Council advances annual revisions to city Code of Ethics after lengthy public input

Riverside’s City Council held an extensive review Dec. 9 of proposed annual revisions to the city’s Code of Ethics and Conduct (Chapter 2.70). Councilmember Falconi led the presentation and outlined proposed changes including updated committee names, revised pre‑hearing procedures and a new subsection addressing conduct in digital communications.

Members of the public called in and spoke in person. Dr. Daniel Kushustan, identified in the transcript as a new member of the ethics committee, urged the council to consider extended timelines and additional training to ensure fairness in pre‑hearing procedures. Callers including Jason Hunter and others recommended stronger independence for oversight and suggested the city consider an inspector general or additional professional support in complex cases.

Speakers debated how to balance free‑speech rights with the city’s need for impartial decision‑making when council members use personal social media accounts. Staff and council emphasized that proposed language would focus on official public communications and that further review and legal vetting would continue.

After public input and discussion, a motion to approve the committee’s recommended revisions was made and announced as unanimous in the meeting record; the transcript does not include a roll‑call vote tally.

What’s next: The committee will finalize the draft ordinance language and staff will coordinate with the city attorney for legal review and public distribution of the proposed code changes.

Quote: “Publicly entendemos las violaciones potenciales... expandiendo a 2 años o más, sería mejor para reflejar los tiempos,” Dr. Daniel Kushustan said when urging more time for complex matters.