Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_Ethics Commission_04.07.2010Notice of Meeting of the Ethics Commission and the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas Wednesday, April 7, 2010 The Ethics Commission will meet on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at 06:00 PM in the City Council Chambers, 101 E. 7th Street, Georgetown, Texas If you need accommodations for a disability, please notify the city in advance. Ethics Commission regular meetings are held once a year or on an as needed basis. Call to Order at 06:00 PM Board may, at any time, recess the Regular Session to convene in Executive Session at the request of the President, a Board Member, the City Manager in his capacity as General Manager of the Ethics Commission , the Assistant City Manager, or legal counsel for any purpose authorized by the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551, and are subject to action in the Regular Session that follows. AGENDA 1.Call Meeting to Order 2.Induction of new members 3.Election of Officers of the Commission (Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary) 4.Consideration and possible action to approve the minutes of the Commission's previous meeting. 4.Annual review, discussion and possible action related to the Ethics Ordinance, Commission Bylaws, and the Hearing Procedures 5.Adjourn meeting Certificate of Posting I, Jessica Hamilton, City Secretary for the City of Georgetown, Texas, do hereby certify that this Notice of Meeting was posted at City Hall, 113 E. 8th Street,a place readily accessible to the general public at all times, on the _____ day of _________________, 2010, at __________, and remained so posted for at least 72 continuous hours preceding the scheduled time of said meeting. __________________________________ Jessica Hamilton, City Secretary Minutes of the Meeting of Ethics Commission and the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas Wednesday, April 7, 2010 The Ethics Commission of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Wednesday , April 7, 2010. Board Members Present: Peggy Moore, Don Anderson, Harry Weisner, Robert C. Greene, John Chapman, Walt Herbert, Ron Gardland, Leonard Van Gendt Board Members Absent: All Board members present. Staff Present: Jessica Hamilton , City Secretary Minutes Regular Meeting Board may, at any time, recess the Regular Session to convene in Executive Session at the request of the President, a Board Member, the City Manager in his capacity as General Manager of the Ethics Commission , the Assistant City Manager, or legal counsel for any purpose authorized by the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551, and are subject to action in the Regular Session that follows. AGENDA 1.Call Meeting to Order Moore called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2.Induction of new members Hamilton provided the oath of office and statement of appointment officer to all new and reappointed members of the Commission. 3.Election of Officers of the Commission (Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary) Motion by Anderson, second by Greene to elect Peggy Moor as Chair. Approved 8-0 Motion by Garland, second by Weisner to elect Walt Herbert as Vice Chair. Approved 8-0 Moore and Hamilton described the Secretary's job duties. Robert Greene volunteered to serve as Secretary. Approved 8-0 4.Consideration and possible action to approve the minutes of the Commission's previous meeting. Motion by Herbert, second by Chapman to approve the minutes from Wednesday, May 6, 2009. Greene suggested a small change to a typo on the second page of the document. Approved 8-0 5.Annual review, discussion and possible action related to the Ethics Ordinance, Commission Bylaws, and the Hearing Procedures Herbert said he would like to address an issue that was hanging last year. He noted he drew up a description of his motion concerning family members to help address the problem and he passed the description to the other Commission members. He described what he felt to be two problems in the Ethics Ordinance bearing on the questions of Family Members. He said the definition of Substantial Financial Interest includes the interest of Family Members, while the definition of Substantial Economic Interest does not. He also noted the definition of "Family Member" at 2.20.020 offers a definition and then refers the reader to Exhibit "A." But Exhibit "A" does to make clear who is included as a Family Member. He added Exhibit "A" refers to the Brother and Sister of the Officer, which seems reasonable as a matter of policy, but Brother and Sister are not mentioned at 2.20.020. He said Exhibit "A" adds additional important information to the definition, but is insufficiently clear. Moore asked and Herbert said the Commission did not vote to change the Ordinance's exhibit last year, but should during this annual review. Herbert read his two part motion to the Commission. He said part one of his motion is that the language defining Substantial Economic Interest [2.20.02 Section K] be modified as follows: in the second paragraph of section K, the language "The term "Substantial Economic Interest means" should be stricken and the following be put in its place: "A City Official and/or Family Members has a Substantial Economic Interest if the City Official and/or Family Member has." Herbert said this would incorporate the term Family Member into the definition of Substantial Economic Interest. Herbert clarified his first motion. Herbert continued with the second part of his motion by saying that the language defining Family Member [2.20.020 Section E] be modified to read "Family Member means the spouse of the City Official or any person related to the Official of Official's spouse in the First or Second Degree of Consanguinity or Affinity as specified by Appendix A." Herbert referred to Appendix A. He added the following language should be added to Appendix A: Any person who is related to a City Official or the spouse of a City Official as specified by Appendix A as in the First and Second Degree of Consanguinity or Affinity is a Family Member, for purposed of the Code. He added Appendix A should also be fixed so that one can discriminate between first, second and third degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity. He described how each circle of consanguinity and affinity should be labeled and defined. He added the section defining "Second Degree of Consanguinity and Affinity" be renamed "First and Second Degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity" Motion be Herbert, second by Greene to approve the changes as specified and described. Moore said she thinks the Commission had a different exhibit that they once discussed but never took action on. Greene said there are three errors on the Attachment. He said Great Aunt should actually read Grand Aunt, Great Uncle should read Grand Uncle and 2nd Cousin should read 1st Cousin Once Removed. Gendt asked and Herbert clarified that the definition of spouse lies within the definition of Officer. Greene asked why the Commission would want to include the third ring on the Attachment. Herbert said, if the Commission felt it best to remove the third ring in the chart, then that would be fine. Anderson said he feels the third ring answers any sort of future questions, even if one never gets to that point. Anderson suggested that the chart have a darker line between the second and third degrees of consanguinity and affinity. Herbert suggested his original motion also include Greene's friendly amendments of renaming the definitions of some of the family members as well as Anderson's amendment of creating a double line between the second or third degree on the chart. Hamilton said, since it is a change in the Ordinance, it would be good to come back at a second meeting to review the Ordinance after the changes have been made. Moore asked and Herbert said he did not check to see if the changes suggested to the Ordinance will affect the bylaws or hearing procedures. Herbert noted the Ordinance does not have the sections lettered. Moore said, because they did so much shifting last year, there were no lettering next to definitions. Anderson agreed and said he thinks that is right. Herbert said to modify the original motion to remove the references to letters that no longer exist. Moore asked and Herbert clarified part one of his original motion. Greene made a friendly amendment to refer to the attachment as "Exhibit A" and that all references in the Ordinance to the document be labeled "Exhibit A" Vote on the motion, friendly amendments and modification: Approved 8-0 The Commission set their next meeting for May 12, 2010. 6.Adjourn meeting The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 06:30 PM. Approved :Attest: _______________________________________________ Peggy Moore, Chair Robert C. Greene, Secretary