By Kathryn Reed

South Lake Tahoe City Councilman Bruce Grego will be the topic of a special meeting this month to ferret out the details, ethics and legalities of him being reimbursed nearly $1,000 for an attorney to do 3.5 hours of personal work.

Grego contends the work is in the interest of taxpayers because it goes to the heart of him being able to do his job, which is to vote on issues regarding the would-be convention center that is merely concrete and rebar at this point. He says getting the stalled Stateline area project moving is why he ran for office in 2008.

Bruce Grego

At the April 6 council meeting his colleagues agreed to have a special meeting. A date has not been set, but April 15 is being looked at.

“I will reserve my comments for the special meeting,” Grego said Tuesday.

For more details about the issue, click here.

Usually council members have the city attorney seek the opinion from the Fair Political Practices Commission as to whether a conflict exists.

The FPPC decision essentially lets Grego and the city decide if a conflict exists. Grego for more than 10 years has represented the Lakeside Park Association. This nonprofit water district or South Tahoe Public Utility District could be the water district for the project.

“… Councilmember Grego will have to consider whether it is reasonably foreseeable that decisions about the Chateau project would affect his personal finances by resulting in increased or decreased income from legal work from Lakeside Park Association of $250 or more in a 12-month period. Because the Commission does not act as a finder of fact in providing advice, the foreseeability of a particular financial effect is a determination that must be left, in most instances, to the informed judgment of the public official,” the FPPC wrote.

The Fair Political Practices Commission’s ruling is dated June 4, 2009. It is addressed to former City Attorney Catherine DiCamillo and not Dennis Crabb, the attorney Grego hired to write the letter on his behalf.

Also at the special meeting will be a discussion on the city budget because expenses are exceeding revenues.