The county last month hired a public relations firm as it grappled with the fallout of a criminal misappropriations case involving a former county contractor.
A three-month, $30,000 contract with Chula Vista-based PRM Consulting signed March 16 calls for the firm to deliver as needed “full-service comprehensive public affairs services” including consulting, media training for county staff and project management. The county contract does not mention work on county media strategies tied to the scandal surrounding the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego.
PRM Consulting is led by Tanya Mannes Castaneda, a former Union-Tribune reporter who once served as the Port of San Diego’s spokesperson.
Voice of San Diego and other news outlets have been digging into the county’s handling of its two contracts with the Harm Reduction Coalition after its former chief operating officer was criminally charged with allegedly misappropriating at least $210,000 in public funds for everything from plastic surgeries to family vacations.
In response to questions from Voice of San Diego, county spokesperson Tammy Glenn wrote that PRM Consulting will help the county with multiple projects – and did not single out the Harm Reduction Coalition fallout.
“The county has an as-needed contract with a public affairs consultant to support public information and outreach across county communications activities,” Glenn wrote in an email. “It is not limited to a specific topic or issue.”
The county’s contract with PRM Consulting allows for an up to six-month contract extension and thus up to $90,000 in compensation.