Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Administrative And Ethics Code topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances Lancaster City administrative code and ethics code toward December adoption
Summary
The committee reviewed two tranches of an administrative code and a draft ethics code recommended by the appointed ethics commission, set a public workshop for Nov. 6, and outlined a December ordinance schedule intended to meet the charters deadline to adopt an ethics code by Dec. 31.
The Government Study Transition Committee voted to approve the meeting minutes and heard staff say the city is on track to present consolidated administrative and ethics code ordinances to City Council in December.
Staff told the committee that the administrative code was reviewed in two tranches at specially scheduled Committee of the Whole meetings on June 17, July 15, Aug. 19 and Sept. 16, and that both tranches were moved forward by consensus to be combined into a final code for council consideration. "The conclusion of the first two meetings ... was agreed upon to be moved into the formal code," staff said.
The appointed ethics commission met on Aug. 7, Sept. 4, Sept. 25 and Oct. 16 and approved a memorandum of recommendations for an ethics code, staff said. A public workshop to review the draft ethics code is scheduled for Nov. 6; staff said the workshop will walk through each section and solicit public comment in real time rather than using a closed work-session format.
Staff said the ethics commission recommended using the first year after adoption primarily for education of elected officials and staff and for setting up complaint-handling and investigation processes rather than immediately operating all complaint procedures at full capacity. "One of the recommendations ... is that they essentially take the first year to educate elected officials, employees, and potential officials of the code," staff said.
Staff also described the ordinance schedule: the committee meeting on Dec. 1, with first and second readings discussed for Dec. 9 and Dec. 16. The committee noted the charter requires adoption of an ethics code by Dec. 31, and staff said special meetings could be convened if necessary to meet that deadline. The memo from the ethics commission is expected to be distributed in advance of the Nov. 6 public workshop and the board packet for the Dec. 1 committee meeting was described as targeted for Nov. 27.
Staff said the package to be presented in December will include an ordinance to abolish the treasurer position upon the expiration of the current treasurers term, and budget ordinances that would include funding for the ethics commission and related implementation costs. Specific budget amounts and staffing timelines were not specified in the meeting.
