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Report finds DeBenedetti misused phone Labels county building department records �loosey goosey� By Dani Dodge Pat DeBenedetti used the county�s phone and pager for his private consulting business while on county time, state investigators concluded in a report. But investigators for the state Government Standards and Practices Commission couldn�t prove whether DeBenedetti, a former county building official, actually inspected private jobs while on county time. The county didn�t keep good enough records to definitively determine a violation, said Pat Hearn, executive director of the commission. Hearn called the Jackson County building department�s record-keeping "loosey goosey." DeBenedetti took a couple hours of comp time every week or two without keeping written records. The investigators report will go to a full meeting of the commission on Friday. The commission will make the final determination on whether DeBenedetti will be found guilty of violations. He faces fines of up to $1,000 on each violation, and more if the commission determines he gained financially. DeBenedetti declined to comment Monday. The commission also is investigating former building official Dale Bohannan, but have not yet completed that report. County Commissioner Ric Holt said the county has not yet received the report on DeBenedetti. But he said he doesn�t think "there are any really big things" in the report. This is the second time that county employees have come under fire by the state�s ethics commission. Last year, the commission ruled that the airport director had used his position for personal gain twice and also gave a minor reprimand to an airport manager for storing a boat in an airport hangar. Carl Worden, a financial consultant and liaison officer with the Southern Oregon Militia, filed the complaints against the airport and the building department. "It�s ridiculous we have to bring these issues to the state every time because we can�t count on the local people to do something about it," Worden said. "I feel like we are running to someone�s parents all the time because the children aren�t playing nice." But County Administrator Sue Slack said that the county did address some of the issues in the building department. When she heard complaints last summer about the three building inspectors working on private contracts during county time, she had all three sign an agreement giving them set work hours. "I haven�t had any complaints about working for other employers on county time since that time," Slack said. All three building inspectors left the county this winter to pursue private inspection contracts. Bohannan and DeBenedetti now work for Clair Co., a corporation the county contracts with to do inspections. While he worked for the county, DeBenedetti had private inspection contracts with the cities of Rogue River and Phoenix. The investigation concluded that "DeBenedetti performed work for Rogue River at the same time he was working for the county." It said there wasn�t sufficient evidence to prove he did work for Phoenix on county time. The report also said DeBenedetti performed a building inspection in Rogue River while he had taken sick time from Jackson County. The actual violations cited in the report relate to long-distance phone calls placed over the last two and a half years. There were 684 calls to Rogue River from DeBenedetti�s county work phone. Investigators said it appeared 134 of those calls were personal, 148 were to the city of Rogue River and 82 to DeBenedetti�s home in Rogue River. The county�s cost appears to have been at least $55.85. DeBenedetti also allowed contractors in Phoenix and Rogue River to contact him with his county pager, the report concluded. Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.