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June 23, 1982 - Image 1

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
Michigan Citizen, 1982-06-23

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

CITY MI
o $1.6 MILLIO
An Indian contractor from Berri n
Spring ha the 1 rge b-contra on
the 1.6 million ttered site public
housi project.
C.C .S. Co will do the con ruction
management and carpentry
$285,232 ccording to record
to the Benton Harbor Hou .
or for
b mit ted
Commi

OJ C
n,
Benton Harbor firm ill do 105,
()()() orth of or on the 46 home to
b built. Of th t $31 000 will go to
city minoritie .
"The problem . findi re
bl and qu . ied firms,"
Bud Firth, he d 0
an employee for R. .Reade, the cce­
ful bidder.
Firth' perm' to do busi e as
C.C .s. expired in 1980 the county
cler 's off" Th company i
not . h ve to be
ccordi to
re 1.
s Smi h - 914 in St. St.
Jo ph.
Th Ireland Le er lien
filed April 6 1979 before Re e
on the bo project.
Heppler president of Ireland
Le �r, fired th former city housing
eommi . n and installed - . h
city eommi . n pproval - a ne
hou�bo rd.
Heppler' rot in th
Com . . n. and th po le con-
flict of intere since he s also a
contr ctor ere que Klned by Con­
cerned Tenants A . tion presi-
den Rev. thaniel G thr�t.
The e que Kln is m tter of
court lit· ation no on ppeal. The .
fired housi commissi n member
hired Grand Rap� ttorn y Al­
phon Lewis to fi t the fuing s
improper and in the 1a suit ques­
tioned Heppler's conflict of intere
po . ibn.
Accord' to Firth he is regi ered
ith the Bur u of Indian Aff ir in
W�C!h,,' �ton, D.C. nd amount of Indi n
blood i irrelevant to make him rni ori­
ty. H· member of the ite Earth
R ..
Courthou record do not re e
that the lien paid by Leon d Smith.
Accordq to Firth, he has' ed ivers
from all sub-eontr ctor on th mbo
project that all were pad.
Band from t
he ide
tjon
The Housi Comrnissi n mu p-
prove all b-eon r ctor nd they failed
to t e action on th sub-contr c or
.li la Friday followi a pre confer-
ence by Democratic county cornmi . n
FEDS GIVE COU TY
I VESTIGA TIO
ecord·
gion Inspector Gen ral for Inve
tion, HUD, th in . ation reque ed
Jun 3 by the Concerned Te nt
catjon ha be n turned ov r to the
Berrien County Pro cuter' of lee.
Re. athani 1 G thrjght, CTA
pre . ent ed the Grand pids
HUD om to in e . ate the po
ble conflict of intere for contractor
Gerald H ppler to intervene in Hou
Commi . n bu . Th Gr nd
Rapid offi e turned the m tter ove
to the regi J offic .
"Confli t of intere a
ter not federal matter ' exp
Ev n .

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