Board of Ethical Conduct dismisses procedural claims, orders hearing on alleged payment demand in Moses v. Kimbrough

The Metropolitan Board of Ethical Conduct on Sept. 18 voted to dismiss allegations in a complaint that neighborhood and private meetings were procedurally manipulated and to hold an evidentiary hearing on a separate allegation that a council member demanded payment to influence a rezoning decision.

The board heard a summary from Department of Law counsel Attorney Ecki, who told members: "The complaint alleges that the council member violated the standards of conduct concerning a rezoning request by manipulating the processes for conducting community and private meetings." She said the Department of Law's view is that the procedural allegations concerned operational meeting practices and "do not involve ethical matters as defined in state law and the standards of conduct." The department recommended dismissing those operational allegations but recommended a hearing on separate allegations that a council member demanded payment of funds that the…