YSU Agency looks at possible conflict

Hunter Morrison defended his relationship with the Urban Design Center.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Ohio Ethics Commission has been asked to investigate a possible conflict of interest on the part of the director of Youngstown State University's Center for Urban and Regional Studies.
Dr. Thomas Shipka, chairman of YSU's Academic Senate, said he filed the request Wednesday, asking that the commission investigate the relationship between Hunter Morrison, director of the Center for Urban and Regional Studies, and Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio.
His letter to the commission said that Morrison is a staff member of the Urban Design Center and "facilitated the employment of the Urban Design Center as a consultant in the development of the YSU Centennial Master Plan."
That may be a violation of the Ohio Revised Code, the letter said.
Shipka said he also filed a similar complaint with the YSU's Professional Conduct Committee. He said that Urban Design Center also has a consulting contract with YSU on the revamping of the Wick Avenue corridor.
Morrison said there is no conflict of interest, however.
His arguments
His work with the design center as a "senior fellow" involves one day of work per week and is funded through a foundation grant, not from any money paid to Urban Design Center for its consulting services, Morrison contended.
There is no conflict because there is no compensation and no benefit to him from any Urban Design Center contract, he added.
The issue was addressed by Ruth Durack, director of the Urban Design Center, in April 2003, a month before YSU signed a contract with the consulting group, Morrison said.
That letter clearly spells out his limited relationship with Urban Design Center and the fact that his part-time position is funded by outside foundation grants, not by any money paid for consulting services.
Specifically, the letter said that Morrison serves in a limited capacity with the Kent State University School of Architecture and Environmental Design as a senior fellow in urban design and manager of the Cleveland Planning History Project.
While assigned to Urban Design Center for administrative purposes, he isn't a member of the center staff and isn't paid from center resources but by funding from the Cleveland and Gund foundations for the purpose of heading the Cleveland Planning History Project, the letter said.
Morrison said he didn't use his YSU position to help Urban Design Center get any university contract.
Center's purpose
Urban Design Center, created by urban universities to assist communities in development design, provides services at "below market" costs and was participating in a master plan design at Cleveland State University when YSU chose it to help with its own centennial master plan, he said.
YSU has paid UDC $120,000 for its services since May 2003, a YSU spokesman said.
The university, in a prepared statement, said there is no conflict of interest and that the ethics commission will find this complaint to be unfounded.
Morrison's relationship with the UDC was fully explored and considered to be appropriate before YSU entered into any contract with Urban Design Center, the statement said.
YSU feels this complaint is nothing more than yet another in a continuing series of unsubstantiated attacks by individuals directed toward the university's administration, the statement said.
gwin@vindy.com