JAN 1. GOLDSMITH
- SAN DIEGO CITY ATTORNEY-

February 25, 2015

Via Facsimile Transmission

and US. Mail -

Mike Schwerin, Chief Executive Of?cer
Helix Environmental Planning, Inc.
'7578 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite 200

La Mesa, California 91942

(619) 462?0552

Dear Mr; Schwerin:

As you know, Helix Environmental Planning (?Helix?) has been under contract with the City
of San Diego (?City?) for over a dec_ade._The original contract and amendments (?contract?) retain
Helix to conduct environmental Work on a variety ofprojects.

The contract provides that Helix is ?subject to all federal, state and local con?ict of interest
laws, regulations and policies appliCable to public contracts and procurement practices, including but
not limited to California Government Code sections 1090, et.seq. . . Additional provisions of the
contract reinforce this important obligation. 

We have received information to the effect that Sarichia Cacciatore, an employee or former
emplOyee 0f Helix, was a long?time Vice President of Briggs Law Corporation, a law firm that has
sued the City over 50 times, and has had a long-standing personal and financial relationshipwith
Cory Briggs, the principal in that law firm. We believe some of those lawsuits concern projects
involving Helix, including one such project on which Ms. Cacciatore was identified as a project
manager. -

I We are not aware of any disclosure to the City of Ms. Cacciatore?s relationship with the
Briggs Law Corporation or Cory BriggsPlease accept this as a request that you provide the City with a full disclosure in writing by
Wednesday, March 4, 2015, of the following (the term ?City projects? includes any work done at the
request of the City or an applicant to the City):

1. The time period during which Ms. Cacciatore was employed by Helix and her titles
and job descriptions. -

2. All disclosures of Ms. Cacciatore?s relationship with the Briggs Law Corporation or
Cory Briggs and provide copies; -

OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
1200 THIRD AVE. SUITE 1520, SAN DIEGO. CA 9210141178
Telephone: (619) 236?6220 Fax: (619) 236-7215 E-Mail: csandoval@sandiego.gov

 

 

 

 

Mike Schwerin, Chief Executive Of?cer - 2

February 25, .2015
3. Efforts, if any, to wall off Ms. Cacciatore from City projects and provide any written
evidence; .
4. A listing of City projects on which Ms. Cacciatore worked and an explanation of

what she did, who she worked under and who she supervised, including outside contractors. Please
also provide copies of time records, invoices, e-mails, correspondence, memos and notes pertaining
to her work on any City project; and, -

5. -- Please provide all communications, whether by email or otherwise, which mention
Cory Briggs or Briggs Law Corporation. - . -

Please preserve all records involving Ms. Cacciatore or. the City as they will constitute
evidence. These records would include, but are not limited to, personnel records.

Finally, we have asked City Auditor Eduardo Luna to review Helix.?s records after we receive
your response to our requests as permitted under the contract and the law. We would appreciate yOur
cooperation. 

Thank you.

       
 



 
JAN corps 1TH

a, City-5' Attorney-i?
. Mn?;

JG:cbs
cc: Paul Cooper, Exec. Assistant City Attorney
Honorable Mayor and Members Of the City Council
Andrea Tevlin, Independent Budget Anaylst
Eduardo Luna, Independent City Auditor
Scott Chadwick, Chief Operating Of?cer