AUBURN – The city’s Ethics Panel is on hold for the third time in three months, this time to look for a replacement for Chairman Peter Garcia.

That means the panel’s review of City Councilor Kelly Matzen’s support of a Great Falls Plaza parking garage will have to wait until the City Council can appoint an alternate member.

Garcia recused himself from reviewing the Matzen vote to work on a campaign for a City Council seat, according to City Clerk Mary Lou Magno. Garcia could not be reached for comment Monday.

“He didn’t say whether he was just helping someone else’s campaign, or running one himself,” Magno said. “He just said he could not participate in this matter, and that it could represent a conflict.”

Garcia will remain on the panel but will not participate in the Matzen case.

He is the third member of the three-person board to step down since March, when the panel was asked to review Matzen’s vote. The law firm of Trafton and Matzen, in which Matzen is a partner, lists Pasquale Maiorino as an associate. Maiorino is also a partner of developer Tom Platz, who hopes to a build an office complex near the Great Falls Garage.

Matzen was one of five councilors who voted to borrow $5 million to build the garage. Councilors Bob Mennealy and Belinda Gerry challenged his vote and asked the panel to step in.

The panel met briefly on March 12. Member Earl Austin recused himself, citing his friendship with Matzen.

Councilors appointed Dennis Mailhot as an alternate member, but then full member Paul Martz stepped down. Martz also serves on the city’s Community Development Loan Review Commission. Ethics panel members are not allowed to serve on other city government boards.

According to city ordinances, the panel needs three members to meet. Currently, Garcia, Austin and Mailhot are the three permanent members. Alternate Howard Hynes and a new alternate will replace Garcia and Austin for the Matzen case.

The panel was established by city ordinance in 1994, but had never met until this year. Councilor Gerry called the delay sad.

“This is an important matter, but what if it had been very major?” Gerry asked. “If it had been the kind of thing that needed to be settled right away, we just couldn’t do it.”

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