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Austin Ethics Review Commission adopts revised 2026 calendar, notes vacancies and bylaws review
Summary
At its Dec. 10 meeting the Austin Ethics Review Commission approved minutes from Sept. 24, adopted a revised 2026 meeting calendar (three tentative dates), declared a secretary vacancy after a resignation, appointed members to a complaints-working group, and said it will wait for a city-clerk template before finalizing bylaw changes.
Chair Pumphrey called the Austin Ethics Review Commission to order at 6:10 p.m. Dec. 10 at Austin Energy Headquarters and said the commission had a quorum. The commission approved the Sept. 24, 2025 minutes and unanimously adopted a revised 2026 meeting calendar, including tentative dates for July 15, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16.
The calendar change was proposed because three previously approved dates conflicted with holidays, council budget hearings or room availability. Carolyn Webster of the city law department told commissioners that Nov. 11 was a city holiday and that July typically conflicts with council budget meetings, and she said the city clerk has rolled out a template and that "city council passed an ordinance to allow city council to make those changes across the board for every board and commission." The commission moved and seconded the calendar adoption; the chair announced the motion passed unanimously.
Chair Pumphrey announced a vacancy in the office of secretary after Secretary Matern resigned, saying, "He was working overseas a lot and couldn't even get access to the city email." The chair described the secretary's duties as reviewing minutes in advance and preparing any proposed corrections. No volunteers came forward to fill the role; the chair said the vacancy will be on the January agenda.
The commission also addressed membership of a working group that reviews the complaints process. After two recent resignations from the working group, Chair Pumphrey appointed Commissioner Figueroa and Commissioner McGivern to join Commissioner Lowe on that panel; under city code the chair typically appoints working-group members. Separately, a bylaws working group (the chair, Vice Chair Sharkey and Commissioner King) reported draft revisions but said they were awaiting the city-clerk template before finalizing changes.
Staff told the commission there were no pending complaints at this time. Commissioners discussed whether to hold a January meeting (tentatively planned for Jan. 28) and were reminded of a city-code provision that can trigger a clerk notification if too many meetings are cancelled in a given period. Hearing no objections, Chair Pumphrey adjourned the meeting and offered holiday greetings.
The commission took no formal disciplinary or complaint actions at this meeting and set no hearing dates. The next regularly scheduled meeting was listed as Jan. 28, 2026, subject to agenda items and room availability.
