MAYOR SAYS CITY ACTED PROPERLY IN AWARDING CONTRACT TO SENATOR
In a presentation to the City Council last Monday night, Mayor Kant presented the chronology of events occurring after a state of emergency was declared by Governor Riley on April 30th of last year-- that eventually led to the council awarding (on Jun. 4th) an oil-protection boom contract to a company owned by Montrose resident and State Senator Tripp Pittman (Pittman Tractor Inc.).
Kant: "I'm not taking up for or against whether the Senator did anything wrong . . . we did what was correct . . . followed the laws of Alabama."
Kant said the reason one May 8th letter (cited as suspicious) was not on city stationary is due to it being drawn up hastily on a Saturday morning by a county-employed secretary in Bay Minette.
CITY ATTORNEYS AGREE
City Attorney Marion Wynne: "What was done by the Council on June 4th was all appropriate and proper . . . went above and beyond legal requirements . . . took bids from other vendors . . . everything's in order."
Planning Dept. Attorney Christopher Gill agreed.
PITMAN DECLINES COMMENT
In an e-mail to the Times, Senator Pittman declined to comment at this time:
The ethics complaint has been filed with the Alabama Ethics Commission.
I will respond at the appropriate time.
Trip
COMPLAINT FILED BY A MONTROSE RESIDENT
Claiming irregularities in the bid-award process, Montrose area resident Paul Ripp filed the initial complaint with the Alabama Ethics Commission.
Federal authorities may also be looking into the allegations, according to informed sources.
In a presentation to the City Council last Monday night, Mayor Kant presented the chronology of events occurring after a state of emergency was declared by Governor Riley on April 30th of last year-- that eventually led to the council awarding (on Jun. 4th) an oil-protection boom contract to a company owned by Montrose resident and State Senator Tripp Pittman (Pittman Tractor Inc.).
Kant: "I'm not taking up for or against whether the Senator did anything wrong . . . we did what was correct . . . followed the laws of Alabama."
CITY ATTORNEYS AGREE
City Attorney Marion Wynne: "What was done by the Council on June 4th was all appropriate and proper . . . went above and beyond legal requirements . . . took bids from other vendors . . . everything's in order."
Planning Dept. Attorney Christopher Gill agreed.
PITMAN DECLINES COMMENT
In an e-mail to the Times, Senator Pittman declined to comment at this time:
The ethics complaint has been filed with the Alabama Ethics Commission.
I will respond at the appropriate time.
Trip
COMPLAINT FILED BY A MONTROSE RESIDENT
Claiming irregularities in the bid-award process, Montrose area resident Paul Ripp filed the initial complaint with the Alabama Ethics Commission.
Federal authorities may also be looking into the allegations, according to informed sources.
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