Opinion ID: 1143671
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Opportunity To Be Heard Regarding the Appropriate Sanction

Text: Merlino also contends that the Board did not give it a meaningful opportunity to be heard regarding the proper sanction. Specifically Merlino claims that the Board's refusal to continue the hearing for 1 week after a violation had been found, but before a sanction had been determined, violated its due process rights. We disagree. The decision of how to conduct a meeting is left to the discretion of the Board. SMC 3.44.030. The record does not indicate that the Board abused its discretion, as Merlino was given ample opportunity to be heard and to present arguments about the propriety of any sanctions during all stages of the proceedings. SMC 20.46.080(A)(4) authorizes five sanctions once the Board finds a violation of the WMBE ordinance. Four of those relate to violations detected before or during the pendency of the contract, and the fifth, debarment, is the only one available after the contract has been fully executed. The Human Rights Department urged the Board to adopt a 2-year debarment, the longest sanction possible pursuant to SMC 20.46.080(A)(4)(e). The Board considered this recommendation as well as one for 6 months before finally agreeing on a 1-year debarment. Report of Proceedings, vol. 2 (13.5), at 71-84. The Board's decision was the product of careful reflection, and the failure to grant a continuance was neither an abuse of its discretion nor a due process violation. Moreover, throughout the hearings, Merlino had the opportunity to discuss alternate sanctions. From the very beginning of a dispute regarding WMBE ordinance violations, if the Director of Public Works believes a violation of the WMBE ordinance has occurred, he is obliged to attempt to resolve the dispute by conciliation. SMC 20.46.130. This conciliation had taken place, and neither side could agree on whether a violation had occurred or what sanction should be imposed. Even at this stage, Merlino had the opportunity to present alternate views about the propriety of the sanctions proposed. Furthermore, at the point the Board of Public Works had decided to sanction Merlino, the chairman asked: [CHAIRMAN]: Mr. Godsil [attorney for Merlino], . .. are you prepared on behalf of your client or is your client prepared to discuss the matter of sanctions today? Mr. GODSIL: Well, I could only say that it doesn't look to us from our point of view here there's much to discuss. Report of Proceedings, vol. 2 (13.5), at 65-66. Thus, despite ample opportunity to do so, Merlino chose not to propose other types of sanctions and the Board considered the violations and ordered a reasonable sanction. There was no due process violation.