MONROE - The City of Monroe Board of Ethics found no ethics violations in hiring Badger State Fire & Safety Equipment, owned and operated by two city employees, as long as the men have no decision-making authority for the work they do.
Badger State Fire & Safety is owned and operated by Tony Anglin and Eric Wild, volunteer firefighters for the City of Monroe Fire Department. Wild also works for the city's Street Department.
The company has about 60 accounts. The men would like their company to be hired for the city's annual fire extinguisher inspections, and refilling and replacing extinguishers as needed.
The city is using a Dubuque, Iowa, company for inspections of its 300 fire extinguishers, but there are concerns about the quality of work since the company changed hands.
"There has been a significant increase in fire extinguisher violations since (the original owner) retired," Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said. "From 2002 to 2005, I could count on one hand the number of violations. That's not the case anymore."
Public Works Director Kelly Finkenbinder brought the potential conflict of interest with Anglin's and Wild's company to the board before the city goes out for quotes.
The main issue is whether Anglin and Wild could use their positions with the city to gain an advantage over other companies vying for the same job, and whether their city positions had influence on city decisions.
Board members asked Finkenbinder and Rausch what effect the hiring would have on their relationships with Anglin and Wild.
"(Whether I'm) Fire Chief or a customer, they're still going to want to do what they're told," Rausch said.
Finkenbinder said he had no supervisory control in the Fire Department, and had no direct or supervisory control over Wild. Tom Boll is the Street Department director.
Badger State Fire & Safety is owned and operated by Tony Anglin and Eric Wild, volunteer firefighters for the City of Monroe Fire Department. Wild also works for the city's Street Department.
The company has about 60 accounts. The men would like their company to be hired for the city's annual fire extinguisher inspections, and refilling and replacing extinguishers as needed.
The city is using a Dubuque, Iowa, company for inspections of its 300 fire extinguishers, but there are concerns about the quality of work since the company changed hands.
"There has been a significant increase in fire extinguisher violations since (the original owner) retired," Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said. "From 2002 to 2005, I could count on one hand the number of violations. That's not the case anymore."
Public Works Director Kelly Finkenbinder brought the potential conflict of interest with Anglin's and Wild's company to the board before the city goes out for quotes.
The main issue is whether Anglin and Wild could use their positions with the city to gain an advantage over other companies vying for the same job, and whether their city positions had influence on city decisions.
Board members asked Finkenbinder and Rausch what effect the hiring would have on their relationships with Anglin and Wild.
"(Whether I'm) Fire Chief or a customer, they're still going to want to do what they're told," Rausch said.
Finkenbinder said he had no supervisory control in the Fire Department, and had no direct or supervisory control over Wild. Tom Boll is the Street Department director.