The Ethics Commission report acknowledges the truth in that response (with the exception of some missing reporting going back to 2009, which it also dinged Rec and Parks for). Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg declined an interview request. In a statement in response, the Recreation and Parks Department said they follow "all local and state rules and reporting requirements" and that their contract, which includes a provision for free tickets in writing, was approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. ![]() Graphic from San Francisco Ethics Commission report Yet, Rec and Parks nonetheless regularly distributes tickets provided for free by Another Planet to its employees and officers, effectively resulting in the same outcome," the report found. "Department officials would clearly be prohibited from accepting free tickets provided to them directly by Another Planet. That, the report says, is effectively a loophole in the law. That makes them a "restricted source" for officials involved in the contract, which means that accepting any gifts from entities they are doing business with poses a potential conflict of interest.īut in this case, the Recreation and Parks Department is acting like a go-between, accepting the tickets in bulk from Another Planet and distributing them among its staff - so staff members needn't accept them directly from the vendor. ![]() That's because the city's Recreation and Parks Department - which is the agency accepting the tickets from Another Planet Entertainment, which puts on the festival - is also in charge of the contract for the event space. In other words: free.Īccording to a San Francisco Ethics Commission report released in late September, city officials have been gifted at least $430,950 in free tickets to the festival through a loophole that, although technically legal, is ethically dubious, according to the report's authors. After a two-year hiatus, Outside Lands is returning to Golden Gate Park this weekend.Īnd with the massive outdoor festival come some certainties: Neighbors will complain about the noise and Uber cars will clog the surrounding streets, while many avid concertgoers have shelled out more than $900 to attend the three-day music bash that includes headliners like Lizzo and The Strokes.īut for some San Francisco city officials, those tickets will be something of a fringe benefit, gratis.
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