|
Source
Maricopa County employees disciplined after probe by Michelle Ye Hee Lee - Dec. 19, 2011 09:47 PM The Arizona Republic Five employees have resigned, one has been fired and three have been suspended as a result of a Maricopa County internal investigation that found 11 employees may have violated county ethics policies and state law by improperly accepting gifts from contracted vendors, according to records released Monday by the county. The investigation into 19 employees, mostly in the county Facilities Management Department, began in August after employee Rhys Williams reported he and other employees accepted gifts from vendors contracted with the county. Kate Baker, an independent investigator hired by the county, found that 11 of the employees had improperly accepted gifts and entertainment from vendors. All 11 were placed on administrative leave earlier this month. Private pre-disciplinary meetings have taken place since then. Disciplinary actions have been taken against nine of the employees, one employee has been allowed to return to work and another is still under review. Kenny Harris, who oversaw the Facilities Management Department as county engineer and assistant county manager, was fired last week amid the gifts scandal. Harris, who was named in the investigative report, had told the investigator he played as a guest in a golf foursome paid for by Gilbane Building Co. and Parsons Corp., two companies involved in building the county court tower, which is under construction. But his termination appeared to be unrelated; County Manager David Smith had asked Harris to resign over fraternity dues Harris charged through the county, which Harris said he has paid back. Harris oversaw the county's $341 million court-tower project in downtown Phoenix, the county's largest capital-improvement project ever, scheduled to open in February. Facilities Management Department Director Janet Palacino also was named in Baker's internal investigation but denied she accepted tickets or gifts. Today, the county Board of Supervisors plans to name Palacino the court-tower project manager to oversee the tower's completion. She would be responsible for signing off on any contracts or documents regarding the court tower's design or construction that Harris would have approved in the past. Smith said the project eventually would have been handed over to Palacino for facilities maintenance. Palacino also is slated to take over the $80 million new Sheriff's Office headquarters project in downtown Phoenix. The sheriff's 911 call center is scheduled to be moved into the six-story, 140,000-square-foot building by late next year. Director of the county's Department of Transportation John Hauskins has been named county engineer for responsibilities required of a state-licensed public engineer. Williams, a Capital Facilities Division chief assistant at the county Facilities Management Department, was terminated on Dec. 6, records show. He had accepted tickets for himself and his family, knowing they were paid for by Evans Overhead Door, a long-time county vendor based in Phoenix. Among the remaining 10 employees placed on administrative leave, five have resigned: Richard Carr, Michael Bregar, Lynda Cull, Robert Jones and Art Jones. The investigator found that Carr, a Facilities Management Department manager, was "by far the worst abuser" of county policies that prohibit employees from accepting gifts or gifts of value from contracted vendors. Among the investigator's findings, Carr admitted he accepted more than 20 concert tickets valued at more than $2,000 over a three-year period; was flown on a fishing trip to British Columbia mostly at the vendors' expense; and got a job for his son with Evans Overhead Door. Bregar, a budget analyst, had accepted concert tickets for he and his wife knowing they came from Evans Overhead Door. Cull, a procurement officer, took tickets from Carr knowing they were from Evans. She believed the tickets "changed hands so many times before reaching her that no obligation could be implied," the investigator concluded. Robert Jones, a senior job-order contract supervisor, accepted a spring-training game ticket paid for by Jokake Construction. He attended a Paul McCartney concert with tickets from Evans. He also solicited food and gifts for meetings from county vendors. Art Jones, a technical specialist, attended an Eric Clapton concert with tickets from Evans Overhead Door. Three employees -- Dean Graham, Kurt Simmons and Michelle McClintock-- have been suspended for five working days each. Graham and Simmons, both electronic technicians, accepted free concert or sports tickets paid for by Evans Overhead Door. McClintock, an administrative assistant until July 2010 with the county Department of Transportation who still works for the county, attended several concerts with tickets she received from Carr, but were paid for by Evans Overhead Door. Michael Mahr was released from administrative leave and returned to work Monday. Mahr had accepted Evans Overhead Door's tickets to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for himself and his wife, and played in a golf foursome paid for by Evans. "The evidence does not support that you accepted tickets to a concert in your capacity as a county employee," read the letter releasing him from administrative leave. The county has not yet disclosed the disciplinary status of Janice Bowie, a capital-project manager who took tickets paid for by Evans, architectural firm Arrington Watkins that was doing business with the county, and Gilbane and Ryan Cos., construction firms that worked on the county's $340 million court-tower project. Her case is still under review. Reach the reporter at 602-444-8290. |