The tone was calm, but the message was blunt.
Utah's Hogle Zoo is under heavy attack from legislative auditors.
After months of study, they're accusing zoo officials of poor planning, bad business practices, and potential ethical conflicts.
Hogle zoo has stood at the mouth of Emigration Canyon for 70 years.
But, it's probably never faced as much criticism as it received Tuesday.
Environment Specialist John Hollenhorst reports.
The sparks didn't exactly fly on Capitol Hill. But you could say the auditors, calmly and quietly, raked the zoo over the coals.
The criticisms were multi-faceted. But the lightning rod is a new entryway that cost nearly 8 million dollars.
First, the good news. Animal deaths have sharply declined in the last few years, auditors say. Animal care is adequate, and getting better.
But even that positive trend has an alarming undercurrent: It may be partly because zoo officials have deliberately reduced the animal population, due to inadequate space and facilities.
Auditors say those facilities are "old and unsatisfactory... uninspiring and antiquated."
The zoo is attracting a sharply declining portion of Utahns, while spending more money to lure them in.
Janice Coleman/Legislative Audit Supervisor: "IF IT'S THE STATE OF THE EXHIBITS THAT'S PRIMARILY CAUSING THE DECLINE IN MARKET SHARE, THEN WE THINK IT'S ALL THE MORE UNFORTUNATE THAT HOGLE ZOO FIRST DEVOTED MONEY TO BUILDING A NEW ENTRYWAY."
A poor business decision, auditors say. The $7.7 million would have been better spent on two modern animal exhibits.
JANICE COLEMAN/AUDIT SUPERVISOR: "CERTAINLY, MOST PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED WITH THE STATE OF THE ANIMAL EXHIBITS RATHER THAN WITH THE ENTRYWAY."
Auditors questioned the volume of money going to lobbyists and consultants, and more than a half million dollars a year to businesses associated with board members, including payments for advertising, and insurance -- raising questions of conflict of interest.
JANICE COLEMAN/AUDIT SUPERVISOR: "MOST OF THESE CONTRACTS WERE NOT COMPETITIVELY BID. SO THE ZOO HAS NO WAY OF ASSURING THAT THEY GOT THE BEST SERVICE FOR THE BEST PRICE."
One arrangement in particular raised eyebrows: The zoo's maintenance chief has been leasing heavy equipment to the zoo for many years. He refused to let auditors look at his records.
Zoo officials defended some decisions, admitted others were wrong.
But they said much of it stems from the fact that zoo is crowded for space on its 41 acre site.
Craig Dinsmore/Director, Hogle Zoo: "THE ZOO HAS MODERNIZED ITS PRACTICES, EXPANDED ITS PROGRAMS, IMPROVED SOME OF ITS FACILITIES AND DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED ITS LEVEL OF ANIMAL CARE." "AND OCCASIONALLY WE MAY HAVE STUMBLED. BUT DESPITE THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE NEVER WAVERED FROM OUR QUEST TO BE THE BEST ZOO THAT WE CAN."
The auditors say the zoo's board should be retructured to give government officials more control.
And they called for a halt to major construction projects until someone figures out if this site needs to be expanded, or if the zoo should be moved.
Links
Legislative Audit
Hogle Zoo
