

Mokie Tew recall, Mat-Su Borough, Alaska (2022)
https://ballotpedia.org/Mokie_Tew_recall,Mat-Su_Borough,_Alaska(2022)
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/mat-su/2016/10/21/mat-su-borough-terminates-last-chance-road-contract-with-big-lake-company/

 https://thebiglaketimes.wordpress.com/2023/10/05/how-have-we-let-the-most-troublesome-and-worst-ever-road-service-area-rsa-contractor-in-the-history-of-the-msb-become-the-expert-on-roads-for-the-msb/

And there is so much more The Big Lake Times has published, and a Whole Lot More to Come!

by Dennis R. Garrett

https://thebiglaketimes.com/%22tew-crimes%22

The Most Expensive Mistake the MSB has ever made, and We Residents  will Never see any of that money. But we know, “Mokie” made out like a  Bandit, again.

“…the borough (Meaning “Mokie” Tew et al) didn’t have a plan to pay  for the loss of fees or potential extra staffing costs.” Eh, Plans,  Smasn, who needs em? Planning is for babies.

“The free trash days, which applied to residential waste only, were  designed to help residents get rid of waste before winter, Rob Yundt,  one of three assembly members who co-sponsored the legislation, said  early last month. 

Assembly members Mokie Tew and Dmitri Fonov also  co-sponsored the legislation. All three are running for reelection Nov. 7.”

All told, the landfill lost about $770,000 in user fees over the two  weeks, processing a swell of 17,500 customers and an average of 380 tons  of trash a day – about 180 more tons than normal, Smith said.

The landfill also spent an additional $165,000 over the two weeks on  the traffic flaggers, about 150 hours of extra staff time, extra fuel  and fees for contractors who move trash from the landfill’s eight  transfer stations, he said.

At least some of the users drove in trash from outside the borough, Smith said.

Stephanie Nowers, an assembly member whose district includes the  landfill, opposed the ordinance because the borough didn’t have a plan  to pay for the loss of fees or potential extra staffing costs.

Nowers said Monday she fielded a parade of complaints over the free  days from residents who live near the landfill and were unable to access  their homes due to significant traffic delays at the gate, which sits  at the end of North 49th State Street near Palmer.

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/mat-su/2023/10/30/mat-su-boroughs-free-dump-days-ended-up-costing-935000-officials-say/

Let’s recap the Borough’s expensive mistake giving the Oilwell Road  project to “Mokie”, which of course, is paid by the Citizens of the MSB:

“Given the company’s compliance history, how did Tew’s get the Oilwell Road project?”

• The state citations are the latest in a long history of problems for Tew’s
• The work was marred by complaints from residents and borough staff about speeding trucks and improperly licensed drivers
• The Alaska Wage and Hour Administration on March 19 notified Tew’s  that it owed more than $36,000 in back wages and per diem pay to workers
• Alaska Occupational Safety and Health in late March cited both Tew’s  and the borough for eight violations including workers not wearing hard  hats while working under a nearly 3,000-pound culvert pipe and working  in a trench without cave-in protection
• Alaska Occupational Safety and Health is proposing $4,050 in safety  penalties for Tew’s but more than $12,000 for the borough, according to  notices issued in late March
• The borough is being cited because it had employees on the scene exposed to the same hazards, Bailey said
• Tew’s had more than $1.6 million in borough contracts last year,  including the salmon culvert project, the Big Lake area road-service  contract and a waste-hauling contract
• The company also has the worst compliance record of any company with  borough contracts to maintain roads, according to borough records. Documents  show more than 85 notices from the borough regarding problems on Tew’s  contracts between 2001 and 2015. The borough then issued 22 letters of  non-compliance after finding the company hadn’t fixed the problems. And 3  (Three) Terminations

And there is so much more The Big Lake Times has published, and a Whole Lot More to Come!

by Dennis R. Garrett

https://thebiglaketimes.com/%22tew-crimes%22

[The above image is from "Mokie" Tew's website, showing at least 2 criminal violations].

Exclusive to The Big Lake Times.

Tew Crimes: The 2nd of a Continuing and rather Lengthy Series of Articles

The “Oilwell Road Caper”

By Dennis R. Garrett

“Given the company’s compliance history, how did Tew’s get the Oilwell Road project?”

• The state citations are the latest in a long history of problems for Tew’s
• The work was marred by complaints from residents and borough staff about speeding trucks and improperly licensed drivers
• The Alaska Wage and Hour Administration on March 19 notified Tew’s  that it owed more than $36,000 in back wages and per diem pay to workers
• Alaska Occupational Safety and Health in late March cited both Tew’s  and the borough for eight violations including workers not wearing hard  hats while working under a nearly 3,000-pound culvert pipe and working  in a trench without cave-in protection [TBLT Note: See above image from Clayton "Mokie" Tews re-election website]
• Alaska Occupational Safety and Health is proposing $4,050 in safety  penalties for Tew’s but more than $12,000 for the borough, according to  notices issued in late March
• The borough is being cited because it had employees on the scene exposed to the same hazards, Bailey said
• Tew’s had more than $1.6 million in borough contracts last year,  including the salmon culvert project, the Big Lake area road-service  contract and a waste-hauling contract
• The company also has the worst compliance record of any company with  borough contracts to maintain roads, according to borough records. Documents  show more than 85 notices from the borough regarding problems on Tew’s  contracts between 2001 and 2015. The borough then issued 22 letters of  non-compliance after finding the company hadn’t fixed the problems. And 3  (Three) Terminations (Click for details)

There is MUCH more, Read the Article Here: https://thebiglaketimes.wordpress.com/2023/10/19/exclusive-to-the-big-lake-times-tew-crimes-the-deep-dive-part-2/

Exclusive to The Big Lake Times.

Tew Crimes: The Deep Dive Part 1, “The Binders and Thumbdrives of Non-Compliance”

By Dennis R. Garrett

[The above image is one of the many well-organized binders and 5 thumbdrives The Big Lake Times obtained. This has led to the development of a large volume of additional leads and information. An example is the 11 page document linked below.]

Tew’s had more than $1.6 million in borough contracts, including the  Oilwell Road salmon culvert project (Article coming soon), the Big Lake  area road-service contract, and a waste-hauling contract.

The company also has the worst compliance record of any company with borough contracts to maintain roads, according to borough records.

Documents show more than 85 notices from the borough “regarding problems on Tew’s contracts” between 2001 and 2015. 

The borough then issued 22 letters of non-compliance after finding the company hadn’t fixed the problems. 

And 3 (Three) Terminations, see below.

See download: Road Maintenance Contractors-Negative Action Spreadsheet 2001-2015

This is an 11 page PDF document obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

During this same time period, all 5 other Contractors combined  received a total of just 11 Negative Actions, and of those 11, one  Contractor received 7 Notices. McKenna Bros. had 0 Negative actions.

Exclusive to The Big Lake Times.

Tew Crimes: Clayton “Mokie” Tew: Alaska Court View Search Results.

By Dennis R. Garrett

Note: The above image (page 1 of 3) does not have clickable links, go to https://courts.alaska.gov/main/search-cases.htm

Read more at: https://thebiglaketimes.wordpress.com/2023/10/23/clayton-mokie-tew-alaska-court-view/

During this Borough Election Cycle, Make the time to visit Clayton  “Mokie” Tew’s Asian Erotic Massage Parlor, Jasmine Spa, Wasilla. And of  course, it’s the Mokie Tew Pink-ish Brand, so you cannot miss it.

Jasmine Spa in Wasilla Alaska, see details, pictures and unbiased  reviews written by real users. Jasmine Spa, Wasilla features Asian  erotic massage…”Happy Endings…”

3957 W Machen Rd, Wasilla, AK 99623. Across from Denali Family restaurant.

Owner: Tew’s Enterprises LLC. Source: State of Alaska documents.

See: Clayton “Mokie” Tew’s Asian Erotic Massage Parlor, Jasmine Spa, Wasilla.

“I agree the petition could not state a ground for recall if it targeted personal behavior, no matter how unseemly. "

However, “in a small town, everyone knows the Assembly member and may believe he is acting officially even when he thinks he is not, which seems to strengthen the argument why an explicit claim of acting in his official capacity may not be required,” Orlansky wrote.

More to come...

WASILLA — Tew’s Inc., a Mat-Su contractor with a long history  of compliance issues, has lost a lucrative contract to fix and plow  roads around Big Lake — the company’s last borough road contract.

Tew’s is the only road contractor with a history of termination and the only one to be terminated since 2012, officials say. 

But other contractors say Tew’s for years was allowed to win bids and then perform at a lower level.

“We’ve got guys working really hard doing a really good job and we’ve  got somebody else taking a huge chunk of money every month and doing  nothing,” Big Lake developer Butch Moore, who has property in five  road-service areas, said at a September Mat-Su Assembly meeting.

“And arguing about it.”

he said: “… the pattern of behavior had just gotten to the point  where residents of the borough were paying for services that they  weren’t getting.”

Moosey’s letter states that Tew’s was notified of “deficient work” on  at least 28 occasions since the company was awarded the contract. 

The  borough then issued 22 letters of non-compliance after finding the  company hadn’t fixed the problems.

Sources: ADN Mat-Su Borough terminates ‘last chance’ road contract with Big Lake firm By Zaz Hollander Updated: October 21, 2016 Published: October 21, 2016

Read More Here

Stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from around the world. We bring you the stories that matter most with real-time updates as they happen.