Milton council finalizes code-of-conduct draft and debates residency rules for advisory boards ahead of Dec. 9 vote
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Summary
Councilman Powers presented a final code-of-conduct draft and members debated whether advisory-board membership should be limited to Santa Rosa County residents or also allow non-residents with commercial interests or exceptional qualifications; attorneys will codify language for a Dec. 9 reading.
Councilman Powers presented the council with a final review of a proposed code of conduct and related ordinance changes affecting appointments to city advisory boards. He told colleagues that the recommended ordinance changes will go to the city attorneys to be finalized and read at the December 9 meeting, and that board members would be expected to sign the code.
A central point of debate was residency language for boards. One section states members must be a Santa Rosa County resident or engage in commercial activity within the city limits; another provision would allow consideration of non-Santa Rosa County residents with "exceptional experience or qualifications." Several council members suggested removing the exception to avoid confusion and to keep consistent language across the Community Improvement Board, Planning Board and Historic Preservation Board. Councilmembers asked staff to consult attorneys and to ensure consistent phrasing across all ordinances and a clear legal definition for "engage in commercial activity" (options discussed included owning property, running a business, or leasing property used for commerce).
Council asked staff to return codified ordinance language and definitions from the city attorney in time for the December 9 meeting; no final ordinance vote took place at the work session.