The bond of trust between a city government and its residents is more easily lost than gained. That's why St. Petersburg officials should act promptly to firm up their moonlighting rules for city employees.
Questions about those policies arose when Times staff writer Carrie Johnson reported that a company owned by Phil Oropesa, the city's parking director, had offered to take over valet parking at the St. Petersburg Hilton. Parktek, Oropesa's company, would have kept 45 percent of the gross parking revenues. Appropriately, city officials made Oropesa withdraw the Hilton proposal once they were aware of it.
Such relationships create the potential for a conflict of interest. In Oropesa's case, he could be involved in regulatory or policy decisions that affect those with whom he also has a private business relationship. At the least, it's an uncomfortable position that both Oropesa and the city should avoid.
St. Petersburg has both a code of ethics and rules for outside employment, and Oropesa clearly violated the latter. City policy states that employees may not have a secondary job in their field "with entities that operate within the city limits of St. Petersburg." Oropesa did notify his supervisor in writing that he had an outside business, as required, but he also wrote that he would "not be soliciting any accounts or contracts within Pinellas County."
Oropesa has received high marks on his evaluations, but the situation raises another troubling question about his outside employment, and it applies not only to Oropesa but other moonlighting employees as well. Can workers devote enough time and effort to their city job if they have extensive outside business interests? Parktek's Web site says it is a "full service traffic and parking management company" that is registered to "bid for municipal and government contracts." That doesn't sound like a side interest.
The city Human Relations Department is looking into Oropesa's behavior as well as its policies on outside employment. It should also be sure it is fully informing employees of their obligations. The goal is clear. St. Petersburg residents should be assured that employees acting on the public's behalf are also acting in the public's best interest.
