by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Over the past several months, City Council Vice President Jack Webb has faced two potential conflicts of interest. As an attorney, he has represented both Republic Services and JTA, two entities which have both had issues come before Council.
Although the matters were looked into by the Office of General General, Webb was cleared of any improprieties.
Still, Webb recognizes public sentiment may dictate otherwise especially at a time in which the City — and City Council — needs the trust of its citizens. Wednesday, Webb and Council President Richard Clark met with Cindy Laquidara of the OGC and Carla Miller, the City’s ethics officer, to talk about how potential conflicts of interest should be dealt with in the future. Webb said Mayor John Peyton’s last 18 months in office — and his likely year as Council president which starts July 1 — are both opportunities to accomplish goals and capitalize on the momentum created recently by Downtown projects, activity at Cecil Commerce Center and more.
“I think the Council recognizes this and wants to move forward,” he said. “Every time we get some traction, we get distracted by other issues. My goal is to eliminate the distractions that compromise the ability to work as a body.”
Professionally, Webb is an attorney with Brennan Manna & Diamond while Clark is president of Supreme Janitorial Service. It doesn’t happen every day, but there are times when clients of Webb’s and Clark’s have come and may come before Council. The issue Webb and Clark are seeking to clarify is: at what point does a business relationship transcend being a “contact” and becomes a potential conflict of interest to the point the Council member should possibly recuse themselves from voting on a bill?
Clark pointed to former Council President Daniel Davis as an example of needing clarification as to when connections become conflicts of interest. Davis is executive director of the Northeast Florida Builders Association. He’s also currently on the Council’s Land Use & Zoning Committee. That committee assignment, by nature, could produce an almost constant conflict of interest since land use issues usually revolve around development which is done by builders. That convoluted relationship — call it the Kevin Bacon factor of City Council — could be reason enough for Davis to sit on the committee, but recuse himself from all
votes.
“Should Daniel Davis not serve on LUZ because he’s with NEFBA?” said Clark.
Webb said he has met extensively on the matter with Laquidara, who has studied the State’s Ethics Laws and determined Webb was not guilty of a conflict of interest in either case. The solution she says, and Miller agrees, is education.
That education will start with a cram course for Council members in both the State and local laws that pertain to potential conflicts of interest. Then, Laquidara suggested a public campaign aimed at teaching citizens the difference between a business or personal connection and a true conflict of interest.
Miller, who’s also an attorney, said she went through the State law that covers ethics and conflicts of interest. She said there are pages and pages of interpretations, all of which could easily confuse the general public.
“Citizens see a connection,” she said, of instances such as Webb’s representation of JTA and Republic Services. “A connection is not a conflict and while there are exemptions, citizens can’t get that. There’s a level of confusion we can close with education.”
Clark agrees that education will help. He says perception is an issue.
“I think the problem is inherent mistrust,” he said.
“It’s truly at this point an education issue,” said Miller. “I am not a proponent of something happening and then we slap down another law.”
Webb said he’d like to see the issue resolved so the Council can move on with its business.
“You can’t legislate ethics,” he said. “I want to address the issue square on because we are going to have one hellacious year and a half with the budget and union negotiations.”
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