Forest Park council approves ordinance to authorize outside hearing officers for ethics complaints

Forest Park Mayor and Council adopted Ordinance 25‑17 on Nov. 3, 2025, amending the city—s ethics ordinance to allow appointment of an independent third‑party hearing officer when the city has no sitting ethics board.

The ordinance specifies qualifications for the hearing officer: the individual must be a licensed attorney in good standing, have at least five years of practice, may not reside in Forest Park, and may not be an appointed official or a party holding a contractual relationship with the city. The change was explained to the council as a measure to "allow a independent third party hearing officer to be appointed" when an ethics board is not in place, and to "cure the conflict" between a prior resolution and the existing code.

Council members and staff told the council the 2021 resolution had designated a law firm to serve as hearing officer but did not amend the ordinance text; Ordinance 25‑17 places that authority into the city code so the practice is codified.

The ordinance was approved by roll call. Council votes recorded on the adoption were: Councilmember James, yes; Councilmember Gunn, yes; Councilmember Gutierrez, yes; Councilmember Akins Wells, yes; Councilmember Mears, yes. The motion outcome was recorded as approved (5‑0). No amendments to the ordinance text were reported during the meeting.

The council did not identify an effective date in the discussion during the meeting minutes; implementation details (for example, a list of prequalified firms or the appointment process) were not specified during the Nov. 3 session. Staff indicated the ordinance—s purpose was to align the written code with prior practice so the city can proceed to use an external hearing officer if needed.