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Council clarifies communications with Town engineer and attorney after conflict-of-interest concerns
Summary
Administrator Aitken told the Council that communications with Town Engineer Ryan Welling and Town Attorney Kevin Voyles should be routed through the Mayor and Administrator; resident Marty Aroian raised potential conflict-of-interest concerns if consultants perform private work for entities also doing Town business.
Administrator Aitken opened the work session by clarifying office communication protocols: he said Town Engineer Ryan Welling (Forsgren Associates, Inc.) will not accept calls from council members or the public and that communication should be routed through the Mayor and the Town Administrator. Aitken said Town Attorney Kevin Voyles likewise will only take calls from the Mayor and Administrator, except in cases of sexual harassment or fraud where any individual may contact the attorney directly.
Resident Marty Aroian raised concerns that if a private entity doing work for the Town also engaged the Town Engineer for private work, it could constitute a conflict of interest. The Mayor responded that it would be incumbent on the engineer or attorney to advise both the Town and the other entity of any potential conflicts.
The Council did not adopt a new formal policy during the work session; members discussed the need for transparency and suggested that staff ensure consultants disclose potential conflicts promptly so the Town can assess and mitigate any issues.
