Desert Sun 10/31/96
PSTV leader wants to respond
CONTRACT ENDED: Chairman says no funds were misused; city officials requested documentation.

Downtown Palm Springs, CA By Douglas Haberman
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The Desert Sun


PALM SPRINGS - The chairman of the company whose contract to produce broadcasts of Palm Springs City Council meetings was terminated earlier this month said Wednesday he would like to defend the company at a council meeting.
James De Santo, chairman of the nonprofit Palm Springs Television Voices, said the city has "every right to fire us." But he wants a chance to explain financial transactions for which the city said PSTV gave insufficient explanation.
De Santo denied any misuse of money. The city accused PSTV of paying nearly $18,000 in city money to vendors without explaining what products or services were purchased.
In its Oct. 9 notice of termination, the city cited checks PSTV wrote to an insurance company, an accountant and a computer firm among the unexplained payments. (DD)According to a memorandum to De Santo written Wednesday, a PSTV administrative assistant is conducting an internal audit to justify the expenditures.
AUDIT UNDER WAY: She has requested duplicate bills from vendors to submit to the city.
De Santo could not supply the documentation Wednesday.
"It would have been nice if they produced it when we asked for it," said City Manager Rob Parkins. The city summarized all its concerns with PSTV in a July 1 memorandum.
De Santo disputed a city contention he repeatedly failed to respond to city requests for information and clarifications. He supplied the Desert Sun with copies of PSTV memoranda to city officials from Nov. 23, 1994 to Oct. 24, 1996.
Copies of correspondence from the city to PSTV were not provided, so it was not possible to verify that PSTV responded in a timely manner to written city requests for information.
WANTS TO RESPOND: Noting that PSTV was run by unpaid volunteers serving the community, De
Santo was critical of the way the city handled the contract termination.
"I think they should have put us on the agenda of the City Council, provided us with a staff report and given us the opportunity to rebut their findings" before severing the contract, De Santo said.
In response, Parkins said, "I welcome him asking for an occasion to speak to the council."
De Santo is among eight candidates running for three seats on the Desert Hospital District board in Tuesday's election. He expressed dismay at the timing of the city's action.
"They had to be (aware) there's an election going on," he said.
But both Parkins and Palm Springs Community Television station manager Sam Dollman said they learned of De Santo's candidacy only after the contract's termination.