By Derek Spellman
dspellman@joplinglobe.com
The Missouri Ethics Commission has declined a request by Joplin Mayor Jon Tupper for a review of a situation involving his son's recent purchase of property that is contained in one of the visions a consultant sees for the city's Joe Becker Stadium.
The City Council likely will look at what to do next about the case at its meeting Monday night, an official said.
The Ethics Commission declined because its policies do not allow the subject of an investigation to be the person who files the complaint and triggers the inquiry, said Councilman Phil Stinnett.
Stinnett said he learned of the commission's decision through Brian Head, the city attorney.
Head was out of the office Friday and could not be reached for comment, his staff said.
Tupper last week asked for the commission to investigate whether there was any conflict of interest posed by his son, Joshua L. Tupper, purchasing a home near Joe Becker Stadium, which city officials have considered renovating and expanding.
Joe Carroll, director of campaign finance for the Missouri Ethics Commission, said questions about why the subject of an investigation cannot be the one to request it would have to be referred to Robert F. Connor, the commission's executive director. Connor was out of his office until Monday and could not be reached for comment Friday.
Stinnett said members of the City Council will likely discuss how to proceed during their regular meeting Monday night.
Records from the Jasper County recorder of deeds' office show that Joshua L. Tupper purchased a house at 310 S. Comingo Ave. on June 23 for something in excess of $45,000. County records only show the amount financed in property sales.
The property is near a home at 303 S. High Ave., which the city is purchasing for a Joe Becker Stadium project. The property on Comingo Avenue is cited in one of several potential areas that the BLR Group, a consulting firm, suggested be acquired for a proposed renovation and expansion of the stadium. That information has been public since January.
Joshua Tupper made an offer on the Comingo Avenue house during business hours on June 5. The City Council voted that night to pursue the High Avenue property while meeting in closed session.
Jon Tupper made no public mention of his son's plans prior to being asked about them by reporters on July 3.
When asked, he initially was defensive and declined to comment. A few minutes later, he said that his son was going to remodel the house, suggesting that he planned to live in it. He also said that he had not done anything improper in his role as mayor in connection with his son's purchase.
On July 6, he issued a statement saying that he had not supplied his son with any inside information or disclosed any city plans about Joe Becker Stadium.
"The piece of property that was purchased by my son was not discussed during that meeting (on June 5)," the mayor wrote in his statement. "During the past two months, only the property located on the (High Avenue) corner was discussed by city staff and the council."
The statement also said he was asking the state ethics panel to investigate, suggesting that he was confident any such probe would show that none of his actions would constitute a conflict of interest.
Efforts to obtain comments from Jon Tupper about the statement were unsuccessful, as were more on Friday regarding Stinnett's disclosure. Efforts to reach Joshua Tupper also have been unsuccessful.
Council meeting
The Joplin City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Monday in its chambers at City Hall.
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