Team Ray deals big paydays

Ryan Ray worked 12 hours New Year's Day for Sandusky County courts. He earned $1,440.He worked the next day, too, for 13 hours and earned $1,560.January was a good month for Ray, the CEO of Team Ray Technologies.Between Ray and one employee, the county paid the company $45,520 in January.The previous month — December 2013 — they pulled down $36,520 in hourly pay.Ray worked four hours Christmas Day, earning $480 at his usual rate of $120 per hour.The TRT employee worked on county computer software and engineering for four hours on Christmas Eve, earning $320 at his standard rate of $80 per hour.But there are no county documents that establish the hourly rate, or any other substantial description of the services TRT provides the county."I do not know what they consist of," court administrator Brock Kimmet said. "That process had already been initiated prior to my arrival."Coming Saturday: Read about visiting Judge Dale Crawford's whacky words on "evil" and "witch hunts."TRT was exempted from the usual competitive bid process for the county work back in 2004, according to Warren Brown, who at that time was the county clerk of courts.But Brown and other county officials don't have any contract with Team Ray — nothing that spells out the service, describes the product, sets the hourly pay rates or establishes expectations.Brown currently serves as county administrator. He is a candidate for the Republican nomination for county auditor in next month's Primary Election.The county provided just one signed document in response to multiple records requests from the Register for a copy of any TRT contracts. That January 2008 document bears Brown's signature as clerk of courts. It spells out a price reduction from $80,000 to $70,000 but provides no other substantial description of the product or services.The signed document was provided to the Register by current clerk of courts Tracy Overmyer with a 2011 invoice from TRT for $9,600. The invoice states the payment is for the "complete development of Rockware Justice ... including one year of support until Jury Pull of 2013 the summer of 2012."Sandusky County assistant prosecutor Norman Solze, in a March 25 email to Overmyer, said TRT was exempt from competitive bidding because of its established relationship with the county and the uniqueness of its product. Solze said he reviewed the TRT contract, but he declined to answer questions about why the county did not retain a copy of the contract after he reviewed it.The county has not provided any invoices that date back to 2004 but did provide invoice information from September 2010 through current billings from Team Ray. That compilation shows the company was paid more than $360,000 since 2010. It also shows some of the largest monthly bills — based on hourly rates of $120 and $80 per hour for Ray and one TRT employee, respectively, are more recent:•January 2014: $45,520 (440 hours)•December 2013: $36,520 (346 hours)•November 2013: $14,120 (120 hours)Overmyer said TRT is providing programming packages for the Sandusky County Common Pleas Court, the Woodville and Clyde courts, municipal courts and the adult probation department. She would not answer questions about why there is no contract available detailing any of the programs, services or functions of that service.Ryan Ray has not responded to numerous inquiries from the Register.Sandusky County commissioners Dan Polter and Terry Thatcher also have not responded to inquiries about the payments and arrangements with Team Ray Technologies, or the lack of any contracts. Brown said he was not involved with the current arrangements Team Ray has with the courts, the clerk's office or the adult probation department and did not have any information about the payments the company received. Click here to read other articles about Team Ray Click here for articles about the Limberios grand jury Read 'Waiting on DeWine'Ryan Ray Warren BrownTracy OvermyerSandusky County court administrator Brock Kimmet in still shot from court surveillance camera short before private meeting with a witness in Limberios shooting.