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Board cannot discipline officers; hearings limited to policy and training recommendations
Summary
Board members sought clarity on whether the board can overturn a law director's finding or impose discipline. Staff said disagreements can prompt a hearing, but any board hearing outcome is limited to recommending policy or training changes — not disciplinary action.
Members pressed staff for a clear pathway when the law director's review differs from the board's view. King asked, "But what happens if we disagree with that assessment?" Sorel explained: "If the law director finds that the outcome was not influenced by those factors, race, color, religion, ***, or national origin, then the likely outcome would be that the law director would recommend that the case is over. This board then would have an opportunity to review that determination and agree or not agree. ... If you feel that the IA review... was in fact influenced by race, color... or national origin, that's when you could then vote to move towards a hearing to have a conversation about that."
Sorel emphasized the board's statutory limits: the ordinance confines the board's formal remedies to policy or training recommendations to the city manager and does not permit the board to impose discipline on officers. Members repeatedly asked for the ordinance and the flowchart to clearly show where the law director's review, a board hearing, and the city manager's actions fall in the sequence.
