Another local water employee is facing a $6,000 fine from the state after accepting free ski trips from a water meter manufacturer and distributor.
The Massachusetts State Ethics Commission has ruled that Auburn Water District Foreman Scott Callahan violated the state’s conflict of interest law by accepting two free ski trips from the manufacturer and its distributor.
Callahan was ordered to pay civil penalties totaling $6,000 for the violations.
This is the latest in a recent string of State Ethics Commission’s fines against employees of water districts and public works departments who accepted ski trips, meals or entertainment from water meter vendors.
“The conflict of interest law prohibits public employees from receiving anything worth $50 or more given to them for or because of their official positions,” the Commission stated. “Callahan violated this prohibition by accepting the free ski trips from the water meter manufacturer and distributor. The Commission imposed a $3,000 penalty for Callahan’s acceptance of each of the two trips.”
Callahan as the Auburn water district foreman purchased, installed, and maintained water meters within the local district.
The Auburn Water District uses a brand of water meter throughout its service area made by an Alabama-based manufacturer and sourced through the manufacturer’s only authorized New England distributor.
Callahan accepted invitations from the water meter distributor and manufacturer to go on multi-day ski trips to Sugarloaf, Maine, in 2018 and then Stowe, Vermont, in 2019.
The distributor or manufacturer paid for Callahan’s lodging for both trips. The trips were given to Callahan due to his position as the Auburn water district foreman.
“Acceptance by municipal employees of gifts of substantial value from outside sources with whom they do business erodes public trust, and Callahan, who reasonably should have been aware of this after decades of public service, accepted such gifts not once but twice,” the State Ethics Commission wrote in its ruling.
Callahan has 30 days to file an appeal for the fine in Superior Court.
Last year, current or former employees of Danvers, Franklin, Natick, Newburyport, Salem, Southampton and the Sudbury Water District signed disposition agreements and paid civil penalties to resolve similar conflict of interest law violations related to accepting ski trips from the same water meter manufacturer and distributor.
The Commission is urging public employees to contact the Commission’s Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice if they have any questions regarding how the conflict of interest law may apply to them.