10 p.m. — City looking into potential conflict of interest for wastewater plant workers
Boise attorneys and human resources officials are reviewing whether two city employees are violating city rules by working at private wastewater treatment facilities.Interim Public Works Director John Tenson said he抯 asked to see if the moonlighting work performed by Bill Duncan and Chris Linder and their company, Operations Management Consulting Services, conflicts with their city jobs. The city allows employees to have second jobs so long as they don抰 interfere with city work and employees inform their supervisors.Duncan and Linder meet job performance requirements managing the city抯 two wastewater treatment facilities, and have disclosed the work of their company, Tenson said. Since 1999, the men also have operated the company that contracts for daily operations at smaller, independent treatment plants such as Boise抯 Hidden Springs and the Avimor planned community in Ada County.In January, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter had his staff create a policy designed to block sewage from outside communities after Avimor抯 developers said they intended to truck sewage to Boise抯 treatment plants. Bieter has opposed the Avimor development, calling it 搇eapfrog development?and urban sprawl. The company owned by Duncan and Linder will operate and maintain Avimor抯 treatment facility.Last month, Boise blogger Dave Frazier complained about the arrangement, and the Idaho Statesman has received messages about the moonlighting. The company抯 Web site touts Duncan抯 and Linder抯 experience within the city. It also lists the city抯 2006 Peak Performance Platinum Award ?recognition for superior operations at the West Boise Wastewater Treatment Plant.Tenson said questions about the company have cropped up from time to time. But until a Statesman inquiry, Tenson wasn抰 aware his employees?company worked on several projects with a local firm, Pharmer Engineering, that sometimes contracts with Boise.
Tenson asked the city抯 legal and human resources department to rule out any potential conflicts with that company, he said.揥e take conflict of interest very seriously. We want to make sure every step of the way, you are doing it right,?Tenson said. 揑t抯 awkward. From a management perspective, moonlighting causes any manager a concern. But you have to respect what they can do in their private life, too.?p/>Duncan declined to comment, other than to say he was 搉ot doing anything wrong or illegal. Everything is above-board.?p/>Linder did not return a message left on his city telephone.Read more in Thursday’s Idaho Statesman.
