Commission told to sign disclosure, complete state ethics training as code of ethics is updated

Commissioners were briefed on March 19 that the Select Board has approved an update to Richmond’s code of ethics to align with the state’s code and that the Planning Commission must follow the town code rather than adopt separate committee‑specific rules.

Keith explained that Duncan, the assistant to the town manager, will send a townwide email with the updated policy, a required disclosure form and instructions for completing the required online ethics or conflict‑of‑interest training. He described the disclosure requirement as mandatory and said there is a zero‑tolerance rule for unsigned disclosures: commissioners who do not sign cannot serve on a committee.

Commissioners pressed Keith on timing and format. Keith and others said the training will be an ethics module followed by a short test and is expected to be self‑certified with a timestamp or similar verification. Some commissioners expressed uncertainty about exact deadlines until Duncan’s email arrives; Keith said the email is expected imminently and that training completion is likely scheduled later in the year.

Commissioners also discussed how changes to the rules of procedure (last adopted in 2013) should be aligned with the updated ethics policy and remote meeting practices. Keith will prepare a redline of the Rules of Procedure for the commission to review and vote on at a future meeting.

The commission agreed to wait for Duncan’s email before taking further steps on the new disclosure form and training schedule.