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City manager outlines council authority, open‑meeting rules and ethics obligations
Summary
City Manager Jesse Baker gave an orientation on the council‑manager form of government, the limits of council authority, open‑meeting law and the municipal code of ethics, and noted the state ethics commission had suspended municipal advisory services because of staffing.
City Manager Jesse Baker spent the bulk of the March 5 reorganization meeting briefing councilors on the council‑manager form of government, council and staff authorities, and the city’s transparency obligations. Baker told the council their core duties are land‑use direction, fiscal oversight and hiring a city manager; he repeated that many staff positions carry independent statutory authority under Title 24 and the municipal charter, which limits direct council instruction to operational staff.
Baker also walked the council through open‑meeting requirements and the municipal code of ethics. He said the municipal ethics commission has temporarily suspended advisory services because of staffing shortages, and City Attorney Colin McNeil told councilors the city will use a local backup to handle ethics inquiries. Baker stressed training obligations and recordkeeping: "I am the CEO of the city," he said while explaining staff responsibilities and the manager’s role in reporting to the council.
