Human Services director for Indio Dave Ison says, “I can assure you no one is buying anything for themselves on the city dime.” / Xochitl Peña, The Desert Sun
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While Indio City Manager Glenn Southard has declined to answer questions regarding the city's use of credit cards by more than 60 employees, one city department director did.
But shortly after the interview on Wednesday, Human Services Manager Dave Ison tried to recant his statements — saying Southard didn't want city employees to comment on this story.
In the 45-minute interview, Ison defended the credit card practice as a necessary part of doing business.
“That's the way the world works,” said Ison, who oversees the teen and senior centers.
Following are five examples of credit card expenditures Ison, a six-year employee of the city, and other department employees made over the past two years, and Ison's explanation for the purchases.
• Charges totaling $1,169.11 appear on February statements at restaurants including: $297.73 at PF Chang's in Rancho Mirage, $275.50 at Burgers & Beer and $282.50 at Ciro's.
Ison: He said he prefers to pick up the tab for any business lunch or dinner to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
“We don't want anyone to know we are beholden to them,” he said.
• Rosalva Campos, a teen center employee, charged $838.65 at BJ's Restaurant in San Bernardino on July 18 and $134.96 at Forever 21 clothing store on Oct. 14.
Ison: The restaurant expenditure was for teens and seniors who attended a play in Claremont together, part of the city's intergenerational initiative.
“At the end of the day they had a better appreciation for each other,” he said of the field trip.
Initially Ison said the clothing store purchase was related to a program that was providing a male teen with clothes for a job interview.
Once he learned the store sold only women's clothes he said he did not know why the purchase was made, adding that no employees are making purchases for themselves.
• Charges for $250 and $1,769.86 at the La Quinta Cliffhouse restaurant on July 10, 2008.
Ison: The dinner is an annual event for current and former Youth Advisory Council members. The event was not held in 2009 because of budget concerns, he said.
The event promotes higher education and provides an opportunity for youth to reflect on their YAC experiences.
“We think it was money well spent to get kids to go to college.”
• Michael Moreland, human services supervisor for seniors, charged $733.32 at Medieval Times for dinner on Sept. 25.
Ison: “He took a busload of seniors there. He took probably 40 or 50 people there,” he said.
• In August, Ison, Mark Hodnick, Jim Smith and Jim Curtis drove to Ontario to catch a flight on Southwest Airlines — costing taxpayers $201.20 each — to Phoenix. Ison charged $899.24 at Payless Car Rental and they all stayed at the Arizona Grand Resort in rooms that each cost $263.16.
Other charges by Ison such as $70.67 at Gainey Ranch Golf Course and nearly $380 in food, brings the trip total to more than $3,200 not including parking, miscellaneous fees at Ontario International Airport or what was expensed by the city's travel reimbursement forms.
City policy allows employees to fly when the round-trip mileage exceeds 500 miles.
A round-trip drive from Indio to Phoenix is 495 miles, according to Mapquest.com
Ison: The trip was made to study aquatic centers. Indio plans to build its own aquatic center as part of a city sports complex.
The Phoenix resort offers golfing, a spa, and one of the Travel Channel's “Top 10” water parks in the country.
The group flew from Ontario because Smith, public works director, and Hodnick, facilities and construction manager, live in Riverside and Beaumont, respectively, Ison said. He and Curtis, a human services supervisor who oversees special events and the city golf course, live in the valley.
“(We) went over to look at aquatic facilities that are run by municipalities to see how they function,” he said. “Glenn (Southard) said if we build it, we need to know how it works.”
After sitting on the Ontario airport tarmac for several hours, Ison said it would have been quicker to drive to Phoenix.
“In hindsight I would have rather driven,” he said.
