09/15/2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Joint City Council /PEDC Meeting September 15, 2014 Page 10 that would be 10 %, 10% or more of your gross income and Mr. Wilson said he did not. Mr. Moore said if you had a conflict, you had to file an affidavit, abstain from voting and discussing it. He also said there was an AG opinion that states you cannot go into the executive session if you have a conflict. Mr. Wilson asked Council Member Hashmi if his conflict of interest was because his son served at some period of time on the R3BI and Council Member Hashmi answered in the affirmative. Mr. Wilson said he had nothing to do with the Board when his son served on the R3Bi. Mr. Moore asked if Mr. Wilson's son was still on the R3BI Board and Mr. Wilson said it had been dissolved. Mr. Moore said the conflict was usually because 10% of gross income, so there was not a conflict of interest. Council Member Hashmi said Council Member Pickle owned a printing company and asked if he could do printing for the City of Paris. Council Member Pickle confirmed that 10% or more of his gross income came from the printing company. Under State Law, Mr. Moore said he would have to file an affidavit, abstain from voting, abstain from discussion and the rest of the Council could take up the matter. Mayor Frierson said the Board had taken steps over the last year to tighten up procedures for expenses and to improve oversight and asked if there were any other concerns. Mr. Moore said if the Board approves projects and expenditures, and the Council approves projects and expenditures and they have written agreements, he thought that would resolve the issues. Mayor Frierson asked Mr. Grubbs to review with the City Council steps the PEDC Board had taken in the last year to address issues and recommendations that were referenced in the report. Mr. Grubbs said he did not have a big role in it, but that Rebecca Clifford and Bruce Carr improved the processes and procedures of the PEDC. He said sixteen needed policies were identified and written and included authorized spending levels, credit card use, travel, entertainment, delegation of authority, procurement of services, contracts and so forth. Mr. Grubbs said they had done a really good job and that it did help. Council Member Pickle asked Mr. Moore if he was saying if there was to be any more action taken by the City Council or the PEDC that it would need to go through the District Attorney. Mr. Moore said if they thought it was criminal that it would need to go through the District Attorney's Office, because the Comptroller and the Attorney General did not have oversight. Mr. Moore also said they could pursue civil action against a business for nonperformance under an agreement. Council Member Pickle confirmed if Council goes to the District Attorney then the District Attorney decides if it goes to the Attorney General's Office. Mr. Moore explained that areas, such as open meetings, the AG office had a level of expertise or maybe in some rural areas where the DA's office doesn't have certain expertise. Council Member Pickle asked about the issues they were discussing. Mr. Moore said he thought the District Attorney could look at those issues and if necessary they could contact the AG's Office, because they have a prosecutors' assistance division. Council Member Pickle said Mr. Moore had an expertise in Economic Development Law and had been recognized by the Attorney General's Office for his input in writing of the Economic Development Handbook. Mr. Turner wanted to know how many criminal cases Mr. Moore had tried in the last year and Mr. Wilson said that was not the issue. Mr. Moore said he had tried 10 or 20 Class C Misdemeanors, but no murder trials. Council Member Lancaster said the District Attorney may have some closes ties to this investigation and wanted to know where