CEO 75-49 -- March 6, 1975

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

PROPRIETY OF SELECTION COMMITTEE MAKING A TRIP TO CANDIDATE'S PRESENT JOB SITE AT SUCH CANDIDATE'S EXPENSE

To: R. William Rutter, Jr., Acting County Attorney, West Palm Beach

Prepared by: Gene L. "Hal" Johnson

QUESTION:

May the selection committee charged with selecting a consultant to be retained by Palm Beach County pursuant to the Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act make a trip to a prospective consultant's present job site at the consultant's expense?

Please find enclosed a copy of a previous opinion of this commission, CEO 75-21, wherein we found that the acceptance of expenses from a private entity by a public agency charged with regulatory powers over the entity is violative of s. 112.313(1), F. S., as amended by Ch. 74-177, Laws of Florida. Our reasoning in that opinion is equally applicable to the question you have presented.

Accordingly, your question is answered in the negative.