Is Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust Bribing Gloucester Officials?

The video above is provided by the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors and the clip is used under the fair use act of the US.  In Gloucester's own Board of Supervisor's meeting, you will see Anne Ducey-Ortiz admitting that the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust provided food during meetings with Gloucester County Officials.  One of these officials is a member of the Board of Supervisors.  Seems innocent until you start to look at the rules and regulations that government officials must abide by to avoid even the appearance of  a potential bribe.  We went to one of our inside government contacts to get more information on this.  What we were told is that in the Federal Government, a gift of up to $20.00, one time, is acceptable, but even something as simple as on going taking of a free cup of coffee is considered to be a bribe by the Federal Government.

  In other words, a one time meeting between Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust and Gloucester County Government Officials could have food as long as the amount was kept below or at the top level of $20.00 per person.  More than one time on accepting food during a private concern meeting under federal regulations and the officials would now be under investigation for accepting bribes if they were federal employees.  We do not know what state law says on this at this time but we are going to look into it.

  We are not saying that bribes have taken place, but we are saying that it looks like bribes may have actually taken place and requires further investigation.  Another question that needs to be asked is why is a private concern such as the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust so tied up with Gloucester County Government and why is Gloucester County Government so tied up with a private concern?

  Which we still have another question.  What is a Gloucester County Official, employed by the county, doing on the board of a private concern as the Gloucester Main Street Association?  This is a very clear conflict of interest.

Note the name on meet the board above from the Gloucester Main Street Association, Hilton Snowdon.

Now note the same name from the Gloucester County Government Site, Hilton Snowdon as the Tourism Director.  Clear conflict of interest.  But then again, these are the same people that have consistently shown violations to the public trust by allowing numerous other conflicts of interest to continue to exist throughout the county such as Animal Control Officer Jeff Stilman's Pet Cremation business, Carl Shipley's Carpet cleaning business and another Animal Control Officer's Buy It Used Store that looks like a county used furniture outlet store.


NOW FOR BREAKING NEWS!  While we were putting this altogether, we just found a major conflict of interest.  Louise Theberge is on the board of the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust.  This screen capture proves it.

Under other board members, Louise Theberge, Chair of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors is listed as a member of the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust.  A serious conflict of interest.  No wonder the county lets others get away with all these other violations.  

  So what we really have uncovered here is two non profit organizations, the Gloucester Main Street Association and the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust has successfully infiltrated the Gloucester County Government and become a secret government that private business or citizens have no chance of winning against.  These two private non profit organizations fall under the Cook Foundation also located in the Main Street Village located at the old Coke Building.  

  Now for the final question of why the Gloucester Main Street Village has been expanded beyond the original 2010 Frazier plan that was only covering the Gloucester Main Street area businesses.  The answer as to why it was expanded is very simple.  The statistics under the Frazier plan most likely did not support business investment into the Gloucester Main Street Village as it then stood.  It could not support it now.  In order to inflate the statistics to show that the concept could be sold, the big box retailers had to be incorporated to get the proper numbers.  Without those numbers a reasonable business person would not look the other way, they would run the other way as fast as they could all the while laughing at such an absurd presentation.

  One can easily see by spending a day counting foot traffic in the Gloucester Main Street Business District, that there are not enough people to support a new business unless that business was very unique and special and could attract business no matter where it went.

This is your tax dollars being used against you in the most foul violations to the public trust we have seen to date.

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Gloucester, VA Local Government Employment Policy Violations?

Section 3-14 of the Gloucester County Employment Policies states as follows;  A position with Gloucester County is considered to be the employee's primary occupation.  Employees may not engage in other employment which presents a conflict of interest with their county position and/or which interferes with and detracts from the efficient and effective performance of their duties with the county.

  Really!  Is this just hogwash statements that are posted on the county web site for compliance purposes only, or an elite system, that only applies to certain individuals but not others?  Let's once again visit complaints we have made on this site for some time now.  Jeff Stillman of Gloucester Animal Control owns a pet cremation business.  This has all the earmarks of being a second job that would be in direct violation to the above stated policy.  Here is a question we have to ask to see if Gloucester County itself is in compliance with their own policies.

  Has Jeff Stillman signed any kind of waiver with the county that states that he will not discuss any aspect of his other business regarding his pet cremation business during the course of his job?  That means even mentioning such would be a violation to his employment with the county.  The reverse would also be true.  He would not be allowed to discuss his county position during any course of his work with the pet cremation business.  This also means that others in Animal Control are also prevented from discussing Jeff Stillman's pet cremation business.

  Has Jeff managed to gain business for his pet cremation business because of his position with Animal Control?  Is Jeff using his position with Animal Control to gain business for his own personal gain?  Is Jeff getting taxpayer supported payments for work sent to him because of his position with Animal Control?  Jeff can not even be seen in his pet cremation business wearing his animal control uniform if we are to make certain that there is no conflict of interest.

  That is just one case.  Let's now look at Carl (Chuck) Shipley, head of Animal Control for Gloucester County.   Carl Shipley is the owner of Chuck's carpet cleaning.  http://www.chuckscarpetcleaning.com/Pages/default.aspx  Here is the link to his business web site.  In an earlier post we pointed out that Chuck's carpet cleaning operated during hours that Chuck, aka Carl is supposed to be working for Animal Control.  This conflict has been removed from the site.  Has Carl used his position with the county to get contracts?  Again, is there some form of waiver that Carl had to sign that prevents him from discussing his outside business during the course of his job as well as the reverse that prevents him from discussing his county job during the course of his side business?  This also means that Carl can not take calls while he is under county employment, during the course of his work, from any employee or customer even asking a simple question under Chuck's carpet cleaning.



  This is a two sided compliance issue.  It is the job of both the employees to make sure that they are always 100% compliant as well as county officials to make sure that their staff is in 100% compliance.  Is the county in compliance here?  What assurances do the citizens of Gloucester County have that compliance is being maintained?  Can the county afford a violation to the public trust?  Signing waivers now would only show a conflict of interest has existed.  These waivers needed to be signed at the time these businesses were started.  Also, was county approval gained before either one of them started their businesses?  Is there evidence of this?  Can the county actually assure us that no conflicts of interest exists with either one of these businesses?

  We did not make the county policy here.  We are just asking if the county can assure us that they are following their own rules.  If these two businesses owned by Animal Control Officers do not present a conflict of interest, what does?  Or do elitist policies dictate instead?

For all the latest news, please click on the Home button towards the top of this site.

Have a news story? Submit it above.

Some of Gloucester's most incredible history is found on this site in detail.

Gloucester, VA Links and News – A GVLN Website.

We cover what no one else will.

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