Coconut Creek holds ethics workshop for commissioners covering conflicts, public records and social media

Cassandra "Cassie" Harvey, assistant city attorney for Coconut Creek, led a workshop-style ethics training on Nov. 19, 2025, telling the commission it must “complete 4 hours of ethics training, 2 of which must be done in an interactive setting,” and that the certification for this session must be posted online by 01/30/2026. City Attorney Terrell Pyburn introduced the session and noted that Harvey was assisted by Laura Vargas Gallardo.

The two-hour session reviewed state statutes and Broward County rules that together govern commissioners’ conduct, conflicts, gifts and lobbyist interactions. Harvey cited Florida statute language prohibiting use of official position or nonpublic information for private gain (including references to Section 112.3136 and related subsections) and summarized a recent Broward OIG memorandum (OIG25010M) urging better training compliance; she said the clerk’s office will send reminders and offer hands-on help with filings.

Presenters used brief news clips and hypotheticals to illustrate misuse-of-position…