County facilities chief Barrett says he’s victim

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2001 | 11:18 a.m.

In the last month, Clark County facilities manager Bill Barrett has become the focus of a federal Environmental Protection Agency investigation and the subject of a state Ethics Commission probe.

But Barrett claims he is nothing more than a victim.

In perhaps a last-ditch effort to save his job, Barrett told Clark County commissioners Tuesday that a board member and top administrators have retaliated against him, and he fears they might conspire to have him fired.

"I am coming forward today to go on record," he told the board during their public comment session. "I have been singled out and have been the subject of retaliatory acts by an individual member of the commission.

"Equally important, the retaliation has been initiated and supported by senior management at Clark County."

Barrett became the subject of an ethics investigation last week after an ethics review panel learned of Barrett's involvement in political campaigns while it was reading a complaint against Commissioner Erin Kenny.

The complaint says Kenny talked about Barrett working for Commissioner Mary Kincaid on county time using county equipment.

Barrett's involvement in Kincaid's races are well documented. County records show he was admonished last summer after being video-taped getting into his county vehicle wearing a Kincaid T-shirt. He received two additional warnings after Kincaid posters were found in facilities buildings.

Barrett met with Assistant County Manager Mike Alastuey after the ethics panel announced its decision last week, and Barrett's fate was reportedly discussed. The meeting prompted a letter from Barrett's attorney, Richard Segerblom.

"(Campaigning) was done on his own time and did not violate any county rule or regulation," Segerblom wrote. "Nevertheless it appears that he is being terminated because of his political activity..."

On Tuesday Barrett said he has "information for the greater public good," but suggested that because of Kenny's comments in the ethics complaint and his meeting with Alastuey, he was fearful of coming forward.

"I am in fear these same people are using these circumstances to publicly stigmatize me, punish me or even worse, terminate me," Barrett said.

Barrett asked to exercise his rights to whistle-blower protection, and Kincaid asked county counselor Mary-Anne Miller how he would go about filing for protection.

After the meeting, however, Miller said Barrett is exempt from protection. Employees in his position are held to a higher standard and are expected to come forward with knowledge of wrongdoing.

"We'll wait to see what he files to make sure we're not too hasty," Miller said. "We'll see if the state provision might come into play."

Barrett also was irked the county released his personnel records to the media last week.

While Barrett argued the county's action violated state law, county attorneys said the records were released because of the unusual number of misconduct cases involving Barrett and the level of public interest.

Other than the alleged campaigning violations, Barrett was punished in 1996 for ordering $120,000 in renovations at a Metro Police substation without approval. County sources said it was Kincaid who spared Barrett his job.

Barrett's division also is the focus of an EPA investigation into the mishandling of refrigerant.

The federal agency began its probe after an internal audit cited shoddy record-keeping in the department.

The county could potentially be fined as much as $25,000 a day for the last two years if the EPA determines it was willfully neglectful in its record-keeping practices.