The Denver Board of Ethics could set a special meeting soon to hash out advice to new parks director Allegra “Happy” Haynes about her plan to continue serving on the Denver Public Schools board.
The dual roles quickly are becoming a campaign issue for Haynes, the school board’s president. She is up for re-election to an at-large seat Nov. 3 against Robert Speth.
“They’re two of the largest organizations in Denver. And, as a citizen, I believe we need to have separate individuals in each of those roles,” Speth said. “They require a lot of community engagement to truly represent the citizens of Denver.”
Haynes says she’s prepared to serve in both positions. She plans to keep most work for the volunteer, unpaid school board to evenings or planned times.
“During the day, I’ll devote my work time to my role in Parks and Recreation,” Haynes said. When time conflicts arise, she added, “clearly my responsibility in those instances is attending to my job, and that’s true for other board members,” who often also work full-time jobs.
The ethics board previously has signed off on the same arrangement for a parks director, with conditions to avoid running afoul of the city Code of Ethics on matters involving DPS.
On Wednesday, ethics board members delayed a discussion on Haynes’ request for an advisory ethics opinion after a miscommunication resulted in her absence at the board’s monthly meeting. Speth attended as an observer.
Ethics board executive director Michael Henry said he took blame for failing to communicate the need for Haynes’ attendance. The next regular meeting won’t be until late October, he said, so a special session may be scheduled sooner.
When Mayor Michael Hancock appointed Haynes, a former City Council member, as the new executive director of Parks and Recreation last week, . She starts Monday.
Haynes says she has talked with DPS administrators and other board members about arrangements that might be needed when time commitments overlap.
She said she would fulfill a pledge to serve two full terms on the board if she wins re-election.
Two other Denver parks directors have faced a similar situation since 2001.
That’s when then-Mayor Wellington Webb appointed James Mejia, a DPS board member, as parks manager. In an advisory opinion, the ethics board said it was comfortable with Mejia’s efforts to distance himself from interacting with DPS as parks director, including delegating the negotiation of contracts and cooperative-use agreements for city parks.
The board also advised Mejia, in his school board role, to avoid direct or indirect involvement with any matter involving the parks department.
Starting in 2008, Kevin Patterson served in the same city and DPS positions concurrently under then-Mayor John Hickenlooper.
Jon Murray: 303-954-1405, jmurray@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JonMurray
