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City attorney proposes code of conduct for contractors; council agrees to bring ordinance back in May; council also schedules park renaming reading
Summary
City attorney presented a proposed ordinance to require ethical conduct by city contractors; council asked staff to return with a first‑reading ordinance on May 15. Separately, council set a first reading in May to rename a park for community volunteer Lisa Chesser.
Tampa — The city attorney asked the council to consider an ordinance establishing a code of conduct for City of Tampa contractors and vendors, and council members agreed to have staff return with a draft ordinance for first reading on May 15.
City Attorney Carl Brody presented a draft that would add conduct standards to the WMBE/SLBE certification provisions, require contractors to pass standards along to subcontractors and employees, and provide for notice, dispute resolution and potential sanctions for violations.
Brody said the goal is to ensure vendors "serve with the highest level of ethical responsibility" when they work for the city and to reduce the risk that confrontational or threatening interactions with members of the public or city employees reflect poorly on the municipality. He told council the city’s Equal Business Opportunity manager would administer complaints, attempt dispute resolution and coordinate enforcement, with appeals available for vendors.
Council response and next steps: Council members supported the concept but asked for clearer enforcement thresholds. Council member Hirtak said she wanted defined metrics — for example, how many violations would trigger suspension or removal — and asked staff to include more structure rather than leaving enforcement fully discretionary. Brody said he and EBO would draft enforcement options and comparable language from other jurisdictions and return for first reading on May 15.
Park renaming: In the same staff‑report block, Real Estate staff presented background on Lisa Chesser, a volunteer and community organizer the city proposes to honor by renaming a neighborhood park. Council agreed to set the first reading and public noticing for May 15; staff said the park’s formal dedication would follow construction of a developer‑required park amenity tied to a nearby hotel project.
Action taken: Council voted to direct the legal department and EBO to return with a contractor code‑of‑conduct ordinance for first reading on May 15 and scheduled a first reading for the Lisa Chesser park renaming the same day.
