Tim Willert
A $224,000 contract awarded to a business owned by Councilman
Frank Quintero has at least one of his colleagues claiming conflict
of interest.
Quintero is the founder and director of Alliance for Education, a
vocational training and job placement organization that serves
Burbank, Glendale, La Canada Flintridge and Los Angeles.
Last month, the organization received $224,382 in funding from the
Verdugo Workplace Investment Board.
The board, created by a joint powers agreement between the cities
of Burbank, Glendale and La Canada Flintridge, provides employment
and job training services. As part of the agreement, city employees,
including City Manager Jim Starbird and Community Development and
Housing Director Madalyn Blake, are responsible for administering
contracts approved by the board.
Last week, Councilman Dave Weaver requested a copy of the
contract, which he called questionable.
"I've never heard of a councilman doing business with the city
while in office," Weaver said Wednesday. "To me, it means a conflict
of interest."
The state's top lawyer, however, sees it differently.
In an opinion issued May 1, Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer's office
concluded Quintero may continue to contract with the investment board
because the City Council "does not review, consider, approve,
administer or monitor" the performance of any board contract."
"The City Council does not attempt to influence the board in any
way ... " the opinion states. "We reject the suggestion that because
the Glendale city manager actually executes the contracts, the
contracts are 'made' by the Glendale City Council."
The opinion was requested in October by Assemblyman Dario Frommer
(D-Glendale) on Quintero's behalf.
Quintero was candidate for City Council at the time of the
request, and had previously contracted with the board to provide
services.
"As far as I'm concerned, there was never a conflict," Quintero
said Wednesday. "However, political opponents kept raising that
issue, so I felt we should get a decision from the attorney general."
When reached Wednesday, Councilman Gus Gomez declined comment on
the contract.
Neither Mayor Rafi Manoukian nor Councilman Bob Yousefian could be
reached for comment Friday.
