Lunch Money

BPU officials did manage to keep some of the wealth in their own community.

Conklin charged $1,652.54 at the Longhorn Steakhouse in Village West. Daggett racked up back-to-back charges there on June 23, 2004 — at 7:04 p.m., he paid a $161.51 bill for a "strategic planning" meeting with board member Mark Jones and a BPU consultant. A couple of hours later, at 9:21 p.m., Daggett charged $47.14 for more "strategic planning" with Jones and the consultant.

For occasional lunches during that time period with Jones, Daggett and others at the Sports Page Lounge on North 74th Drive, Conklin's tab totaled $1,739.78. On January 20, 2005, Conklin spent $261.62 for a meeting to discuss "water main contract, legal issues" but didn't write on the receipt who attended the meeting. He also failed to note who attended a May 6, 2005, "lunch meeting" and "strategic planning session" ($156.79) at the Sports Page.

On September 15, 2004, Daggett, Conklin and Jones dined three times, courtesy of ratepayers. Dick picked up the first tab ($149.37 at the Sports Page Lounge at 1:26 p.m.); he lists Daggett, Conklin, Jones and another BPU employee as having joined him. Later that night, Conklin picked up two checks at the Longhorn Steakhouse. First, Conklin cashed out for $99.02 at 9:18 p.m. His receipt lists the attendees as Daggett and board members Loretta Colombel and Jones. (There is more writing, but it is indecipherable.) Twenty-four minutes later, Conklin charged an additional $24.19, listing Jones and Daggett as part of his bill.

BPU officials also were eating good in the neighborhood at the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and bar at Village West. From January 2004 to February 2005, Conklin made 21 charges there, totaling $3,082.09.

A frequent lunch buddy of Conklin's was Jones, who is serving his second term on the board.

Conklin details few of the Applebee's lunches on his receipts, though he discussed "HR issues" on September 14, 2004, at a lunch that cost utility customers $192.94. At a "lunch meeting to discuss BPU issues with mayor candidate," attended by current Edwardsville city administrator Doug Spangler and Jones and at least four others, Conklin spent $205.15.

Meanwhile Daggett, as the utility's general manager, spent hundreds of dollars on sporting events.

According to a receipt dated June 2, 2004, Daggett paid $850 for 10 tickets to the Big 12 football championship game and a pair of parking passes at Arrowhead. On July 22, 2004, Daggett paid $230 for eight club-level tickets to the Pittsburg State-Northwest Missouri State football game at Arrowhead on November 6, 2004.

Daggett's summer 2004 expenditures also included hundreds of dollars at Kansas City T-Bones games. On July 5, he charged $610.61 for 15 hot dogs, 25 hamburgers, two snack mixes, eight Bud Light six-packs, four six-packs of soft drinks, two six-packs of water and a couple of assortments of cookies and brownies. On July 28, he spent $1,400 on a T-Bones ticket package.

A year later (August 18, 2005), Daggett spent $229.06 at a T-Bones game on eight six-packs of Bud Light. The explanation on the receipt is illegible, but buying beer at the ballpark appears to be a violation of the BPU's procurement-card procedures.

The Pitch contacted BPU to interview Conklin, Dick and Jones, but BPU spokeswoman Susan Allen declined the request. The Pitch's phone calls to board President Mary Gonzales and board member John Pettey went unreturned.

Allen suggested that the Pitch submit questions in writing; as of press time, none had been answered.

Allen did tell the Pitch that the BPU's former general manager approved the majority of the receipts. Allen didn't name him, but she was referring to Daggett.

"I have nothing to do with the BPU now," Daggett tells the Pitch. "I have an agreement with the BPU. And I'm not to talk ill of them, and they're not to talk ill of me."

The procurement-card rules don't disallow business lunches. And the thousands of dollars on meals and other perks make up a tiny fraction of the utility's overall budget (more than $300 million in 2006). Michael Price, chairman of the BPU's ethics commission, says if the lunches and dinners were truly business-related, then he has no problem with them.

Still, Price says the ethics commission will request the receipts from procurement-card purchases. "It's something we're definitely going to have to look into," he says.

Meanwhile, Daggett is once again helming a public utility.

In late October of this year, Independence Power & Light hired Daggett as the electric utility's new director.

"You have a distinguished career, and we look forward to your joining our management team," Independence City Manager Robert Heacock wrote of Daggett in an October 17 letter of employment. "I believe you will be an outstanding addition to our management group."

Daggett started on October 30; he will make $145,580 a year and receive a $4,420 annual car allowance. Officials at the KCK electric company really know how to have a power lunch.