Ada County Commission Welcomes Inquiry Into Dynamis Contract
Posted on 07-10-2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2012 |
Contact: Rich Wright
Director, Dept. of Administration
208-287-7123
|
Ada County Commission Welcomes Inquiry Into Dynamis Contract
(Boise, ID) – This week, Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Hiedeman is expected to announce he is opening an inquiry into actions taken by the Board of Ada County Commissioners with regard to an agreement with Dynamis Energy – the company that proposes building a trash-to-energy plant at the Ada County Hidden Hollow Landfill. “We sincerely welcome the inquiry,” said Ada County Commission Chairman Rick Yzaguirre. “All activities surrounding the Dynamis contract were conducted within the strict confines of the law and we look at this inquiry as a way to once and for all put an end to false allegations that critics of the project have spread throughout our communities.”
The group calling itself “Citizens for a Safe Environment and a Transparent Government” requested Ada County Prosecutor Greg Bower look into the matter. The group primarily alleges meetings Commissioners held prior to entering into an agreement with Dynamis violated Idaho’s Open Meeting Law. Given the potential conflict of interest, Prosecutor Bower approached Bannock County’s Prosecutor about addressing the group’s allegations with a formal inquiry into the matter. “I first approached my colleagues at the Idaho Attorney General’s Office who declined to handle the matter due to an internal conflict of interest. Realizing the statute of limitations may have expired on many of the allegations contained within the citizen complaint, I then approached Bannock County Prosecutor Mark Hiedeman who agreed to conduct the inquiry. I have full faith that he and his team will produce a thorough report that addresses the allegations at hand,” said Ada County Prosecuting Attorney Greg Bower.
Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman said, “The controversy surrounding this issue has become extremely political, and allegations are being fueled by a former Ada County employee and a vendor who was not hired by Dynamis to perform work on the proposed project. I welcome the inquiry from the Bannock County Prosecutor just as I would welcome a formal investigation from the Idaho Attorney General because I am confident that everything has been done by the book.”
The Board of Commissioners expects to hear from the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office sometime this week. They have indicated Prosecutor Heideman will be given full access to all materials and personnel and they hope the inquiry can be expedited in such a way that these false allegations can be put to rest as soon as possible.