However, the nature of that conversation two years ago is remembered differently by different members of the board who served at that time.
Because the minutes of several meetings were seized by Rockingham Police and federal officials as part their on-going investigation of the RHA, those minutes are not housed at the RHA office.
Police Chief Robert Voorhees could not immediately be reached to verify the exact months in the possession of the department.
Rockingham Housing Authority Board Chairman Ed Ormsby recalled the nature of discussion in open meeting concerning Stanback becoming the director of the 21st Century Learning Program.
“It was just announced that a grant had been secured by Mr. Stanback,” Ormsby said. “It was not stated that it was a part of the Rockingham Housing Authority.”
Ormsby declined to go into further detail due to the on-going investigation.
Fellow board member Denise Sullivan also recalled the conversation at Rockingham Fish Camp about two years ago.
“There was no discussion,” Sullivan said. “We were told it was not a part of the Housing Authority and (Stanback) would be the director.”
Another current board member who served at that time, George Stone, remembers a more detailed exchange between now suspended RHA Director Gracie Ingram and board members, however.
“We were told (Stanback) had written the grant for five years, and he’s done an excellent job with it and he’s decided he will be the director,” Stone said. “He said if he’d known he was going to be the director he wouldn’t have written it with so many restrictions, but he’s done very well with it.”
Stone said the conflict-of-interest came into play because the board saw the money as state money, and felt it was not authorized to work with it.
The original grant for the program allowed for a salary of $32,000 for the director. Because additional duties were added, Stanback earned $55,000. His sister, who also worked the agency, earned $20 an hour for her part-time job.
“We didn’t realize it was a part of the Rockingham Housing Authority,” he said. “So we saw no conflict-of-interest with (Stanback) taking the job.”
He said Ingram seemed genuinely happy for Stanback when the grant got approved, and the grant was announced at the meeting in what he believes to be June of 2007.
“He asked us if anyone saw it as a conflict, and if he should go ahead and resign now,” Stone said.
Stone explained the board didn’t understand the full implications of the program with Stanback as director at the time.
“We didn’t realize we were responsible for that, that we were basically hiring (Stanback),” Stone continued. “We were really going off of what (Ingram) said. That was the nature of a lot of what we did. She had been doing it for 14 years, and she had a 95 percent correct rating on recent audits. Everything thing was great until the wall came down.”
Stone said discussions at last August’s board meeting made the board more aware of its responsibilities, and board members now have a much clearer understanding of their duties.
Stanback said in a previous interview that he recalled the matter being discussed in open meeting, and a consensus was reached by the board.
Another board member, Sabrina McDonald, requested time to consult with Rockingham City Attorney Reese Saunders. An e-mail was sent with a formal request, to which there was no immediate reply.
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