Norwalk Board of Ethics explains complaint procedures, timelines and standards

Pat, a member of the Norwalk Board of Ethics, reviewed Chapter 32, Section 12 of the Norwalk code of ethics in a recorded presentation describing how the board is organized and how ethics complaints are handled.

The presentation outlined who may serve on the board, how advisory opinions are issued, what a valid complaint must contain and the timelines and standards that guide investigations and public hearings. "The complaint must be confidential," Pat said, and must be "in writing, on the required form" and "signed under penalty of false statement." Pat also advised that advisory opinions are public, are filed with the city clerk, and that good-faith reliance on an advisory opinion is an absolute defense to a subsequent ethics complaint.

Key membership and governance rules explained include: the board has seven members (five full members and two alternates); members must be…