Link to February 9 Cedar Rapids Gazette article, "Former Gazette employee on library board brings up ethics concerns".Excerpt: A former Gazette employee who sits on the library board said Tuesday she should have abstained from the vote on where to build the new Cedar Rapids Public Library.
Phyllis Fleming, a 45-year employee who retired as the newspaper’s assistant managing editor in 2002, said she had a conflict of interest. She was working as a paid consultant for Gazette Communications, conducting a two-week accuracy audit of The Gazette and GazetteOnline at the time of the vote. She completed the project on Tuesday.
Later Tuesday, the library board met with the Cedar Rapids Board of Ethics Rules and Procedures, and Fleming explained the situation. She declined to comment on the telephone last night.
The volunteer library board has come under some criticism for choosing The Gazette site as the location for a new library because two library board members are former Gazette employees — Fleming and Hilery Livengood, who was an online editor from 1995 to 1999.
Related article
Cedar Rapids Library Board to Recommend Site for New Library. (01/26/2010)
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