One other native water worker is going through a $6,000 fantastic from the state after accepting free ski journeys from a water meter producer and distributor.
The Massachusetts State Ethics Fee has dominated that Auburn Water District Foreman Scott Callahan violated the state’s battle of curiosity regulation by accepting two free ski journeys from the producer and its distributor.
Callahan was ordered to pay civil penalties totaling $6,000 for the violations.
That is the newest in a current string of State Ethics Fee’s fines towards workers of water districts and public works departments who accepted ski journeys, meals or leisure from water meter distributors.
“The conflict of interest law prohibits public employees from receiving anything worth $50 or more given to them for or because of their official positions,” the Fee acknowledged. “Callahan violated this prohibition by accepting the free ski trips from the water meter manufacturer and distributor. The Commission imposed a $3,000 penalty for Callahan’s acceptance of each of the two trips.”
Callahan because the Auburn water district foreman bought, put in, and maintained water meters inside the native district.
The Auburn Water District makes use of a model of water meter all through its service space made by an Alabama-based producer and sourced by way of the producer’s solely licensed New England distributor.
Callahan accepted invites from the water meter distributor and producer to go on multi-day ski journeys to Sugarloaf, Maine, in 2018 after which Stowe, Vermont, in 2019.
The distributor or producer paid for Callahan’s lodging for each journeys. The journeys got to Callahan because of his place because the Auburn water district foreman.
“Acceptance by municipal employees of gifts of substantial value from outside sources with whom they do business erodes public trust, and Callahan, who reasonably should have been aware of this after decades of public service, accepted such gifts not once but twice,” the State Ethics Fee wrote in its ruling.
Callahan has 30 days to file an enchantment for the fantastic in Superior Court docket.
Final 12 months, present or former workers of Danvers, Franklin, Natick, Newburyport, Salem, Southampton and the Sudbury Water District signed disposition agreements and paid civil penalties to resolve related battle of curiosity regulation violations associated to accepting ski journeys from the identical water meter producer and distributor.
The Fee is urging public workers to contact the Fee’s Authorized Division at 617-371-9500 totally free recommendation if they’ve any questions relating to how the battle of curiosity regulation could apply to them.
