Sloane Rejects Conflict Of Interest Charges City Attorney Says Accusations In Science Center Deal Have No Basis

No conflicts of interest.

That’s the word from Spokane’s city attorney, who Monday cleared several Park Board members of charges they should have shied away from issues regarding the Pacific Science Center’s move to Riverfront Park’s Pavilion.

“It is the opinion of this office that none of the allegations of `conflict of interest’ have any substance in law or fact, and are clearly not sufficient to deprive the City Council from considering this issue,” City Attorney James Sloane told the council.

Earlier this month, the Park Board approved a contract leasing the Pavilion to the Seattle-based science center.

At last week’s meeting, Councilman Chris Anderson charged that Park Board president Dennis Hession, along with two other board members, had connections with the science center that would invalidate the board’s vote.

Hession’s law firm, Richter-Wimberly, signed a contract with the city in 1993 to help coordinate the Pacific Science Center’s move into the Pavilion. The $30,000 contract was paid for by a grant from Momentum.

Board member Ann Schneider contributed $1,000 to a campaign to bring the center to Spokane.

Board member Mark Virden works for U.S. Bank, which gave $2,500 to the project. One of his bigger clients also contributed to the proposal.

Because Hession didn’t work on the contract, vote on the proposed lease or work for the science center, alleged conflicts of interest are “irrelevant,” wrote Sloane in his legal brief to the council.

As for Schneider and Virden, “personal support” or donations by someone’s employer “do not create a `conflict of interest,” Sloane wrote.

Anderson took issue with Sloane’s opinion, saying it was “nothing short of a whitewash.”

He added he had 30 pages of documentation, including a Washington state legal case from the 1970s, to support his allegations.

Anderson plans to forward his complaint to the state Attorney General’s Office.

“This egregious, grossly immoral conflict of interest is being washed under the carpet,” he said. “Anyone contributing money expects some positive return back.”

“All of this rhetoric that Mr. Anderson presented is not a substitute for rigorous analysis,” Sloane responded.

The council plans to hold a hearing on the proposed lease Thursday at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

Also Monday, council members voted 6-1 to allow the company managing the north Spokane compost plant to again take yard waste, as long as it doesn’t become obnoxious to its neighbors.

Hundreds of complaints from neighbors about odors caused the council to temporarily close the plant last fall.

The council plans to revisit the issue in May, unless the plant becomes a problem sooner.

“You function the way you told us you would function, and you’ve got 90 days to see if you can,” Mayor Jack Geraghty said.

Councilwoman Bev Numbers cast the lone dissenting vote, saying, “If they can’t control odors now, what is giving them more compostable material going to do?”

Neighbors who say the plant started smelling again last weekend weren’t pleased with the council’s decision.

“I’m just sick at heart,” said June Walmsley.