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HomeMy WebLinkAbout95-564 SkellieDavid A. Skellie Director County of Erie Department of Planning Erie County Courthouse 140 West 6th Street - Room 113 Erie, PA 16501 Dear Mr. Skellie: STATE ETHICS COMMISSION 309 FINANCE BUILDING P.O. BOX 11470 HARRISBURG, PA 17108 -1470 TELEPHONE (717) 783 -1 610 ADVICE OF COUNSEL May 15, 1995 95 -564 Re: Conflict, Grant Program, Participation by Public Official/ Employee, Office Manager /Legislative Aide. This responds to your letters of March 29 and April 11, 1995, in which you requested advice from the State Ethics Commission. Issue: Whether a legislative aide of a state representative under the Public Official and Employee Ethics Law may participate in a grant program administered by Erie County Department of Planning. Facts: Ms. Rosemary A. Herring has been employed since 1989 as an office manager and legislative aide for State Representative Thomas J. Scrimenti, State House of Representatives, in his North East district office. She is a single parent residing with her two minor children in North East Borough, a borough within Representative Scrimenti's legislative district. Ms. Herring applied for housing rehabilitation assistance to make necessary improvements to her home. The borough plans to undertake a housing rehabilitation project using a portion of its fiscal year 1993 and fiscal year 1995 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation. The CDBG is administered by the Erie County Department of planning. The borough is an "entitlement" municipality under the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs CDBG program and the Commonwealth's Legislative Act 179. Through the grant program, HUD Section 8 income qualified homeowners can receive assistance to pay for home improvements including electrical, roofing, foundational, plumbing, and heating. Each single family, owner - occupied housing unit that will be rehabilitated will be brought into compliance with HUD Section 8 Housing standards. You seek advice from the Commission under the Ethics Law concerning Ms. Skellie, David A., 95 -564 May 15, 1995 Page 2 Herring's participation in the grant program as outlined above., Discussion: As a legislative aide for a state representative, Ms. herring is a "public employee" as that term is defined in the Ethics Law and hence is subject to the provisions of that Law. 65 P.S. 5402; 51 Pa. Code 511.1. Sections 3(a), 3(f), and 3(j) of the Ethics Law provide: Section 3. Restricted Activities. (a) No public official or public employee shall engage in conduct that constitutes a conflict of interest. (f) No public official or public employee or his spouse or child or any business in which the person or his spouse or child is associated shall enter into any contract valued at $500 or more with the governmental body with which the public official or public employee is associated or any subcontract valued at $500 or more with any person who has been awarded a contract with the governmental body with which the public official or public employee is associated, unless the contract has been awarded through an open and public process, including prior public notice and subsequent public disclosure of all proposals considered and contracts awarded. In such a case, the public official or public employee shall not have any supervisory or overall responsibility for the implementation or administration of the contract. Any contract or subcontract made in violation of this subsection shall be voidable by a court of competent jurisdiction if the suit is commenced within 90 days of the making of the contract or subcontract. (j) Where voting conflicts are not otherwise addressed by the Constitution of Pennsylvania or by any law, rule, regulation, order or ordinance, the following procedure shall be employed. Any public official or public employee who in the discharge of his official duties would be required to vote on a matter that would result in a conflict of interest shall abstain from voting and, prior to the vote being taken, publicly announce and Skellie, David A., 95 -564 May 15, 1995 Page 3 disclose the nature of his interest as a public record in a written memorandum filed with the person responsible for recording the minutes of the meeting at which the vote is taken, provided that whenever a governing body would be unable to take any action on a matter before it because the number of members of the body required to abstain from voting under the provisions of this section makes the majority or other legally required vote of approval unattainable, then such members shall be permitted to vote if disclosures are made as otherwise provided herein. In the case of a three - member governing body of a political subdivision, where one member has abstained from voting as a result of a conflict of interest, and the remaining two members of the governing body have cast opposing votes, the member who has abstained shall be permitted to vote to break the tie vote if disclosure is made as otherwise provided herein. In addition, Sections 3(b) and 3(c) of the Ethics Law provide in part that no person shall offer to a public official /employee anything of monetary value or no public official /employee shall solicit or accept any thing of monetary value based upon the understanding that the vote, official action, or judgement of the public official /employee would be influenced thereby. Reference is made to these provisions of the law not to imply that there has been or will be any transgression thereof but merely to provide a complete response to the question presented. The following terms are defined in the Ethics Law: Section 2. Definitions. "Conflict" or "conflict of interest." Use by a public official or public employee of the authority of his office or employment or any confidential information received through his holding public office or employment for the private pecuniary benefit of himself, a member of his immediate family or a business with which he or a member of his immediate family is associated. "Conflict" or "conflict of interest" does not include an action having a de minimis economic impact or which affects to the same degree a class consisting of the general public or a subclass consisting of an industry, occupation or other group which Skellie, David A., 95 -564 May 15, 1995 Page 4 includes the public official or public employee, a member of his immediate family or a business with which he or a member of his immediate family is associated. "Authority of office or employment." The actual power provided by law, the exercise of which is necessary to the performance of duties and responsibilities unique to a particular public office or position of public employment. "Governmental body with which a public official or public employee is or has been associated." The governmental body within State government or a political subdivision by which the public official or employee is or has been employed or to which the public official or employee is or has been appointed or elected and subdivisions and offices within that governmental body. Under the Ethics Law, we must observe the stated purpose of that Act which is to strengthen the faith and confidence of people in their government by assuring the public that the financial interests of the holders of or candidates for public office do not present a conflict with the public trust. In applying the above quoted provisions of the Ethics Law to the instant matter, we will first consider the provisions of Section 3(f) of the Ethics Law. Since the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the governmental body with which Ms. Herring is associated, Section 3(f) would not apply in this case because the contract would be with North East Borough or Erie County, neither being the governmental body with which she is associated. We will now address the propriety of the proposed conduct under Section 3(a) of the Ethics Law. In this review, we note and recognize the concern that arises where a public program, funded with public monies and administered through a public agency, political subdivision, or governmental body is also available to public officials or employees of that agency or governmental body. We recognize the public concern and criticism that may arise if a public official or public employee who serves a governmental body receives benefits under a program of this nature. It is clear that the Ethics Law, and in particular Section 3(a), was primarily designed to restrict the activity of a public official or employee from using the authority of office for private pecuniary benefit. However, we believe that as a general rule the Skellie, David A., 95 -564 May 15, 1995 Page 5 Ethics Law was not enacted nor should it be interpreted to preclude public officials or employees from participating in programs which might otherwise be available to them as citizens. Wolff, Opinion 89 -030; Woodrinct, Opinion 90 -001. In order to insure that a public official or employee is not in a conflict when she seeks to participate in a rehabilitation or grant program, she must observe the following: 1. play no role in establishing the criteria under which the program is to operate, particularly with reference to the structure or administration of the program; 2. play no role in establishing or implementing the criteria by which selections for program participation are to be made; 3. play no role in the process of selecting and reviewing applicants or in awarding grants or funds; 4. use no confidential information acquired during the holding of public office or public employment to apply for or to obtain such funds, grants, etc., and 5. abstain, publicly disclose and file a memorandum with the person responsible for recording the minutes under Section 3(j) of the Ethics Law in cases where the public official/ employee is associated with administering the grant or rehabilitation program not only as to his own application but as to similarly situated individuals with whom the public official /employee might be competing for available funds. In cases where Section 3(f) is applicable, the public official /employee would be prohibited from any supervisory or overall responsibility as to the contract or program. Through application of the above criteria, we seek to eliminate the possibility that a public official /employee who is seeking such funds or seeking to participate in these programs would be in a position to insure that the grant funds or the program benefits would be available for her own benefit. Thus, a public official or public employee in such a situation should refrain from participating in making decisions or recommendations about the program and regarding distribution of the limited funds which might be available as a result of such a program. Expressly conditioned upon the assumption that Ms. Herring is in conformance with the above criteria, she may apply for and participate in the benefits associated with the Program. The propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Law; the applicability of any other statute, code, Skellie, David A., 95 -564 May 15, 1995 Page 6 ordinance, regulation or other code of conduct other than the Ethics Law has not been considered in that they do not involve an interpretation of the Ethics Law. Specifically not addressed herein is the applicability of the Code of Federal Regulations or the respective municipal code. Conclusion: As a legislative aide for a state representative, Ms. Herring is a public employee subject to the provisions of the Ethics Law. Section 3(a) of the Ethics Law would not preclude her from applying for a Program grant provided she played no role in establishing the criteria under which the program would operate, played no role in implementing the criteria for selecting applicants, played no role in selecting or reviewing applicants, used no confidential information and finally had no involvement with the administration of the program. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Law. Pursuant to Section 7(11), this Advice is a complete defense in any enforcement proceeding initiated by the Commission, and evidence of good faith conduct in any other civil or criminal proceeding, providing the requestor has disclosed truthfully all the material facts and committed the acts complained of in reliance on the Advice given. such. This letter is a public record and will be made available as Finally, if you disagree with this Advice or if you have any reason to challenge same, you may appeal the Advice to the full Commission. A personal appearance before the Commission will be scheduled and a formal Opinion will be issued by the Commission. Any such appeal must be in writing and must be actually received at the Commission within thirty (30) days of the date of this Advice pursuant to 51 Pa .Code 513.2(h). The appeal may be received at the Commission by hand delivery, United States mail, delivery-service, or by FAX transmission (717- 787 - 0806). Failure to file such an appeal at the Commission within thirty (30) days may result in the dismissal of the appeal. ncerely, Vincent J. Dopko Chief Counsel