PDF: Knowles evaluation forms
The personnel files of a county employee who worked on a private business while at his public job show an exemplary performance record since he began work for the county.
But the supervisor who wrote the positive evaluations had a potential conflict of interest.
Hamilton County Public Works employee Alan Knowles acknowledged last week that he used his county computer and e-mail account during work hours to help run his private nonprofit business, Dove Ministries Inc., which books Christian musical acts.
In personnel files released Tuesday to the Times Free Press, his supervisor, Public Works Administrator Dan Wade, gave him high performance marks, depicting Knowles as an outstanding employee since he was hired in 1993.
Sue Wade, Dan Wade's wife, worked in the office of Hamilton County Clerk Bill Knowles, the father of Alan Knowles.
Rebecca Hunter, the county's director of human resources, said no one has ever raised the issue of whether Sue Wade's employment in the office of Bill Knowles created a conflict of interest when Dan Wade evaluated the county clerk's son.
"I could see how it could certainly create the appearance of a conflict," she said.
Sue Wade has retired from her county job, Hunter said.
Dan Wade and Alan Knowles did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.
Bill Knowles said he had no comment on whether his employment of Sue Wade affected her husband's evaluations of his son. He said Sue Wade worked in the clerk's business tax office, but he did not know the exact dates of her employment.
He said he is not surprised by his son's exemplary performance reviews.
"[Alan is] on call 24/7," Bill Knowles said. "I think he's always done a good job, from what I heard."
Hunter said if the county became aware of a conflict of interest between a supervisor and his employee, it would separate the two employees.
Records show Knowles earns $64,555 a year as superintendent of support services for the Public Works Department. IRS records show he also earned $157,345 since 2007 as president of Dove Ministries Inc.
His e-mails show he handled day-to-day operations of DMI on his county e-mail account both during and after work hours.
The county's Information Technology Services Acceptable Use Policy prohibits the use of county computers "associated with any for-profit business activity." Employees who violate the policy can face "disciplinary action, suspension, termination of employment or criminal prosecution."
Public Works falls under the county's executive branch, headed by Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey, who said Monday he is still looking into the matter and said he is "pretty close" to a resolution.
"I'm going to deal with this," Ramsey said.
The county's employee handbook also states regular employees cannot have a second job if it interferes with their work as a county employee. County work schedules will not be adjusted to accommodate a second job, the handbook states.
Some of Alan Knowles' e-mails went to his brother Finley, a DMI board member who is chief administrator in the Hamilton County Clerk's Office. Some e-mails also went to clerk's office employee Michael Clark, who did some work for DMI.
The County Clerk's office is not subject to the county's employment policies.
On his 1993 application to Hamilton County, Alan Knowles listed his work with DMI as part of his qualifications for a job as support services coordinator, and he was interviewed along with several other candidates. Since that time, Knowles has received promotions and pay increases, most recently in 2010 when his yearly pay was increased from $57,129 to $64,555 at the suggestion of Dan Wade.
The raise came after Alan Knowles' assumed the duties of recycling coordinator due to the retirement of another employee, Dan Wade said.
The only blemish on Alan Knowles' record came in the form of a formal warning from Dan Wade for Knowles' conduct related to DMI. The warning shows Wade and Knowles' discussed the e-mails on Sept. 29, a day after Knowles' turned the e-mails over to the Times Free Press.
"Alan failed to follow policy regarding computer use," Wade wrote in the warning. "Alan is extremely contrite and knows he made an error in judgment. He vows he will not repeat this behavior."