Weekly quits 'green initiatives' post - News

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May. 28, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Weekly quits 'green initiatives' post

Commissioner: Avoiding appearance of conflict key

By ED VOGEL
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU

Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly resigned Tuesday from a federally funded position with the state to avoid the appearance of conflicting interests.
Photo by Samantha Clemens/Las Vegas Review-Journal

CARSON CITY -- Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly resigned from a $48,000-a-year part-time job as the state "green initiatives" outreach coordinator for Southern Nevada, legislators were told Wednesday.

Weekly resigned Tuesday at the advice of his lawyer less than three weeks after taking the state job through the Manpower temporary employment agency.

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Weekly said he quit to defuse any concerns that he, an elected county leader, had conflicting interests. He has received a $1,866 check, with funds coming from a federal work investment program.

"I just want to step back and not have any appearances of conflicts," Weekly said.

He mistakenly thought the job paid $60,000 a year but learned that $12,000 goes to Manpower as a hiring fee, he said.

Weekly said that although he has seen other elected officials take state jobs, he was unsure about accepting the offer. He asked the Clark County district attorney's office for an opinion and was initially told that based on his role, there was no conflict.

The job entailed meeting with residents and telling them how they might get their homes weatherized, said Weekly, describing it as a "minimal kind of position" to which he could devote about 12 hours a week.

None of the work he was responsible for would come before the Clark County Commission, so it seemed free of conflicts, he added.

Then Deputy District Attorney Rob Warhola told him that the job might appear to conflict with his membership on a regional work force investment board because both received funding through the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, Weekly said.

The job Weekly was hired to fill is unrelated to a "green jobs" bill from Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, said Larry Mosley, director of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Under Horsford's SB152 now pending in the Legislature, unemployed workers would be trained for jobs on solar, wind and other renewable energy projects.

Mosley told the Assembly Ways and Means Committee that for the last year, he also has been setting up training to assist the unemployed in acquiring renewable energy jobs.

While Weekly has no background in renewable energy, Mosley said, he fit the criteria for the job: being able to work with business leaders in Las Vegas and reach out to jobless blacks in West Las Vegas.

"Who has a background in green energy?" asked Mosley, who, like Weekly, is black. "I was not looking at it from a political practicality. I needed someone immediately."

Because of the high unemployment rate in historically black West Las Vegas, mainly bordered by Carey Avenue, Bonanza Road, Interstate 15 and Rancho Drive, Mosley said it was important to have someone who could "knock on doors in the community that typically does not see faces other than their own."

He added the employment program being created is done in conjunction with other state agencies and with the approval of the Gibbons' administration.

Daniel Burns, spokesman for Gov. Jim Gibbons, said he was "absolutely certain" that Gibbons knew nothing about Weekly's hiring, although Burns praised Weekly.

Mosley said he hired Weekly through Manpower because it was quicker and cheaper for the state in the long run. He added he will have to find someone else quickly to perform the work, as well as a green initiatives coordinator in Reno.

Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, raised questions Tuesday about Weekly's hiring. She has a bill that awaits Gibbons' signature that would limit the use of contracts to hire state employees.

Smith said Wednesday it is disturbing that the state would pay $12,000 to Manpower to hire Weekly when he could have been hired through the state personnel system.

"Why pay a $12,000 fee to hire Lawrence Weekly if we can do it ourselves?" Smith asked.

Review-Journal writer Scott Wyland contributed to this report. Contact Capital Bureau reporter Ed Vogel at evogel@ reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. J Small wrote on May 31, 2009 05:22 PM: It's all one big circle. The Workforce Investment Board is manaaged through DETR. Lawrence Weekly is on the board. Nevada Partners is a Service Provider and Senator Horsford is NV Partners President. The Culinary Training School that Sen. Horsford works for has students paid for by DETR. See the circle. Take a look at So.Nev. Workforce Investment Board's web site and read the job description for the Program Manager-Green Economy Workforce(posted 5/11). Sounds like Weekly's job. I agree, there are so many things wrong with this entire matter. Elected officials and appointed Directors should operate with complete transparency. Lastly, what's wrong with the D.A.'s office, can't they get anything right? Switalla wrote on May 28, 2009 04:14 PM: back at you, So what. back at you wrote on May 28, 2009 02:49 PM: Swaitalla, I am not by any means defending Larry Weekly, because it is clear that this job was a political appointment to a friend, and that Larry Weekly would not do any work for pay. In fact, why not ask for the work records for the one-month payment he received to find out the truth. The truth in this matter is that Larry Weekly is just not a very smart person. What I do not like about your comments was “another corrupt BLACK politician”. If my memory is correct William Robinson was and has not been charged with any wrongdoing and George Knapp is not the best source for having his facts correct. In fact, George Knapp is a political attack dog used to take down political enemies for his political friends and his sources. The only corrupt politicians sent to jail were all white and one Hispanic, if I am not correct. So to label “blacks as corrupt” is unfair not justified and down right wrong and incorrect. Again, I believe Larry Weekly is not suited for the position of County Commission for a number of other reasons. Your comment “another corrupt BLACK politician” is baseless down right racist. Rodman wrote on May 28, 2009 01:05 PM: Stacie, I agree with your thought. I rate this green kick right up there with the metric system that was going to change mathematics for all school kids but instead only caused anger and confusion. Place the greenies right there next to the metrics and they can be societys next great failure, just ask Weekly. Switalla wrote on May 28, 2009 11:25 AM: Weekly: Another corrupt BLACK politician Joe Bama wrote on May 28, 2009 11:02 AM: Wait until this "green" scam gets up to full speed it will cause the old CETA shovel leaners to weep with envy. Ann wrote on May 28, 2009 10:41 AM: This story is so wrong on so many levels. I am surprise there is not more outrage! $60,000 or $48,000 to work 12 hours a week! Was that really in the job description. $ 12000 to Manpower for this placement-How detached are Mosley and Weekly? This is an embarrassment! HATCH ACT wrote on May 28, 2009 10:23 AM: If these were federal funds how could they be used to hire an elected officials? what happen to the HATCH ACT, federal funds and an elected officials don't mix? Weak-ly wrote on May 28, 2009 08:55 AM: Maybe Weekly will get $100,000 year job with ACORN now. tell us more wrote on May 28, 2009 08:39 AM: They should be truthful about this hire, the reason Manpower was used to hire Weekly, they were hoping that Weekly's name would not be know. They used the third party to hide the fact that Weekly a county commissioner was being paid to do nothing. I am not convenience that Larry Weekly would knock on doors to inform the community about homes weatherized programs. Sorry, I do not buy it. Why not send notices to each household as a communication about the various programs it would be a lot cheaper. Then we have Larry Weekly paid over $4000 per month to only work 12 hours for a "minimal kind of position" or does he mean a “token” position. If this were the case, why not hire several college students over the summer to do this work. Let us face it; this was a no work contract for a political friend. There is a lot missing about this story and it does not add up. Why was Manpower told to hire Larry Weekly? Why would Manpower hire a political appointee? Why Larry Weekly was told he would receive a salary of $60,000 for a "minimal work responsibilities"? Why would the DA's office tell Weekly yes he could accept the job then 3 weeks later after it became a news story tells Weekly it was a conflict and he should not accept the job? The legislature and the Governor are failing us, by not maintaining a watchful eye over taxpayer’s dollars, during this period of financial hardship. There is more to this story, maybe we can find out the truth with some good reporter continuing to ask more questions. Read All Comments