No such thing as a free lunch There is for arena authority

Source: The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.mini storageNov. 14--A luncheon cart of sandwiches and pasta salad was rolled into the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority meeting room Wednesday as the board met behind closed doors for an executive session.New authority member Alex Milanes didn't partake in the food, saying he does not believe meals should be provided to the 11 volunteer members appointed by county council to oversee the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township.Milanes also said he was initially told the meals were supplied by the contracted arena authority manager, which could violate a county home rule ethics code ban on gifts from any companies that do business with the county and its boards and authorities.Authority Chairwoman Donna Cupinski said after the meeting the meals are paid by the authority -- not SMG, the company contracted to manage the arena.Cupinski said authority members are aware of the county ethics code and are not violating it. The lunches cost around $1 per person and are provided because board members may have difficulty fitting lunch into their schedules due to monthly arena meetings scheduled at noon, she said.Bad example?But Milanes said the providing of meals sets a bad example. The group could meet at night or in the morning if the timing around meals is an issue, he said.Milanes said he's using vacation days at work so he is free to attend meetings and was aware of the time commitment when he applied to serve.Even if the meals are not provided by SMG, all authority spending should be for the arena, he said."I don't want anything for doing my job, not even a potato chip. I do this because I want to serve the people of Luzerne County as a civil servant," he said.Milanes said the public likely would be outraged if county council had food brought in during its meetings, and the arena authority is no different."Home rule was built upon a foundation of ending all handouts and perks. It's the principle of the thing. Let the public opinion decide if this is rightful or not," he sself storageid.The authority relies on 80 percent of the 5-percent county hotel tax to fund lingering arena construction costs and ongoing maintenance of the facility. The arena receives about $1.9 million in hotel tax revenue annually, and the remaining 20 percent of the tax proceeds fund county tourism.County officials have expressed an interest in obtaining some of the arena's hotel tax share to cover county recreation projects, but the commitment to provide the full 80 percent to arena capital debt was locked in legislation.County ethics codeThe ethics code applies to any member or employee of a county authority, board or commission and forbids any gifts or benefits, direct or indirect, from businesses having or seeking a financial relationship.County officials have taken an aggressive stance on the prohibition, hanging signs in government office buildings and senior centers as a reminder. Employees and officials have declined holiday gift baskets, meals, calendars, desk blotters, pens and temporary bus passes from outside parties.In other business Wednesday, the authority learned a $1.5 million arena roof replacement project designed to stop leaks is near completion.An authority committee is reviewing a proposal to pay Quad 3 Group $65,000 to design bid specifications for window repairs and other exterior work aimed at stopping remaining leaks. Board members requested the review to obtain a more detailed breakdown of services that will be covered for the payment.Another authority committee is reviewing options to continue improving the arena sound quality. Acoustics have been an issue because the building is cavernous, Cupinski said. A new soundboard, acoustic panels and additional speakers have made a difference and prompted praise from many arena-goers, and the board is studying the benefits of reconfiguring the placement of speakers, she said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) Visit The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) at .timesleader.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉