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February 19, 2012 in City
Condon family feud could trouble mayor
Brothers fighting over ownership of composting company
Larry Condon, shown here in 2010 when he was working at Barr-Tech, has formed a new company, PacifiClean Environmental, since leaving Barr-Tech.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
A family squabble could become a big headache for new Spokane Mayor David Condon.
Two of Condon’s brothers, who formed a compost operation that has a $2 million city contract, are fighting over ownership of the company, Barr-Tech. In addition, one of the brothers is involved with a new competing company, and both firms could end up vying for the same city contract in the future.
City officials and company representatives say the lawsuit shouldn’t affect the city, but it does highlight potential conflicts of interest for a mayor from a large, prominent family, who has nearly 50 first cousins and eight brothers and sisters, some of whom have extensive business interests.
One of Condon’s brothers was involved in a controversial land deal that became an election issue in a county commissioner race in 2008. Among his cousins are the owners of the White Elephant stores. Now that he’s mayor, one of his employees is his first cousin, Assistant Public Defender Bridget Condon.
“I didn’t know that until I was ringing a bell at Fred Meyer and she came up to me and says, ‘Hi boss,’ and I said, ‘What do you mean?’ ” the mayor said. “People think it’s crazy, but when you do live in a big family, there’s times where I don’t see my siblings for six months or seven months and we live literally two miles from each other.”
Contract approved under Verner
Condon notes that the Barr-Tech contract was approved by a different city administration and that any future contracts will go through the same public bidding process and review by City Council.
He also has requested that the city’s Ethics Commission review the relationship in hopes of preventing conflicts.
Barr-Tech has accepted organic yard and food waste collected curbside in the city since March – two months before David Condon officially announced his bid for mayor – under a two-year contract estimated to cost about $430,000 a year. The City Council approved a separate three-year deal with Barr-Tech in December to accept the organic waste collected by the city-run Spokane Regional Solid Waste System. That contract was estimated to cost the system about $2 million.
The city and its solid waste agency had been looking for a company closer to Spokane to accept so-called “green waste.” Since the city was forced to close its own composting operation in 2002, it had shipped the waste to Oregon, and more recently Royal City, Wash., which is 140 miles away. Barr-Tech’s composting operation is in Lincoln County, cutting transportation costs.
The topic of the lawsuit between Condon’s brothers wasn’t discussed by the council in approving the contract in December, but the relationship between the new mayor and the ownership of the company was.
An assistant city attorney told the council that the City Charter requires disclosure of potential conflicts of interest but that since Condon hadn’t been sworn into office, it wasn’t yet an issue.
“I just want to make it clear to this council that there is a Condon relative that’s a part of Barr-Tech,” said then-City Council President Joe Shogan, who cast the only dissenting vote on the three-year contract.
Other council members said Barr-Tech offers a better deal, environmentally and financially.
“The logic of not hauling compost all the way across the state and developing local jobs sounded like a good deal, particularly when it saved the city money on the contract,” said former Councilman Richard Rush, who supported the contract.
Councilman Jon Snyder, who also voted for the contract, said he wasn’t bothered by the relationship between the brothers because David Condon wasn’t yet in charge.
“It will be the next contract for Barr-Tech that needs scrutiny,” he said.
Brothers battle over ownership
In a suit scheduled to go to trial in November, Larry Condon accuses his brother Ted Condon and their business associate Jack Gillingham of breach of contract, fraud and defamation. He says he was promised a one-third ownership stake in Barr-Tech but was forced out.
“This was on the verge of launching. This was going to be a highly profitable enterprise,” said Larry Condon’s attorney, Bob Dunn. “His brother decided that making Larry an equal would be economically untenable.”
An attorney representing Barr-Tech, Bill Symmes, noted that Barr-Tech and Ted Condon have denied all the allegations in their official response to the lawsuit.
“Other than that, I can’t discuss the ongoing litigation,” Symmes said.
The suit alleges that Larry Condon did much of the work to get the company on its feet.
“I’m not proud of the lawsuit with my brother, but a handshake is a handshake,” Larry Condon said.
Ted Condon said Larry Condon was an employee and that there was never any deal or promise made of an ownership stake in the company.
“Larry’s my brother, and he had just lost his job with HearthBread,” Ted Condon said.
Larry Condon is the former co-owner of HearthBread, a bakery that was sold to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and later folded.
Attorneys on both sides say the mayor has never been involved in the company. David Condon said he’s never even visited Barr-Tech’s compost operation.
Since leaving Barr-Tech, Larry Condon has formed a new company, PacifiClean Environmental, with SRM Development to handle organic waste.
Larry Condon said he can’t rule out bidding in the future on a city contract for green waste, but PacifiClean’s plans are not contingent on winning a city contract. He said PacifiClean’s plans are to build digesters that specialize in breaking down organic waste such as fatty oils and food waste that otherwise can complicate compost operations because of odor problems. He said it’s a portion of the business that he originally planned for Barr-Tech.
City administrators met with Larry Condon before and after David Condon’s election about building a facility near the Waste-to-Energy Plant that could use steam energy from the trash incinerator for potential side businesses, such as one that would sterilize medical waste. Plans also call for greenhouses that would use compost made from the organic waste. Larry Condon said he has avoided discussing his plans with the mayor to avoid conflicts.
That concept of creating a green business center near the Waste-to-Energy Plant emerged during Verner’s administration. Spokane Regional Solid Waste Director Russ Menke said he last met with Larry Condon about the idea in late November.
Menke said the regional system doesn’t have green waste to offer PacifiClean currently because it’s got a contract with Barr-Tech, and that if the city did become interested in a concept like PacifiClean’s it would have to offer a competitive bidding process.
Family focused on business
David Condon said the suit between his brothers is “the modern-day way of going out in the backyard and having a fistfight.”
“This is not the first time we’ve had lawsuits in my family,” Condon said. “They say don’t do business with your family. Well, apparently, my family didn’t read that rulebook.”
Even so, the mayor also has had business relationships with his brothers.
He founded a coffee stand business, called Coffee Brothers Inc., with Larry Condon in Boston in the mid-1990s when David was a student at Boston College. The mayor told the story of the business at his campaign kickoff speech.
“Small business was such a part of my life that going back to college in Boston my second year, my brother and I decided to open up a coffee shop in downtown Boston. So I’m not kidding you, we literally went to Costco and stopped off and got a coffee stand, drove across the country and set up our first coffee stand in downtown Boston. A few short years later we had four little shops.”
According to his financial disclosure form filed with the Public Disclosure Commission, David Condon’s only current business relationship with his brothers is a corporation called Seilbh. Condon said Seilbh, which means “possession” in Gaelic, according to an online Irish dictionary, was formed to manage some property left over from a railroad salvage company his father and brothers ran called Condon Brothers.
Condon’s father, John J. Condon, was a prominent dentist and businessman who was part-owner in a dental products company, according to Spokesman-Review archives. The Condon dental practice is now run by David’s brother, Michael Condon.
Condon touted his family’s business acumen when kicking off his campaign, noting that he started working for one of his father’s businesses, “Santa’s Tree Farm,” when he was 7 or 8 years old.
“Growing up there were three guiding stars from my mom and dad,” he told his supporters at his campaign kickoff. “They were family – I’m the youngest of 10 kids. Of course, it was family, family, family and then a little bit more family – community and business.”
Family members gave to campaign
Condon’s family members were generous contributors to his mayoral campaign.
Donations from Ted Condon were highlighted late in the campaign by supporters of Condon’s opponent, Mary Verner.
Two companies Ted Condon partially owns, including Barr-Tech, gave $4,000 each to a state Republican Party campaign fund just prior to the election. Two weeks later the party contributed $25,000 to Condon’s campaign. Verner supporters alleged that donations from Condon’s companies and others were made to avoid campaign contribution limits, and they filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission. The Republican Party and Condon’s campaign denied the allegations and said the GOP never promised contributors that it would give money to Condon’s campaign.
Lori Anderson, the PDC’s spokeswoman, said on Friday that officials have not yet determined if the complaint will be formally investigated.
‘We choose not to talk about it’
In his campaign for mayor last year, Condon distanced himself from a controversial business dealing involving another of his brothers.
In 2008, the county’s purchase of land from David Condon’s brother, John Condon Jr., was highlighted by opponents of County Commissioner Todd Mielke’s re-election bid.
John Condon purchased 150 acres of land near Fairchild Air Force Base in 2001 for $65,000 and sold it to the county in 2007 for $600,000 to enable realignment of a railroad line off the base. The county used $200,000 from the state and $250,000 from the Air Force to help buy the land.
Critics questioned the cost and Mielke’s friendship with Condon. Mielke and other county commissioners defended the purchase as a way to prevent development near the base and noted appraisals that indicated the county didn’t pay too much.
David Condon said he never had an ownership stake in the property and never lobbied on behalf of winning government money to help buy the land when he worked for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane. He was, however, in meetings when the issue was discussed and he was representing McMorris Rodgers.
The mayor said he’s maintained good relations with all his brothers.
“We choose to not talk about it because, you know, when you’re sitting there at Thanksgiving dinner, it’s not real pleasant,” he said.
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
Pat O'Leary on February 19 at 5:34 a.m.
Let the fun begin.
Scoutster on February 19 at 6:44 a.m.
A messy issue with government contracts to handle civic waste.
Where have we seen this before?
http://youtu.be/v3vdFGZ6VIY
bdr on February 19 at 6:51 a.m.
Sounds like compost to me?
BlondeSquawker on February 19 at 7:09 a.m.
Would Karl Thompson happen to be one of those cousins?
lewis8457 on February 19 at 7:50 a.m.
no but one of his cousins owns the White Elephant. Wish I would have known that.
During the Karl/Otto trial it was reported the owner or manager of the white elephant said he saw nothing like the video showed in the Klubber Zehm confrontation, in fact Mr. W.E. saw it as Thompson saw it.
I wish I would have known that before I voted for Condon. I have already boycotted The White Elephant.
rosehips on February 19 at 7:56 a.m.
This is a good case for better birth control. haha
misjustice on February 19 at 8:11 a.m.
Just politics as usual?
“John Condon purchased 150 acres of land near Fairchild Air Force Base in 2001 for $65,000 and sold it to the county in 2007 for $600,000 to enable realignment of a railroad line off the base. The county used $200,000 from the state and $250,000 from the Air Force to help buy the land.”
And citizens are being asked to believe that mayor Condon had nothing to do with securing the pork; despite working for McMoRo? Well, okey dokey then…
Lulubelle on February 19 at 8:45 a.m.
Geez, more examples of the incestuous relationship between Spokane politicians and the business/development community. We are stilling in the good old boy “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” mode of operation…….no wonder Spokane is always running in last place for economic growth. It’s probably the model our “leaders” are trying to preserve……..more control, less competition for the established families and players in this burg.
DickAdams on February 19 at 8:50 a.m.
Reading the story, city attorneys were involved with some decisions and I`m wondering if city attorney Roco Treppiedi had his fingers in the pie? Maybe that explains the reason Condon didn`t fire Rockey, and why he appointed City Attorney Delaney?
Lowrider on February 19 at 9:10 a.m.
And to those who voted for this guy over Verner………….good job.
Gmaw on February 19 at 9:19 a.m.
http://www.sirti.org/Portals/0/Images/Sirti_fall09_spotlight.pdf
McMorris helped Bar-Tech get 2 million in Stimulus funds.
Maybe she didn’t know that David was the Brother of Larry and
Ted.
misjustice on February 19 at 9:30 a.m.
“McMorris helped Bar-Tech get 2 million in Stimulus funds.
Maybe she didn’t know that David was the Brother of Larry and
Ted.”
Maybe?
Truthbtold on February 19 at 9:34 a.m.
I’m sure that all the bashing will begin. I don’t know or have any knowledge about Mayor Condon, only what has been published or rumors I have heard. Nor do I know Ted Condon, but I will tell you that I have known Larry and wife while our children attended the same school.
They were always there helping with whatever was needed, doing more than most parents, Larry always puts his children and wife first.
So please, while you will make assumptions, and cast stones, please remember that all parties involved have children. Be kind in expressing your opinions.
If you have concerns about the issue, take the time to do your research not just cast stone.
On a level of “parents” I appreciate what Larry and his wife have done and continue to do for our community…..
brianrbreen on February 19 at 10:00 a.m.
Well who knows if there was or is anything nefarious going on here…or not…and of course the Ds will be all over it and the Rs defending. The nice thing is that the story was written and people can decide for themselves.
You can’t cover something like this in a thirty second sound bite so it is nice to have Brunt do the work whether people like the piece or not.
I’m sure that Clouse, Cuniff, and Clark will be thankful that Brunt has taken some of the heat off of them.
Shelala on February 19 at 12:06 p.m.
Larry, Moe and Curly Joe… nyuck, nyuck. We’re related, but not “close”?? Business’ always seek an inside track to grow. The shortest distance is a bloodline.Condon needs transparency is all his decisions unless every controversial action becomes an issue. Transparency should become his mantra while in office.
rosehips on February 19 at 12:07 p.m.
Shannon, I hope the kids don’t read this thread.
I’m sorry if my joke was offensive to the Condon family.
For the record, I am one of 7 kids and I use the same joke about my own family. :)
ldchristi on February 19 at 12:09 p.m.
Here we go again. It was so nice to have a period of four years with reasonable peace and quiet and lack of need to be concerned about the up-and-up of our mayor and and council. Something just didn’t seem right in this past election; and now I think that something has become unveiled. Has our local politics succumbed to the ability of family or corporate givers to fund the purchase of voters via these PACs? Guess so. So long, democratic elections even at the local level.
Indie on February 19 at 12:59 p.m.
It’s that stinkin’ liberal media again - always trying to stir up the muck but pointing out facts. Shut ‘em down!
Dazzeetrader11 on February 19 at 1:00 p.m.
This isn’t even a serious story…..perhaps explaining why all comments are silly. I was wondering though if Shannon might try recalling the mayor over composting.
Shame on the author and this silly headline. The story has nothing to do with anything. A story in search of a controversy….where there is none. A story in search of dishonesty when there is none. A story in search of anything…..like a point??
BlondeSquawker on February 19 at 1:11 p.m.
No one forced you to read the article, Dazeedoo.
Dazzeetrader11 on February 19 at 1:28 p.m.
Not even innuendo ….just an empty piece unless…Jon’s laying the groundwork for something he can quote later….ie “SR began an investigation into…etc etc..on Feb 19th, 2012…blah blah.” Just nothing in this article…seriously nothing.
It’s common practice in the media these days….they make their own stories….even when there is none….then they make another meager attempt to create one later…then they quote themselves later.
BlondeSquawker on February 19 at 1:39 p.m.
Flagging Dazee.
SMARTGUY on February 19 at 1:46 p.m.
ANOTHER crooked politician, say it isn’t so.
Bent on February 19 at 2:10 p.m.
Really DAZZEETRADER? how’s this:
Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive… BTW, good story Brunt… I agree with brianrbreen this is the tip of the iceberg, for instance this paragraph:
“John Condon purchased 150 acres of land near Fairchild Air Force Base in 2001 for $65,000 and sold it to the county in 2007 for $600,000 to enable realignment of a railroad line off the base. The county used $200,000 from the state and $250,000 from the Air Force to help buy the land.”
I am pretty certain that the Gieger Spur rail re-alignment project was originally designed, engineered and fully funded without having to purchase that piece of land. In fact, I believe WSDOT was getting ready to proceed with the re-alignment project and tie into the Palouse Coolee City short line that is owned by and operated by its rail division — until Mielke was elected to county commissioner. Prior to that, Mielke was a hired lobbyist for the Spokane chamber and one of his primary duties was to lobby the state legislature to help secure funding for WSDOT’s Gieger Spur project…
But, after Mielke was elected county commissioner, he and commissioner Phil Harris fought hard for the county to take ownership of the project, claiming they wanted to operate the rail spur for “economic development purposes.” They eventually secured control of the project — and the public money that was raised for the project — despite objections from transportation experts who questioned the county’s ability to operate a successful rail business.
The project was then assigned to Phil Harris’ son, Steve Harris, who took the nearly shovel-ready project and decided to expand it from a $3 million project, which was fully funded, to a $7 million project that was suddenly realigned to include the Condon property, which immediately thrust the project into controversy.
Instead of only purchasing the right of way necessary to build the spur, the Condons eventually pressured the county into purchasing the whole property, claiming it was a valuable gravel pit operation that would be destroyed by the rail spur. But the funny thing is, it was not a valuable gravel pit – far from it. According to Mielke himself, the aggregate on the property was not suitable for anything more than “driveway gravel.” Furthermore, it was rumored that the property might be contaminated by industrial waste from Fairchild. And that economic analysis showed that a trans-load facility in that location would not be economically feasible.
When people working closely on that project tried to point these things out – as well as the appearance of a conflict of interest with then congressional staffer Dave Condon – they were told by the county’s “economic development” director Erik Skaggs to back off and stay out of it. On at least one occasion, Condon himself did the same.
Interestingly, many of those who were involved at that time have since been dismissed from their jobs, and in some cases it was definitely political. I could name a few others as well.
Hmm… I wonder where that trans-load facility is now? After all, that was the whole reason the county absolutely had to have the Condon property in the first place… and now we see that the Condon’s have a railroad salvage company… I wonder, did that company benefit from the Geiger Spur project as well?
Smaller efficient government indeed…
zelda on February 19 at 3:17 p.m.
Any action that involves the West Plains is tainted and corrupt — airport, casinos, racetrack — the whole kit and kaboodle. Where can I go get to get the rocks in my backyard appraised as a valuable gravel mineral deposit? No wonder Spokane is known as the scam capital of the U.S.A.
Lulubelle on February 19 at 7:26 p.m.
ah Dazzed……the “ignore the man behind the curtain” song & dance isn’t playing this time.
Your boy and his “family” appear to be up to their eyeballs in some seriously questionable muck. We tax-payin’ citizens need some of that promised “transparency”.
Shadedmuse on February 19 at 8:19 p.m.
With tea-baggers rumning the show in City hall, get ready for Phill Harris style crony capitolism, this is what you get when you vote for a tea0bagger.
When cathy Mcmo-mo loses in November she also will be getting a job from her boy since she bough him his job through crony capitolism and kickbacks.
these people should all be in Federal Prison because they are destroying the U.S.
Dazzeetrader11 on February 19 at 9:07 p.m.
Bent…and you all this how???
It’s one thing to segue to thing known…but the unknown things are hard to come by…as least for an out of towner.
IF you have some charges to make…make em.
My point was that the Mayor seems to be uninvolved..
until proven otherwise…..speak up but at the very least…give us a source or two for you innuendos. Untill you or someone else does, this “storybook” story of yours is just a fantasy.
AND if all this story of yours is credible, how is it so that Meilke hasn’t been tied to anything of this sort.
According to you, this is all a big conspiracy of the politicians.
…and of course the present Mayor was somehow in the middle of something from over 5 years ago…all possible I suppose…
So let’s have something besides some construct of yours. Something solid please.
I kinda side with Zelda though…something out on the West Plains is fishy….seems like everything they do out there has some subplot….some plot fostered by corruption…political things underground or very well hidden.
I do not know how this might involve this story of the SR. An attempt to taint a young Mayor??? I don’t see how this has anything to do with Condon the Mayor. Think it’s guilt of his part because he has some brothers who know how to write grants and have SIRTI push them through?
As I read the SIRTI link…this loan was pretty big and must be paid back. only a quarter of it was a grant (from Obama and his corrupt greenies). SO do you think it’s wise to taint a mayor because his brothers take advantage of a system wide open for odd associations?
Speak up…I’d like to know more.
Remeber though, VERNER was the one who set this money in motion…YES the same Mary Verner who…..well…you know…the pillar of honesty. yes..that one. The ones the liberal Dems voted in….and the rest of us voted out.
Bent on February 19 at 10:09 p.m.
Dazee you trashed the reporter for manufacturing a story to aide in a partisan effort for Jon (Snyder, I guess?)… I disagree
I simply pointed out that I felt it was a valid story based on my first hand understanding of this issue, and the SR’s continued coverage of the events that led up to this… most of what I wrote is substantiated in the links I provided…
Dazzeetrader11 on February 19 at 10:41 p.m.
NO…I never said he “manufactured” anything. I said it’s not much a story. And there’s nothing in the story to prove anything about anything…when it comes to the new mayor.
YOU, on the other hand, provide nothing of substance. Nothing…your links are quite limited…and prove nothing but embellish the point of the story without facts. Nothing…just a hint at some form of conspiracy…unrelated to the mayor.
You say, once again unsubstantiated, you have some form of insider knowledge. …again your contention is quite limited. I suppose you have better…at least I hope so.
Snyder has something to do with this story? Sounds like the partisans from the left are trying to get the readers to halluciate some from of conspiracy and lay it at the mayors desk…if you have something….please confirm it. For now, the story is empty and you failed to support it. So let’s all just rumor the story…until the taint is so great, nobody knows what to believe. This is where your letter goes…the partisan rumor pile. If that’s enough, good luck. In a critical eye, your contentions don’t mean much.
Dazzeetrader11 on February 19 at 11:05 p.m.
Bent….you’re obviously connect to the SR and you’re coming to the defense of your brothers. To be clear though..Jon= the auther of this article…Snyder has enough of his own trouble…unless he’s your source and now he’ll have more….looking back on your comments…that fits in this partisan enviornment these days.
Dazzeetrader11 on February 19 at 11:07 p.m.
auther=author (sorry)
MrNatural on February 21 at 11:19 a.m.
Wow…I had no idea there was this much potential for innuendo…not saying there is mind you…Still…after reading this I feel like I need to go wash my hands or something…
Spokane ain’t no city…it’s a town…
The_Seer on February 21 at 2:28 p.m.
Municipal contracts regarding waste disposal tainted with graft and corruption?
Waste of Energy Plant, anyone?
The_Seer on February 22 at 11:07 a.m.
John Condon was briefly our family dentist. He was a sadist who put caps on children’s teeth who didn’t need them and bilked parents and insurance companies for decades for procedures that weren’t required. I’d rather have Dr. Mengele from “Marathon Man” working on my teeth….
Karma has a way of sorting things out. Condon later was housed by his children at a local retirement home where I was the dietary manager. I wonder if David remembers eating there on the introductory tour?
MarieAnne on February 29 at 9:59 a.m.
I have an idea of who the above comment is referring and it is not Mayor Condon’s father. Dr. John Condon practiced until the day he passed and was never in a retirement home requiring a dietary manager. As the article describes, its a big family. While one may easily be confused or lumped in with another; as with any family, large or small, the actions or behavior of one does not define the other.
The_Seer on February 29 at 10:26 a.m.
marieann: My bad, I think it was “James” Condon, now that I think about it more.
Still a scumbag.
whitewolf on February 29 at 3:10 p.m.
Oh, Ted is at it again. I thought everyone knew you had to get it in writing when he tells you something. You would think that a family member would especially know that.