Conflict of interest

[RSRS]

Mr. Hey & Mr. Poor,

I would like to know how I may get a ordanance passed preventing ellected officials and city employees from bidding on / selling services to the city, i.e. lawn service, selling of uniforms, etc.

I feel that this is a conflict of interest and the people who are working for the city are using their position to line their pockets with the voters tax money.

So where do I start???????

[Matt Hay]

RSRS wrote:

Mr. Hey & Mr. Poor,
I would like to know how I may get a ordanance passed preventing ellected officials and city employees from bidding on / selling services to the city, i.e. lawn service, selling of uniforms, etc.
I feel that this is a conflict of interest and the people who are working for the city are using their position to line their pockets with the voters tax money.
So where do I start???????

Contact me and I would be happy to talk about it and see what we can do.

mhay1204(at)charter.net

[ArnoldCC]

Matt,

Thank you for stepping up and looking into this. That's more than some other members would ever think about doing. This type of legislation would be the right thing to do. I just hope that the rest of the Council realizes this and will follow suit to get it passed.

[ArnoldCC]

Matt,

I know it has only been a couple of days, but have you found anything out on this or made any progress on this? I know a lot of people want to know about this.

[Shirlav]

This is a interesting subject. I'm not really sure what officials sell their services to the city and I'm also not sure what city employees sell services to the city.

I do know that Mr. Cooley does the work around the flower beds at city hall but is he paid for this or is he just keeping the area around the memorial looking nice at his own expense?

[Randy Crisler]

Shirley,
All of his time is donated. Frequently so is his equipment.There are several of us on the council that do many things outside of our scope as elected officials. I myself have provided sound systems for outdoor events and have never charged the city a dime for it.

[Shirlav]

Randy
Thanks for the answer. I thought that he donated his time for this but wasn't 100% sure. I am certain that some on the council do things for the city and don't charge for it.

[Vinny63010]

In my 5+ years on the council, I have never known a council person to charge the city for any services provided. I am curious as to what this topic is in reference to, unless it is just asking to see if we have laws on the books to prevent it.

[ArnoldCC]

I think that what they are asking is to prevent the Council from awarding contracts to a company that a Council member may be a part of. Thus, in a round about way, lining a Council member's pocket.

So, say if I was a member of the Council and I owned a company that sold cell phones. Several contracts are submitted, but since I own the company and knew the bids, I was able to underbid all of them and get the contract. Thus, I am lining my own pocket. Make sense?

[Confused]

In your example CC, didn't the City win too since you under bid everyone else hence the City got it CHEAPER than they otherwise would have?

I think where the real problem would be if they gave a related party a job/contract without bidding OR gave it to a related party with a higher bid.

I agree that state law must be followed and any conflict of interest reported by the candidate, but these laws ALREADY EXIST. We don't need new laws.

[ArnoldCC]

I think that any of this would be bad. First, the Council person has the priveledged (spelling?) information because they can see the bids. Second, since they know the bids that none of the other bidders know about, they can undercut them (they have insider information). Third, it is a conflict of interest because the Council person has used their position to subvert the bidding process (by knowing the bids so that they can undercut them) and got the contract, thus lining their own pockets. They have used their elected position for their own personal gain. Whether it is to the City's advantage or not, it is wrong because of the person using the insider information for their own personal gain.

[RSRS]

Why doesn't Arnold have open bids likr Richmond Heights? That would make it more open for the bidders and the city would get the best deal. Check it out on the Richmond Heights web page under E-Services.

Randy, who has the contract to cut the grass around City Hall???

Who sells the city the police dispatchers uniform shirt???

This is public record information isn't it.

[ArnoldCC]

Should be. It's called the Sunshine Law.

[sad but true]

Randy Crisler wrote:

Shirley,
All of his time is donated. Frequently so is his equipment.There are several of us on the council that do many things outside of our scope as elected officials. I myself have provided sound systems for outdoor events and have never charged the city a dime for it.

Good for you Mr. Crisler. Would you like a cookie? I think most folks do many things outside their scope not just you elected officials that like to see yourselves in the papers for doing good deeds.

[Shirlav]

If all this information is public record and RSRS has any questions regarding who cuts the lawn and who sells the police dispatchers uniform shirts then RSRS should be able to go to city hall and get answers to these questions.

[Shirlav]

sad but true wrote:

<quoted text>
Good for you Mr. Crisler. Would you like a cookie? I think most folks do many things outside their scope not just you elected officials that like to see yourselves in the papers for doing good deeds.

I'm sure that there are many many people who do things outside their scope but I believe Mr. Crisler was answering a question regarding our elected officials being paid by the city to provide services. Again thanks Randy for your reply.

[ArnoldCC]

Shirlav,

I think that sbt was saying that some of our reps only do good so that they can have a picture in the paper so they look good. The rest of us do good just to do good.

[sad but true]

ArnoldCC wrote:

Shirlav,
I think that sbt was saying that some of our reps only do good so that they can have a picture in the paper so they look good. The rest of us do good just to do good.

You may have gotten it this time ArnoldCC I'm proud of you!!!! Now lets work on Shirley. This elected officials need to remember they wanted what the got. Not one person owes them a pat on the back for their services. While I understand when a pat is handed out it is nice but please Mr. Crisler spare up from your pitty, pitty I do good all the time without getting paid bs.

[ArnoldCC]

sbt,

You forget, I live in the Ward with the Councilperson that has to have his name in the paper every other week if not every week, especially when it comes to election time.:)

[ArnoldCC]

sbt,

One more thing before I forget...there is a member of the grocery store union (Commercial Food something something) that was once a council member. He had a good point. He passed ordinances all of the time and did good by his constituents, yet not once did he get his name in the papers for this. He did things that created jobs and that and never got his name in the paper like another council person. This gentleman, when I asked him if he minded, said "No, it was my job to do those things and I don't deserve a pat on the back for what I am getting paid to do.". Maybe some of our Council members need to take an example from him.