May 12, 2017
Indiana

Planning commissioner discloses conflicts of interest

By Travis Weik | The Courier-Times | May 12, 2017 | www.thecouriertimes.com

The Henry County Commissioners accepted a conflict of interest disclosure statement Wednesday from county volunteer and planning commission member Olene Veach.

Veach filed the annual statement naming “Calpine Wind Turbine and/or any wind turbine company project in west part of Henry County.”

Annual disclosure statements are made when an individual has a potential ongoing financial interest connected with any contracts or purchases of the government entity that they serve on.

According to the document filed with the Henry County Clerk’s office, Veach had an email communication in 2015 with another county official regarding Calpine Wind Company and later received a draft contract.

“I reviewed a portion of its contents and then discarded this document,” Veach stated on the disclosure form. “I currently have no copy of any contract concerning this company or other related company in Henry County.”

Veach serves on the Henry County Planning Commission, on the ICAP Board of Directors and on the Henry County Community Corrections Board. The county commissioners appointed her to these positions.

Veach also serves as a volunteer educational coordinator and instructor at the Henry County Sheriff’s Department and is a volunteer coordinator for the ICAP A.R.I.E.S. group. She volunteers for activities with the probation department, court system and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Henry County.

Veach is also the volunteer co-chair of the Henry County Child Fair with New Castle-Henry County Public Library.

“No compensation for my time or mileage is received for my activities with any of these groups,” Veach said.

Veach said she also pays the cost of supplies for most of these activities out of her own pocket.

“Therefore … I am not an employee of the county and $0.00 have been received for any of the volunteer activities listed above,” she wrote.

Henry County Commissioners President Butch Baker explained the conflict of interest disclosure statement allows the county commissioners and the public to know that Veach has an affiliation with those listed county government organizations.

Baker said that whether or not Veach votes on future decisions regarding wind turbines in Henry County that come before the planning commission is for her and the planning commission’s attorney to decide, and noted the board of commissioners have no jurisdiction in such matters.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/05/12/planning-commissioner-discloses-conflicts-of-interest/