HomeMy Public PortalAbout20160316 Ethics Commission Approved Minutes.docEthics Commission Draft Minutes
March 16, 2016 Annual Meeting
Approved: June 22, 2016
Members Present: Dennis Alexander, Kathryn Garlington, Ben Goggins, Danny Hill, Michael Pappas and Frances Kay Strickland
Members Absent:
Ex-Officos Present: Janice Elliott, Recording Clerk; Jason Buelterman, Mayor
Invited Guests:
New Officers:
Mayor swore in the new members: Dennis Alexander, Ben Goggins, and Kathy Jackson
Roll:
Danny Hill called the meeting to order. Roll was taken.
Election of Officers:
Called for nomination for Chairman – Ben Goggins nominated Danny Hill. Michael Pappas seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
Called for nomination for Vice-Chairman – Michael Pappas nominated Dennis Alexander. Kathy Jackson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
Minutes:
Frances Kay Strickland motioned for the minutes of the October 28. 2015 meeting be approved. Ben Goggins seconded with correction (compliant to complaint in several locations). Minutes
were approved with corrections unanimously,
Old Business (none)
New Business:
Policy and Procedures review, discussion, and revisions
Danny Hill handed out a letter from the City Attorney, Bubba Hughes. This letter included some material that could be of interest to the Ethics Commission. It included language that
could be added to the ordinance prohibiting an ethics complaint being filed during election time. It also included a model for dealing with procedures for hearing complaints, ex parte
communications and legal expenses.
Danny stated that he was not ready to proceed with a text amendments to the ordinance at this time. Dennis Alexander stated there is a lot of duplication of what we are already doing.
He agreed with Danny that the Commission will need to look at this very careful and decide before submitting a text amendment. Ben Goggins also agreed. He stated that he saw no reason
to exclude ethics violation during election season. There was discussion on this topic between the members.
Danny suggested that he talk with Mr. Hughes to set up a workshop with him in the next 30 to 60 days to do a text amendment on the changes that the council wants to make. Dennis Alexander
also stated that a group from the Ethics Commission could do research. Danny also stated that other things need to be
considered as well such as that you can be a member of Forever Tybee and serve on a committee. You have that right under the constitution. In the council workshop, it was discussed
that you could not serve if you were an officer. This needs to go under the ethics by-laws. In addition to the ordinance, the by-laws need to be amended. Dennis stated that there are
questions of the constitution on that. Dennis was tasked with doing research on whether it makes a difference if you are an officer or a member. Procedures may need to be written
for reading a complaint, disclosures, etc. There was discussion on the changes that were made to the procedure for filing complaint last year.
Danny will contact Mr. Hughes and inform him that the Ethics Commission reviewed the material he sent, and would like to meet with him to discuss a text amendment on the ethics ordinance.
Dennis stated that if Council appoints a different attorney for the commission, then the commission may want to confer with appointed attorney verses city attorney for changes. He
or she may approach things differently especially if he or she had the experience.
Danny will also ask Mr. Hughes if he is working on an amendment to the ordinance for those complaints received for appointed members – City Manager, Clerk of Council, Judge, himself,
and Committee Members – to go directly to council instead of to the Ethics Commission. Much like when a complaint is filed against a city employee going to the City Manager.
It was noted that if any complaints were submitted that the Ethics Commission is still working under the current ordinance.
E-mail address assigned to Ethics Commission Members using City of Tybee address
Todd Smith, IT Director spoke with the commission members before the meeting was called to order on email addresses using City of Tybee address. He set those that had their devices
up with city email accounts. Jan LeViner, Clerk of Council, gave each member a packet with email tips for committee members, pertinent portion of OCGA, the Open Records Act, and pertinent
portion of OCGA, open meetings. Each member had to sign that they had received the packet.
A test email will be sent.
Adjournment:
Dennis Alexander motioned to adjourned. Frances Kay Strickland seconded. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned.
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