AUBURN — There was no conflict of interest when a property owned by a City Councilor was approved for a facade improvement program, according to an opinion from the city attorney.
Community Development Director Reine Mynahan said Monday that City Councilor Leroy Walker was approved for a $10,000 Curb Appeal grant, part of the slate of downtown development programs the city offers through its Community Development Block Grant program.
The Curb Appeal program is targeted at downtown areas, in New Auburn and the Union Street neighborhoods.
It’s a competitive program, with applications scored on where they are located, how much private money is being invested and what neighbors are doing. Winning proposals can get up to $10,000 toward exterior design work, priming and painting and repairs to roofs, windows, doors and other exterior features.
Walker said he applied for the grant on behalf of the All About You hair salon in the building he owns at 41 Broad St.
“The owner wants to change all the windows and all that,” Walker said. “I told her to apply for the grant; if we can get it, we’ll get it.”
Mynahan said that federal Housing and Urban Development rules associated with the block grant program require officials to make any potential conflicts of interest public. Those would involve any situations where city officials receive block grant money.
But Mynahan said the decisions about the Curb Appeal program are made by a committee. Although Walker was one of the councilors that voted on the program, he had no say in how the money was distributed.
“So HUD does allow an exception,” Mynahan said.
A letter from City Attorney Dan Stockford agreed. The letter said that, based on his reading of federal and state law and local ordinances, “In this case, the City Council has no role in considering or approving grants for the Curb Appeal Program, and thus a member of the City Council would have no opportunity to act in an official capacity with respect to approval of such a grant.”
Councilors will formally review the matter at their next meeting.
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