Statesman: City Manager Recuses on Northcross

The Statesman is reporting that City Manager Toby Futrell has recused herself from the Northcross redevelopment situation due to conflict of interest. They report:

Futrell has distanced herself from everything related to the [Northcross Mall redevelopment] case, as she is required to do to avoid conflicts of interest, she said. Assistant City Manager Laura Huffman will handle the case.
Futrell also met with Liveable City members in August 2005 and June 2006 about new zoning rules the nonprofit group has proposed for stores bigger than 50,000 square feet. Futrell said she suggested one change: that the rules apply only to stores bigger than 100,000 square feet.
Futrell said those meetings didn't pose a conflict of interest because the rules are a broader policy issue related to all big-box stores, not a specific Wal-Mart project. Nonetheless, Huffman also will handle everything related to the rules from now on, Futrell said.

Believe it or not, the Statesman characterizes Futrell's self-documented conflict-of-interest as mere "rumor." Amazing...

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