Sales pitch of mayor's wife alarms port board

Fears of a conflict arise on the peddling of new security technology since the mayor also sits on the board.

By CHRISTOPHER GOFFARD
© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 27, 2001

TAMPA -- Since Sept. 11 pushed security concerns to the forefront, the Port of Tampa has been deluged with sales pitches from companies peddling everything from surveillance cameras to retina-scanning devices.

Recently, port director George Williamson had a visit from an Orlando-based company called Leapfrog Smart Products Inc., which extolled its fingerprint-recognition technology as a way to monitor building checkpoints.

In the room to help make the pitch, along with Leapfrog's chief executive officer, was one of the company's consultants and shareholders: Dr. Linda McClintock-Greco.

McClintock-Greco is the wife of Tampa Mayor Dick Greco, who is on the port's five-member governing board, which would approve such purchases. McClintock-Greco said no sale was made, nor has Leapfrog even submitted a written proposal. But she said her husband would not vote on a contract if it came before the board.

"Since Dick sits on the board, he would declare a conflict of interest" and abstain from the vote, said McClintock-Greco. "Neither Dick nor I have ever used our influence improperly."

Even if Greco abstained, said port authority board member Dr. Joseph Diaz, "it would put me as a board member in an awkward position. It is the wife of the mayor who is a shareholder."

Board member Pat Frank echoed that assessment. "I'd have to look at it doubly carefully to make sure we're not skewing our thinking in favor of her," Frank said, but added McClintock-Greco has the right to sell her product. "I don't think I could say, "I could not allow you to compete because Dick's on the board.' "

McClintock-Greco, who works as a medical consultant for various companies, said she has worked for Leapfrog for four years. She said she helped develop the company's smart-card system of storing medical data, which is used at hospitals in Miami and Ocala. She said the company pays her in "sweat equity," shares and options. McClintock-Greco did not disclose how large a stake she has in the company and Leapfrog could not be reached for comment.

She said Leapfrog's fingerprint-recognition product would allow the port to guard checkpoints by comparing an entering employee's fingerprints to ones on an electronically encrypted file. "It's much cheaper than hiring extra guards," she said.

George Williamson, the port director, said Leapfrog suggested it would cost about $7,000 to install the technology at several entrances. "It's just something we're exploring," Williamson said, adding that a company based in Arlington, Va., pitched a similar product.

"This is not a huge issue for us," Williamson said. "Anybody and everybody who has some affiliation with the security business in ringing our phones off the hook and trying to sell us something."

Williamson said the port has more immediate security concerns, like the installation of security cameras. On Monday, he said, the port's new security chief started.

Neither Greco nor Leapfrog could be reached for comment.

-- Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Christopher Goffard can be reached at 813-226-3337 or goffard@sptimes.com.

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