Forest Park council adopts ethics ordinance amendment to allow outside hearing officers

Forest Park — The Forest Park mayor and council voted on Nov. 3 to adopt Ordinance 2025-17, an amendment to the city’s ethics ordinance that allows the appointment of an independent third-party hearing officer to review ethics complaints when there is no sitting ethics board.

City staff told the council the change formalizes a practice previously authorized by a 2021 resolution but not reflected in the municipal code. Under the amendment, the hearing officer must be a licensed attorney in good standing with at least five years of practice, may not reside within the city, may not be an appointed city official, may not be the city attorney, and may not hold a contract with the city. The ordinance also grants the hearing officer the powers that an ethics board would exercise when the board is absent.

Councilmembers discussed the difference between the prior resolution and the proposed ordinance, with staff explaining the ordinance removes any conflict between practice and the written code. The clerk recorded affirmative responses during roll call; the motion carried as recorded in the transcript.

The ordinance was added to the work session agenda, and the council scheduled a first reading and consideration consistent with the city’s meeting calendar practices. The transcript indicates council members completed the procedural roll call and adopted the ordinance amendment during the meeting.

What happens next: The council placed the ordinance on the agenda for consideration per the city’s notice and reading requirements. The transcript notes the ordinance will follow the regular schedule for readings and potential adoption, consistent with charter requirements discussed earlier in the meeting.