The head of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is defending his agency's decision to award a contract to the husband of one of its top managers.

PLCB Chairman Patrick J. "P.J." Stapleton III responded yesterday to legislators' requests for information about the $173,000 contract to train state store employees to improve customer service and sales. In the letter addressed to state Sens. Jane Orie and John H. Eichelberger Jr. and also sent to other legislators and to Gov. Ed Rendell, Mr. Stapleton said the "contract is appropriate -- both in its content and in the way it was awarded."

In a written response to questions from the Post-Gazette about why a family member of a PLCB employee was allowed to bid on agency work, Mr. Stapleton stated "there was no legal basis to exclude Solutions 21."

Solutions 21, a West End consulting firm whose president, Buddy Hobart, is married to PLCB Western Pennsylvania regional manager Susanne Hobart, ultimately won the contract. The other two high-scoring bids were for $453,521.76 and $1,212,175, according to Mr. Stapleton's letter.

Competing bidders, however, have criticized the bid process as inappropriately rushed. Legislators, along with Mr. Rendell, have said PLCB officials needed to explain why the contract was awarded.