[00:00:01]
SO, I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO CALL
[CALL TO ORDER]
THE MAIN MEETING OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION TO ORDER.[ROLL CALL]
COMMISSIONER NOVE? HERE.CAN I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE
[1. 24-53250 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Ethics Commission meeting of Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
THE MINUTES OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2024.SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OR EDITS TO THE MINUTES? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE MINUTES? SEEING NONE WILL MOVE TO THE VOTE.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION ON THE RECOMMENDATION
[2. 24-53261 Recommendation to receive and file a report back from staff on existing materials and policies relating to commissioners and advisory board communications including identification of whether the person is speaking on their own behalf or on the behalf of the entity. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO RECEIVE AND FILE REPORT BACK FROM STAFF ON EXISTING MATERIALS AND POLICIES RELATING TO COMMISSIONS AND ADVISORY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS, INCLUDING IDENTIFICATION OF WHETHER THE PERSON IS SPEAKING ON THEIR OWN? SECONDED.MOVED BY COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
SO, UH, THE COMMISSION RECEIVED A MEMO FROM TAYLOR ANDERSON, OUR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, WHO RECENTLY LEFT, UM, WITH REALLY THE ONLY TEXT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, UH, RELATED TO THIS QUESTION.
AND THIS IS IN THE COMMISSION HANDBOOK.
SO, OTHER THAN THAT, THERE ARE NO OTHER POLICIES, UM, THAT ARE KNOWN TO EXIST TO US.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WANNA APOLOGIZE.
I MOVED INTO THE AGENDA SO QUICKLY.
I NEGLECTED TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW CITY ATTORNEY REPRESENTATIVE.
ANITA, I DON'T KNOW WHY I WANTED TO CALL YOU APRIL.
DID, DID YOU WANNA SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS? YEAH, SURE.
I'M ANITA ANI, DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY SINCE SEPTEMBER, 2021.
UM, AND I ADVISE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, PARKS, REC, AND MARINE AND OTHER VARIOUS COMMISSIONS.
AND SO I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE NOW WITH THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
DID ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE LETTER THAT WAS PROVIDED PRIOR TO THIS MEETING? COMMISSIONER WEISS? YEAH, I, I HAVE ONE.
AND, UM, THERE'S A LINK IN THE, UM, TO THE HANDBOOK IN THE, UM, IN THE MEMO.
AND I, I LOOKED AT THAT AND I DO SUGGEST THAT SECTION BE RETITLED, UM, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE IT CLEAR REALLY WHAT IT'S ABOUT, UM, HERE.
UM, IT, IT ISN'T, THE ITEM ISN'T REALLY ABOUT, UM, COUNCIL'S COUNCIL, WELL, IT IS ABOUT COUNCIL MEETINGS AND AGENDAS, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE ENTITLED SOMETHING LIKE, UM, PARTICIPATION IN COUNCIL MEETINGS OR OTHER, OTHER MEETINGS SO THAT THE PERSON CAN UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
I ALSO SUGGEST THAT, THAT THE, UM, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THEIR LIAISONS OR WHOMEVER JUST RECEIVE A REMINDER ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS GOING ON IN THE CITY THAT WE EACH WANNA SPEAK ABOUT AS INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE MAYBE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS COMMISSION, BUT WE SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING THAT THE CAPACITY IN WHICH WE SPEAK.
UM, I, A COUPLE, UM, NOTES ON THIS IS ONE, I THINK MS. ANDERSON, UM, IN, IN THE LAST MEETINGS, UH, TO ADDRESS THAT LAST ONE DID SAY THAT WHEN, UM, PERSONS, UH, OR COMMISSIONERS WHO, UM, UH, MAY HAVE NOT CLEARLY IDENTIFIED WHETHER THEY WERE SPEAKING ON THEIR OWN BEHALF OR NOT, UM, THEY DO GET, UH, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY DO GET, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A TAP ON THE SHOULDER.
UM, SO I WOULD LOVE FOR THAT TO CONTINUE.
UM, I, I THINK SECONDLY, I KNOW WE HAD A CONVERSATION GENTLY ABOUT IT LAST TIME, BUT IF THIS 'CAUSE IT, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS HANDBOOK IS KIND OF A RECOMMENDATION.
THERE'S NO AUTHORITY REALLY TO ENFORCE, UM, THE ITEMS IN THIS HANDBOOK.
UM, AND SO IF POSSIBLE, UM, I KNOW WE'RE HAVING LARGER CONVERSATIONS ON THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND POLICIES, IT MIGHT
[00:05:01]
BE NICE TO HAVE THAT, UM, IN THAT, UH, IN THAT POLICY SO THAT IT WOULD HAVE SOME TEETH AS PART OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON POLICIES, I THINK IS OUR APPROPRIATE NAME.COMMISSIONER DAVE BENEDICTUS AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS, UM, A FEW TIMES.
UH, AND WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE PROPOSED LANGUAGE THAT YOU WILL BE SEEING IN JUNE, UM, AS PART OF EITHER THE UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES OR OUTSIDE ACT UN I'M SORRY, USE OF RESOURCES SECTION OR OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES SECTION OF THAT PARTICULAR, UH, ORDINANCE.
UH, BUT IT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THIS TOPIC ALONG WITH THE BROADER TOPIC OF JUST PRESENTING YOURSELF AS A CITY OFFICIAL, UH, IN WHATEVER CAPACITY AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR, UH, WHEN YOU CAN PRESENT YOURSELF AS A CITY OFFICIAL, NUMBER ONE.
AND WHEN YOU, UH, AND WHEN YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU'RE NOT.
SO YOU'LL BE SEEING MORE INFORMATION ON THIS IN TERMS OF THE ORDINANCE IN JUNE.
I THOUGHT YOUR HAND WAS GOING UP.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THAT, UM, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE WERE PROVIDED.
UM, SINCE 2008 WHEN I STARTED SERVING ON THE FIRST COMMISSION, IT WAS ALWAYS TOLD TO ME, DON'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION UNLESS YOU HAVE PERMISSION.
OR THE CHAIR IS SPEAKING AND THE COMMISSION VOTED.
UM, YOU CAN GO TO A RALLY AND SPEAK AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS A COMMISSIONER OF THE COMMISSION, BUT NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE COMMISSION.
SO I AM, I GUESS I'M STILL CONFUSED ABOUT WHY WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS 'CAUSE IT'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY CLEAR TO ME.
SO, SO THERE, IT, THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF INSTANCES THAT HAVE COME UP IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS WHERE THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE APPOINTED TO OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT DIDN'T HAVE THAT SAME UNDERSTANDING.
AND SO THAT WE WERE ASKED TO LOOK AT THIS TO SEE IF THERE WAS WAY, WAYS WE COULD STRENGTHEN IT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT, THAT IT BASICALLY HAS YOUR UNDERSTANDING.
NOT ALL COMMISSIONS HAVE HAD THE SAME, UM, UM, LEVEL OF, OF ORIENTATION.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO ADDRESS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE FULLY UNDERSTANDS AND HAS THE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND THERE'S NOT SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT DOESN'T HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER SUB CHAPTERS COMING, SO IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME, BUT, UH, UH, WE THANK, UH, COUNSEL FOR PROVIDING THIS, BUT IT IS SLIM.
UH, SO I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER WISE, UH, THAT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ENHANCE, UH, BETTER TITLE, UH, WHAT, UM, UH, MS. ANDERSON HAS PROVIDED TO US WOULD BE HELPFUL UNTIL WE PUBLISH AND GET MOVE FORWARD.
IT MAY BE THE ONLY GUIDANCE THAT IS, IS OUT THERE AT THIS TIME.
ADDING ON TO THAT, UH, IS COMMISSIONER DAVID AND I HAD TALKED AS PART OF THE POLICY AD HOC.
IT, IT, IT MAY BE ALONG THE LINES, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGREEING WITH COMMISSIONER NOVA, UH, THAT THIS IS UNDERSTOOD, SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD EITHER 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN STATED OR ALTERNATIVELY, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S EXPECTED.
IT'S, I WOULD ARGUE, UH, COMMON SENSE, UH, THAT IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE TO GET GUIDANCE OUT EITHER FROM THE ETHICS OFFICE, HEATHER OR FROM THE CHAIR.
UM, AND I THINK EITHER I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE IT ACTUALLY, I, COMING FROM THE ETHICS OFFICE, IT GIVES, AGAIN, IT'S ANOTHER WAY TO REALLY ESTABLISH THE ETHICS OFFICE WITHIN THE CITY.
'CAUSE IT'S RELATIVELY NEW OR COMING FROM THE CHAIR, REALLY GIVEN THE GRAVITAS OF THE, UH, OF THE, OF THE POINT VICE CHAIR.
UM, AS I READ IT THOUGH, THE, THE EXISTING GUIDANCE APPLIES TO PRESENTATIONS OR COMMUNICATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND I BELIEVE THAT YOUR ORDINANCE MAY GO FURTHER THAN THAT SO THAT IF A COMMISSIONER IS APPEARING BEFORE ANOTHER COMMISSION, THE SAME RULES WOULD APPLY.
UM, I I, I'D LIKE AT LEAST FOR FOLKS TO THINK ABOUT DEFERRING THE COMMUNICATION, THE BROAD COMMUNICATION, UNTIL WE HAVE A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR PROPOSAL
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IN JUNE.AND IF IT IS GOING MORE BROADLY TO, TO AT LEAST TALK ABOUT WHAT, IF WE'RE GONNA COMMUNICATE MORE BROADLY, TO HAVE THAT AS THE FRAMEWORK ON WHICH WE COMMUNICATE.
UM, I THINK THE ISSUE HERE IS, UH, TIMELINESS.
UH, I THINK JUNE MAY BE APPROPRIATE.
UH, MY CONCERN, I THINK COMMISSIONER DENI CONCERN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT TO WAIT FOR THE FULL ORDINANCE.
BUT IF WE CAN USE JUNE TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE ABOUT HOW IT WOULD BE STRUCTURED, POSSIBLY EVEN WITH A PROPOSED LETTER, UM, THEN I COULD SEE THAT.
COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON JUNE VERSUS MAY I AGREE WITH YOU? SO THE LETTER THAT MS. ANDERSON WROTE WAS TO US FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS DO WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY UNDER THE ETHICS OFFICE TO SEND THAT OUT TO OTHER COMMISSIONS, OR WOULD IT NEED TO COME FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? I'LL LET ANITA SPEAK TO THAT.
WELL, I I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD COME FROM YOU, BUT I THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD COME FROM MY OFFICE FROM EITHER THE CITY MANAGER OR THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY LEGAL LANGUAGE, UM, UNTIL WE DECIDE WHAT, OR YOU DECIDE WHAT'S A POLICY.
UM, WELL, ULTIMATELY THE COUNCIL DECIDES WHAT THE POLICY IS.
SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF IT COMING FROM THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY.
NITA MAY FEEL DIFFERENTLY, BUT NO, I AGREE.
I THINK THAT'D BE A GOOD MOVE.
AND NOTICE I SAID FROM YOU, NOT FROM ME,
DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO AMEND THE EXISTING MOTION TO ADD INTO IT DIRECTING THE, OR ASK REQUESTING THAT THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY TRANSMIT MS. ANDERSON'S LETTER TO THE LIAISONS FOR OTHER COMMISSIONS? UM, SO WHAT I, WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING THOUGH, IS WE WAIT ON THAT.
I, I UNDERSTAND UNTIL WE HAVE, BUT I'M ASKING IF THE BROADER ORGANIZATION WANTS, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE FOLKS YES, I KNOW.
I'M, I'VE HEARD TWO DIFFERENT THOUGHT PROCESSES.
IN ORDER FOR US TO DO THAT, SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO AMEND THE EXISTING MOTION.
AND IF IT DIES FOR ALASKA SECOND, THEN WE MOVE ON.
WELL, I MOVE TO AMEND THE MOTION ALONG THOSE LINES.
AND MY REASONING IS, IS THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT IS CURRENTLY A PROBLEM WITH WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO WORK WITH.
I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE HAVE POLICIES DONE IN JUNE AND WE CAN TELL 'EM MORE, BUT LET'S WORK WITH WHAT WE GOT
ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS? YES.
SO THE MOTION HAS BEEN AMENDED JUST CLARIFICATION ON WHAT COMMISSIONER WEISS, UH, SAID.
SO, UM, JUST MAKING SURE YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT BEING CONSIDERED AT THE JUNE MEETING AND THEN ACTION TAKING, FOLLOWING THE JUNE MEETING.
OH, BUT NO, WE'RE GONNA SEND THE TAYLOR WHAT SHE WAS AMENDING WAS THAT WE SEND TAYLOR'S MEMO TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONS NOW, AND THAT WE WOULD THEN WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE'RE GONNA DO DOWN THE ROAD.
I'M DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF THAT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? AND I WASN'T GONNA DO THIS, BUT THIS HAD COME UP.
ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I DID PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST.
THERE WAS A PETITION BY A THIRD PARTY REGARDING THE RESOLUTION THAT CAME THROUGH ON DECEMBER 19TH.
DEBORAH, CAN WE ASK YOU TO COME UP TO THIS MIC PLEASE? SO THAT YOU'RE ON THE RECORDING? SURE.
THERE WAS A PETITION FROM A THIRD PARTY SUPPORTING THE DECEMBER 19TH RESOLUTION ABOUT THE ISRAEL HAMAS WAR SUBMITTED BY A THIRD.
I KNEW THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY A THIRD PARTY, SIX COMMISSIONERS AT THE VERY TOP OF THAT PETITION, SIGN THEIR NAME.
AM I DOING THAT? DOESN'T LIKE THIS.
IT'S SIGN THEIR NAMES ALONG WITH THEIR STATED COMMISSION POSITIONS.
I DID A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST AND I DID TALK TO THE, SENT SOMETHING TO THE EQUITY LIAISON, THE EQUITY OFFICER, AND I GOT A RESPONSE BACK THAT THEY SAID THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE THEY DIDN'T KNOW.
WELL, WHEN I GOT BACK THE PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST, ACTUALLY THE PETITION WAS SUBMITTED BY ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS WHOSE NAME WAS ON THE LIST OF ONE OF THE SIX COMMISSIONS.
SO WHAT I'VE ASKED IS THAT IF A COMMISSIONER
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IS GOING TO SIGN A THIRD PARTY PETITION OR A THIRD PARTY WHATEVER, ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL, I DON'T THINK SIGNING IT AS A PARTNER OR WHATEVER AT THE TOP OF THE PETITION WITH THEIR COMMISSION TITLE.I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S A CONFLICT THAT WAS SO, AND ALL THAT'S UPDATED FROM PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST, WHICH I THINK ALL OF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO.
SO I'D LOVE TO SEE A POLICY THAT ADDRESSES THAT BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM LIKE A CONFLICT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE.
AND THAT IS ON THE AMENDED MOTION THAT HAS THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY SENDING MS. ANDERSON'S LETTER TO THE OTHER COMMISSION LIAISONS, COMMISSIONER NOR AYE.
[3. 24-52935-01 Recommendation to discuss proposing a Code of Conduct for public servants during an election cycle. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
CAN I HAVE A MOTION ON THE RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS PROPOSING A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PUBLIC SERVANT DURING ELECTION CYCLE? CAN SOMEBODY MOVE IT SO WE CAN JUST MOVEIT'S BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS.
UM, SO THIS ITEM WAS ON THE AGENDA LAST MONTH, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU ASKED FOR MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE ITEM, TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT WANT TO DO.
SO ARE WE READY TO DISCUSS IT NOW OR DO WE HAVE SOME OTHER THOUGHTS? I KNOW ONE THOUGHT HAD BEEN SENDING THIS TO THE AD HOC THAT'S REVIEWING ELECTION FINANCIALS AND HAVING THEM LOOK AT WHETHER THERE'S ANOTHER CODE OF CONDUCT.
THERE'S SOME OTHER STATEMENT THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN MAYBE THE ELECTION GUIDE TO HELP EXISTING PUBLIC SERVANTS UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE FOR THEM WHEN THEY BECOME INVOLVED IN A CAMPAIGN.
ANY COMMENTS, THOUGHTS? COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS? UM, I THINK I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, REQUESTED THAT THIS STAY ON AGENDA.
I, I AM I, MY INITIAL THOUGHTS ARE THAT WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER CODE OF CONDUCT.
UH, I THINK THAT, UH, IF IT MEANS, UM, AGAIN, OUR, OUR, UH, AD HOC LOOKING AT THE LANGUAGE TO STRENGTHEN AND, UH, ADDRESSING THESE ACTIONS BEHAVIORS, UH, BUT I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF IT GOING TO, UH, THE OTHER AD HOC TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, IF LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE, UH, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT AD HOC HAS ACCESS TO THE TRAINING MATERIALS AND, UM, THE WHOLE PROCESS FOR THE PROPOSED OR THE, UM, ELECTED AND, AND THOSE THAT ARE PURSUING OFFICE COMMISSIONER WEISS.
YEAH, I, I SUPPORT THE IDEA OF, UM, UM, IF THE ELECTION, THE COMMITTEE THAT'S ALREADY LOOKING AT ELECTION STUFF CAN TAKE THAT ON.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND WE CAN ASK THEM SPECIFICALLY.
UM, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION PROBABLY FOR STAFF.
WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THIS ISSUE AT THIS TIME? I MEAN, ATTACHED TO OUR MATERIALS ARE SOME THINGS THAT WERE SUBMITTED AS A COMPLAINT AGAINST, UM, ONE OF THE PUBLIC OFFICIALS SUPPOSEDLY, OR ALLEGEDLY USING STAFF, YOU KNOW, ON CITY TIME OR WITH CITY RESOURCES, UM, DURING THEIR, UM, REELECTION CAMPAIGN, WHICH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT ISN'T, ISN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, BUT WHERE, WHERE DO WE STAND ON THAT? SOMEONE HERE THAT CAN TELL US, HAS ANYTHING BEEN DONE IN RESPONSE TO THIS? HAS, HAS ANYBODY BEEN NOTIFIED? LIKE THE PERSON THAT'S BEING, IT'S BEING SUGGESTED, UM, VIOLATED THE RULES? THIS HAS BEEN REFERRED TO OUTSIDE COUNSEL, SO IT WAS GIVEN TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
IT CAME TO US THROUGH A COUPLE DIFFERENT AVENUES, UM, INCLUDING THE HELPLINE.
UM, BUT SO IT'S BEEN REFERRED OUT, THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD, UM, UPDATE THE COMPLAINANT ON.
UM, WHEN THEY INITIALLY REACHED OUT TO MY OFFICE, I JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT WE HAD RECEIVED IT AND IF WE HAD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, WE WOULD CIRCLE BACK.
UM, AND THAT WAS JUST POLITELY TELLING 'EM, THANK YOU.
[00:20:01]
THIS, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT COMMONPLACE FOR US TO GIVE AN UPDATE.I THINK COMMISSIONER WEISS WAS ASKING IF THE SUBJECT OF THE INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT AN INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN OPENED.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'VE HAD TIME TO BE FULLY BRIEFED ON THIS.
YEAH, ANITA'S, UM, THIS IS BEING, IT WAS REF, GARY ANDERSON IS OVERSEEING THIS, AND IT'S BEEN SENT TO OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
SO WE I CAN FIND OUT FOR YOU ON THAT.
WELL, THE, THE FACT OF, I MEAN, THE FACT THAT THIS IS ALL ATTACHED TO OUR AGENDA ALMOST AS A COURTESY, I THINK SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PERSON WHO'S, WHO'S BEING INVESTIGATED.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE, ONE THING.
I MEAN, IT'S HAPPENED AND, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO INCLUDE THAT.
NO, I I'M NOT, I'M NOT CRITICIZING IT AT ALL.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA, MIGHT WANNA, WANNA DO THAT, BUT, UM, BUT THEN I ALSO, I'M INTERESTED, IS THIS GONNA COME BACK TO US IN SOME WAY? OR ARE WE GONNA HEAR BACK FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? OR WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE PROCESS? I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS NOW.
SO, AS A REMINDER, IT'S ATTACHED TO OUR AGENDA BECAUSE IT WAS A PUBLIC RECORD THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO US.
BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, AND I THINK MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT FULLY COGNIZANT OF, WE HAVE NO INVESTIGATIVE POWERS.
WE HAVE NO POWERS TO IMPLEMENT ANY TYPE OF CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD, UM, SHOULD THE CITY ATTORNEY FIND SOMETHING.
SO IT WOULD BE UP TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHERE THIS GOES FROM HERE, WE HAVEN'T ASKED THE CITY OF ATTORNEY IF IT'S GONNA COME BACK.
AND IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, YOU CAN CHECK AND SEE IF THERE'LL JUST BE A REPORT BACK.
SO AT THIS TIME IT WOULD BE REMAINING CONFIDENTIAL, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WERE TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, UM, THAT COULD CERTAINLY BE SHARED OKAY.
AT A LATER TIME, UH, WELL UPON COMPLETION OF THE INVESTIGATION.
I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S FAIR TO ASSUME AND EXPECT THAT, THAT WITH IT HAVING APPEARED ON THIS AGENDA, THAT THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO WANNA KNOW SORT OF WHAT THE STATUS IS.
AND I'M NOT, MAYBE IT'S NOT THE ROLE OF THIS COMMISSION, BUT IT, IT IS ON OUR AGENDA NOW.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE PERHAPS GOING TO, BUT WE DON'T HAVE, WE ARE NOT PRIVY TO THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT WITHIN OUR SCOPE OF DUTIES.
ANYONE CAN SUBMIT ANY COMMENT THAT THEY WANT TO US, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE A, A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE NO INVESTIGATIVE POWERS, WE HAVE NO RIGHTS TO ANY INFORMATION REGARDING ANY INVESTIGATION THAT TAKES PLACE.
SO WHAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS FROM OUR PUBLIC RECORD IS THAT WE HAVE REFERRED THIS ON TO THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR HANDLING.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'RE AT THIS POINT IN TIME BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE ORDINANCES IN THE CITY CHARTER, WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY TO DO ANYTHING BEYOND THAT.
CAN, CAN WE ASK PERIODICALLY IF THE MATTER HAS BEEN CONCLUDED? WE CAN ASK IF AS LONG AS YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH JUST GETTING A YES, IT'S BEEN CONCLUDED OR NO, IT'S NOT CONCLUDED.
WELL, I GUESS IF, I MEAN THAT, 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY'RE GONNA TELL US IS, WELL, I, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE, BUT YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY WOULD ASK, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE CONCLUSION WAS,
AND THIS IS, THIS HASN'T JUST SHOWS A GAP IN OUR PROCESS AS YOU'RE AS NO, IT SHOWS A GAP IN THE AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION.
I MEAN, IN THE WHOLE SYSTEM THAT IS, IS THAT IS SET UP CURRENTLY.
SO I'M AT POINT PUTTING OUT QUESTIONS THAT I THINK ARE, ARE OF CONCERN OKAY.
COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL, I JUST, UH, CONCUR WITH COMMISSIONER WEISS TO THE EXTENT AND TO THE EXTENT WE CAN, I REALLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO STRETCH THE BOUNDARIES HERE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO.
DID YOU SAY STRETCH OR STRESS STRETCH
UM, BUT, UH, JUST IN TERMS OF THAT KIND OF BEING THE OPERATING MODE IN TERMS OF OUR AUTHORITY, I WILL GO BACK TO, UM, JUST WHAT COMMISSIONER DE DICKUS HAD SAID EARLIER THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE AND I BOTH AGREE, BELIEVE THAT REALLY THERE SHOULD ONLY BE ONE, ARGUABLY TWO CODES WITH THE SUPPLIER.
I DO QUESTION IN TERMS OF ELECTEDS.
NO, I DO QUESTION IN TERMS OF NON-ELECTED CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE, REALLY WHAT THE AUTHORITY WOULD BE? WE DO, WE CAN PROVIDE GUIDANCE IN THE, UM, HANDBOOK.
WE HAVE AUTHORITY OVER EXISTING.
THE CITY HAS AUTHORITY, I SHOULD SAY, HAS AUTHORITY OVER EXISTING EMPLOYEES AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UM, COMMISSION MEMBERS AND BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, I'M NOT TOO CERTAIN THAT IF WE HAVE AUTHORITY OF POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE, UM, SO IT MAY BE A MORE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE GUIDANCE AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY A REQUIREMENT.
[00:25:01]
UM, AND THE THIRD THING IS, UH, I DON'T, IT'S NOT RELEVANT HERE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO EXPECTATION THERE WAS THE INVESTIGATION.AND THEN THERE'S ALSO, I BELIEVE, UNDERLYING REQUESTS IN THESE COMMENTS FOR, UH, UM, THE CITY TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES TO CANDIDATES, WHICH I THINK IS DEFINITELY OUTSIDE OF OUR AUTHORITY AND WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROPRIATELY REFERRED.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S APPROPRIATELY REFERRED TO ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OR SOME OTHER ENTITY WITHIN THE CITY.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE ITEM COMMISSIONER, THIS DOES NOT ADDRESS ANY GENERAL CANDIDATE.
IT'S JUST SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING PUBLIC SERVANTS, WHICH ARE THOSE PEOPLE THAT CURRENTLY HOLD OFFICE OR ARE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OR APPOINTED COMMISSIONERS, THEN IT WOULD OKAY.
I THINK I UNDERSTAND, MIKE, JUST THAT THAT'S ALL THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION, MR. BENEDICTUS.
UM, I THINK THAT COUNCIL AND OUR CHARTER REIGNS YOU NO DOUBT THERE.
AND I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE STRETCH OR STRESS THE, UH, OUR CHARTER TO AN EXTENT.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, IT WOULD BE MY, UH, HOPE, MY PRAYER THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WOULD TAKE THE RESULTS AS THEY RECEIVED THEM AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRAINING THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED.
WHETHER IT BE FOR THE PUBLIC SERVANT TIMEKEEPING, UH, ET CETERA, USE OF TIME OFF, PERSONAL, UH, TIME OFF OR BACK TO THE EDUCATION MATERIALS TO BE ELECTED.
UH, I THINK THAT, THAT THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE ROOM FOR THAT TO BE IMPROVED AND PUSHED BACK THROUGH.
UH, AND THAT FEEDBACK CAN COME THROUGH.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD COME BACK TO, UH, THE ETHICS COMMISSION OR NOT, BUT, UH, THAT SHOULD BE AN OUTCOME REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH, IF IT'S, IF THE RESULTS ARE INNOCUOUS OR NOT, AND HOW WE RECEIVED CLOSURE.
COMMISSIONER COLEMAN OR COMMISSIONER NOVE AS THE AD HOC THAT IS ADDRESSING ELECTION FINANCE ISSUES, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK YOUR AD HOC COULD TAKE ON, OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT STAY WITH THE AD HOC ON POLICY? UM, THANK YOU CHAIR.
ARE WE LOOKING AT A SPECIFIC TIMELINE? WE LOOK AT SPECIFIC TIMELINES, BUT WE TEND TO NOT MEET THEM BECAUSE AS WE START GOING IN THE RABBIT HOLES, WE FIND MORE AND MORE ISSUES THAT WE THINK WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING.
SO I WOULD CAUTION AGAINST GIVING YOURSELF A SPECIFIC DEADLINE.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND WITH EACH OF THE AD HOCS THAT WE HAVE.
AS WE REALLY START DIGGING INTO AN ISSUE, WE START FINDING PERIPHERY ISSUES THAT CAN TOUCH ON THINGS AND THEN THE TIMELINE GETS STRETCHED OUT.
MAY I, BEFORE I MAKE A DEFINITIVE YES OR NO ON THIS, MAY I ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION? UM, TO ONE IN, WHEN I REVIEWED THE MATERIALS FOR THE NOMINATING, UH, PRIMARY NOMINATING ELECTION, UH, CANDIDATE FALLONS, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT, THE PUBLIC SERVANTS CURRENTLY ELECTED DID RECEIVE A HANDBOOK WITH SOME OF THESE RULES IN IT.
UM, SO ONE, I HAVE CONCERNS THAT WE PERHAPS MIGHT BE REINVENTING THE WILL A LITTLE BIT SEC.
MY SECOND CONCERN IS THAT, UM, THIS IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A CAMPAIGN SEASON.
UM, I THINK THAT I MAY HAVE A, A BIT OF CONCERN ABOUT PERHAPS CHANGING SOME OF THE RULES OR, YOU KNOW, PRO PROVIDING ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE IN THE MIDDLE.
WHILE I DO THINK THESE THINGS DEFINITELY SHOULD BE ADDRESSED, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I, I THINK I DO HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT DOING IT KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE WHERE PERHAPS SOME RACES HAVE ALREADY BEEN, UM, DECIDED AND SOME ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, THIS MIGHT BE, IT, IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT AGAIN TO ME THAT THIS MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO LOOK AT IN NOVEMBER.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S ISSUES CURRENTLY, THEY SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CODE OF CONDUCT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT COME UP WITH WOULD DIFFER FROM THE RULES ALREADY IN THE HANDBOOK ARE, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE APPROPRIATE GIVEN THAT IT'S ALREADY STARTED.
SO THE HANDBOOK WENT TO ALL OF THE CANDIDATES, NOT JUST THOSE THAT ARE CURRENTLY ELECTED, BUT EVERY CANDIDATE THAT WAS FOR OFFICE RECEIVED THAT HANDBOOK.
AND IF YOU DID DO SOMETHING, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT IT NOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE 2026 ELECTION.
JUST AS YOU SAID, THIS IS MID CYCLE AND THERE'S ONLY ONE OFFICE THAT'S
[00:30:01]
STILL OPEN THAT HASN'T BEEN DECIDED.SO IT WOULD BE HARD TO DO ANY TYPE OF RECOMMENDATION RULE CHANGE FOR THIS CYCLE.
BUT THEN THE DECISION WOULD BE, DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT WORK NOW IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2026? OR DO YOU WANT TO DEFER UNTIL 2025 CHAIR? UM, I HAVE A QUESTION, UH, SLASH CONCERN AS WELL.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT STAFF OF AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, AS LONG AS THEY'RE ON THEIR PERSONAL TIME, CAN WORK ON CAMPAIGNS.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE? PERHAPS THESE INDIVIDUALS, CHIEFS OF STAFF WERE WORKING ON THEIR OWN TIME.
SO THAT WAS, THAT IS WHY THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW TO, AND THERE'S NO WAY JUST TO PROVE IT WITHOUT SENDING IT.
I MEAN, DOESN'T HR JUMP IN AT SOME POINT AND LOOK AT TIME SHEETS DISCREPANCIES ALSO FINE TIME RECORDS.
ISN'T THAT WHY IS IT WITH US? WELL, BUT IT'S NOT WITH US TECHNICALLY.
SO SOMEONE IN THE PUBLIC MADE THE DECISION THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SEND IT TO US TO LOOK AT WITHOUT REALIZING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY WITHIN THE CITY ELECTION ISSUES, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEBODY WHO IS CURRENTLY ELECTED, GO TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO KEEP THE, THE, THE, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF OUT OF THAT PROCESS.
AND SO THEY SEND IT OUT FOR PRIVATE INVESTIGATION.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE WHEN THERE WERE A COUPLE OF ISSUES THAT CAME UP.
IT WENT OUT TO PRIVATE INVESTIGATION.
THEY CAME BACK TO THE CITY ATTORNEY WITH, UH, THEIR FINDINGS AND, UH, THEN IT WAS UP TO THE CITY ATTORNEY TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS ANY COURSE OF ACTION THAT COULD BE TAKEN FOR, UM, AGAINST THE PERSON THAT THE ALLEGATIONS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FOUNDED.
SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE INVESTIGATIVE POWERS, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE THE POWERS TO, IF SOMETHING IS FOUNDED TO SAY ISSUE SOME TYPE OF SLAP ON THE WRIST OR WHATEVER ELSE WOULD COME UP.
BUT THAT'S WHY IT'S WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW BEING INVESTIGATED.
SO REALLY WHERE IN MY MIND WHERE WE ARE IS THIS ALLEGATION HAS COME UP.
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME FOR THIS COMMISSION.
IN THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE IN 22, THERE WERE ALLEGATIONS THAT SOMEBODY WAS USING THEIR OFFICE INAPPROPRIATELY.
SO TO ME, IT'S NOT WHETHER WE'RE TRYING TO PROVE OR DISPROVE, BUT HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE HELP THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE EITHER ELECTED OR EVEN STAFF UNDERSTAND THE OPTICS OF THE PROCESS? AND EVEN IF YOU'RE A STAFF PERSON WHO'S USING YOUR PERSONAL TIME, IF IT'S DURING A WORKDAY, YOU CAN BE TAKING VACATION TIME, SO YOU'RE USING YOUR WORK TIME.
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THOSE OPTICS THAT MAYBE YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING AND GETTING AWAY WITH SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT CURRENTLY ON THE CITY PAYROLL CAN, OR WHERE, WHERE MY LIFE WAS PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS WELL KNOWN THAT THERE WERE CERTAIN SHERIFFS WHO WOULD PUT PRESSURE ON PEOPLE TO DONATE TO THEIR CAMPAIGNS.
HOW DO WE GET THE WORD OUT THAT THOSE OPTICS, WHETHER THEY'RE REAL OR NOT, I MEAN, THAT I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT REAL OR NOT BECAUSE JUST THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY HAS THAT PERCEPTION MEANS THAT THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE OPTICS.
HOW DO WE HELP THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY UNDERSTAND THE TRANSPARENCY AND HOW DO WE HELP THEM AVOID THOSE PITFALLS OF OPTICS THAT LOOK LIKE THERE'S COLLUSION WITHIN THE ELECTEDS AND THE CITY TO ACE OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF ELECTIONS? AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO COME, LIKE YOU SAID, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH AN ANSWER.
NOW, IF YOUR AD HOC, YOUR AD HOC IS GONNA HAVE ENOUGH GOING FORWARD WITH A LOT OF THE FINANCE STUFF WE'VE ALREADY HEARD THE AD HOC ON POLICY SAY THAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON LOOKING AT AS PART OF THEIRS.
BUT I THINK WE KEEP THIS ON OUR RADAR BECAUSE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN 2026 THAT GIVES SOMEBODY IN THE PUBLIC THE ILLUSION OR THE OPTICS OR THE IMPRESSION THAT SOMEBODY WHO IS CURRENTLY AN OFFICE HOLDER IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SITUATIONS, THEN THAT'S WHERE WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS UNTIL THE TIME COMES THAT WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO AN INVESTIGATION AND WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO ISSUE PENALTIES.
[00:35:01]
ENHANCE THE PROCESS SO THAT THERE'S TRUST AMONG OUR COMMUNITY THAT ELECTIONS ARE ABOVE BOARD AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE, UM, HAVE A LEG UP ON THAT RUNG AS THEY'RE TRYING TO RUN FOR OFFICE.I, I THINK, UM, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD ASK THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO COME BY, YOU KNOW, IN A FUTURE MEETING JUST TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DONE, WHAT THE TRAININGS ARE, KIND OF WHAT THEY COVER, BECAUSE THEN THAT MIGHT HELP AS A, YOU KNOW, FOUNDATION FOR WHAT THE COMMISSION WOULD WANT TO POTENTIALLY RECOMMEND IN ADDITION TO KIND OF WHAT THE CLERK COVERS AND THOSE TRAININGS.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY FOLKS JOIN THE TRAININGS, ALL THAT.
BUT I MEAN, AT LEAST JUST KNOWING WHAT THE SUBSTANCE IS, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THE, UH, CONVERSATION AROUND CODE OF CONDUCT AND FROM A, AN ETHICS PERSPECTIVE, OPTICS THAT MIGHT BE OVER AND ABOVE SORT OF THE, THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF WHAT'S ALLOWABLE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT COULD BE A GOOD STARTING POINT, AT LEAST FOR THE CONVERSATION FOR THE AD HOC TO TAKE UP LATER ON, IF THAT'S SURE.
UM, YEAH, I I, MINE IS SORT OF PILING ON TO WHAT TYLER WAS SAYING IS PARTICULARLY FOR CHIEF, YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE, BUT THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAD PREVIOUSLY ASKED US FOR INPUT ON THE HANDBOOK, UH, AS A FULL COMMISSION.
WE PROVIDED INPUT IN THE 2022 ELECTION, AND THEN FOR 2024 WE ADDED A, AND BOTH 2022 AND 2024, WE ADDED LETTERS FROM THE COMMISSION AND THE CHAIR AND I PARTICIPATED IN THE TRAINING SESSION, AND I BELIEVE THE PRIOR CHAIR, UH, PARTICIPATED IN THE 2022.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET THE CLERK TO COME BACK IN AND WE COULD ASK FOR ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE INPUT ON THE HANDBOOK AS, AS WELL AS ADDING THE LETTER.
AND THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE AD HOC WORKS ON IN, AT LEAST IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.
WOULD IT BE PERMISSIBLE TO NOT ONLY ASK FOR A REPORT FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE ON WHAT IS DONE, BUT ALSO WHAT THEY EVEN MAY PROPOSE TO ADDRESS? UH, THIS, THE, WHAT THE CLERK STAFF, NOT THE ETHICS OFFICE STAFF OR THE OFFICE OF TRANSPARENCY WOULD PROPOSE TO MAYBE ADDRESS THE SITUATION, KIND OF MOVE THE PROCESS DOWN THE ROAD? SURE.
I CHAIR, I THINK IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL, UM, TO HOPEFULLY RECEIVE SOME COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY AFTER THEIR INVESTIGATION.
I UNDERSTAND IT MAY BE A YES OR A NO, BUT I WOULD BE CURIOUS THAT IF IT'S A YES AND THEY SHARE THEIR CONCLUSIONS OR THEY SHARE THEIR FINDINGS, THAT WOULD HELP AS WELL HELP US KNOW WHERE TO GO.
SO LET ME TAKE A STAB AT GIVING YOU, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
SO WE'LL AMEND THE MOTION TO REQUEST THAT THE CITY CLERK COME TO A FUTURE MEETING TO PROVIDE A REVIEW OF THE ELECT CANDIDATE ELECTION HANDBOOK AND PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK THEY MIGHT HAVE FOR THE COMMISSION AS TO WHERE THEY THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN STRENGTHENING THAT PROCESS.
ONE AND TWO, THAT, UH, REQUEST GO FROM THE CHAIR TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR A REPORT BACK ON THE COLU, OR AT LEAST NOT A REPORT BACK FOR INFORMATION ON THAT THE INVESTIGATION ON THIS MATTER HAS BEEN CONCLUDED.
AND IF POSSIBLE, UM, ANY FINDINGS THAT GO WITH THAT.
DOES THAT WORK? YOU MOVING THAT? YES.
COMMISSIONER COLEMAN MOVED THAT
DID I MISS ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED ADDED IN THERE? NO.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
[4. 24-53263 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Ad Hoc Committee on the Lobbyist Ordinance. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
THE RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON THE LOBBYIST ORDINANCE?[00:40:05]
ARE YOU MOVING THAT COMMISSIONER? I'D LIKE TO MOVE AT LEAST AS FAR AS THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON THE LOBBYIST ORDINANCE THAT WE DEFER THIS ITEM UNTIL THE, UH, JUNE MEETING.IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT DEFERRAL? I SECOND THAT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON DEFERRING THIS ITEM TO JUNE? NO CHAIR, BUT JUST A QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION.
IS THAT THE FINAL PROPOSED REPORT OR IS THAT JUST AN UPDATE IN JUNE? IT WILL PROBABLY BE AN UPDATE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL BE READY WITH A COMPLETE REPORT.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? PLEASE CALL THE VOTE COMMISSIONER NOR AYE.
IS THERE A MOTION ON THE RECOMMENDATION
[5. 24-53264 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Ad Hoc Committee on Updated Policies. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO RECEIVE AND FILE A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON UPDATED POLICIES? OR DO YOU WANT TO DEFER TO JUNE ALSO? UH, WE'LL, WE CAN, MOST, MOST OF IT'S GONNA BE A DEFERRAL.WE CAN PROVIDE A QUICK, UH, UPDATE.
THEN LET'S DO A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE.
MOVE BY COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL SECOND BY COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS.
SO, UH, AS PLANNED AND DISCUSSED AT THE MAR AT THE APRIL MEETING, THERE WAS NO REAL AGENDA ITEM FOR THIS TOPIC.
UM, FOR THE, UH, POLICY COMMITTEE ON AD HOC OR AD HOC COMMITTEE ON POLICIES AT THIS MEETING.
UH, WHAT WE HAD PUT OUT PREVIOUSLY WERE SECTIONS 4.01 AND 4.02, DEALING WITH MORE GENERAL LANGUAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, ALONG WITH DEFINITIONS.
UM, AND WE RECEIVED COMMENTS BACK AT THAT AT THE APRIL MEETING.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, ADDRESSED THOSE COMMENTS AND WORKED WITH STAFF, UH, TO ADDRESS THOSE COMMENTS, AND I THINK WE BELIEVE THAT WE'VE ADDRESSED THOSE COMMENTS.
UH, WE ALSO PUT OUT AT THE LAST MEETING, SECTION 4.03 ON CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND ARE EXPECTING COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION AT THE JUNE MEETING OR PRIOR TO THE JUNE MEETING.
UH, I BELIEVE IF POSSIBLE, TO PROVIDE ANY COMMENTS YOU HAVE TO STAFF IN ADVANCE, UH, IN ADDITION, LIKELY NEEDING TO STATE THOSE COMMENTS ORALLY ON THE RECORD IN THE JUNE MEETING.
UH, THE AD HOC IS CONTINUING TO WORK.
COMMISSIONER DEES, I AND STAFF ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON A USE OF RESOURCE, UH, SECTION, UH, AN OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES SECTION, THE SECTION ON GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, AS ALL OF THOSE, OR AT LEAST, UH, ONE, TWO, OR THREE OF THOSE WOULD BE DIS UH, PRESIDED PROVIDED TO THE, UH, COMMISSION IN DRAFT FORM IN JUNE.
LASTLY, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT INTENDING TO FORECLOSE COMMENTS ON PREVIOUSLY, UH, SUBMITTED DRAFTS.
YOU KNOW, UH, THOSE ARE, UH, ANY COMMENTS YOU HAVE, CONTINUE TO BE WELCOME AND PROVIDE THOSE TO STAFF.
UM, AND THEN, BUT WE MAY NOT ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS ON PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED DRAFTS UNTIL, UM, THAT ARE NOT OUTSTANDING AND ON THE AGENDA TOPIC UNTIL WE LOOK AT THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE AS A WHOLE AND PROVIDE TO THE COMMISSION THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE AS A WHOLE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE REPORT? SEEING NONE WILL MOVE TO A VOTE.
SO, UNLESS THERE'S AN OBJECTION FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON THE PRIMARY NOMINATING ELECTION, I'M GOING TO MOVE ITEM 10 UP.
SO LET'S START WITH ITEM 10, WHICH IS OUR, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF
[10. 24-53268 Recommendation to receive and file an update on the current status of the Commission’s strategic planning project from Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, and discuss and provide direction on next steps. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TIME TO REALLY DIG INTO THE MEAT OF THIS.AND SO, WE'LL JUST ANYTHING THAT WE DIDN'T, IF WE DON'T GET TO THE REST OF IT AFTER WE FINISH WITH MARCOLA, THEN WE'LL HOLD THOSE ITEMS OVER UNTIL JUNE.
SO YOU THINK YOU'RE ALL AWARE THAT WE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH MARCOLA TO PRESENT, PROVIDE US WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN.
I'M GONNA LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND TAKE IT OVER FROM HERE.
IF I COULD CHAIR, WE JUST NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO RECEIVE AND FILE.
WE NEED A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THIS ITEM.
I'M JOHN ERO, UH, FROM THE MARK LEWIS CENTER FOR APPLIED ETHICS AT SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS AND IN A MOMENT, I'LL, I'LL LET MY COLLEAGUE WHO'S HERE AND S***T INTRODUCED HERSELF, UH, ALSO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION
[00:45:01]
TO BE HERE TO, WITH THIS MEETING TO, UH, GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.UM, I, I WANNA BEGIN BY, UH, IF WE CAN JUST GO TO THE FIRST SLIDE.
WELL, I GUESS I HAVE TO DO THAT.
UH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN WITH SOME INTRODUCTIONS, UM, UH, BY ANNE AND MYSELF AND, AND, UM, ALSO TO, TO KNOW WHO ARE, WHO ARE INTERACTING WITH HERE TODAY.
SO, UH, I'VE BEEN WITH THE MARK LEWIS CENTER FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS NOW, UH, HEADING UP THE GOVERNMENT ETHICS PROGRAM AND, UM, HAVE WORKED WITH OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN CALIFORNIA AND ELSEWHERE.
UH, I'M A CAREER POLITICAL SCIENTIST, UM, A RETIRED FOUR YEARS AGO FROM A CAREER AS A FACULTY MEMBER AND ADMINISTRATOR AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY IN CHICAGO.
AND AS A POLITICAL SCIENTIST, MY SPECIALTY HAS BEEN ON URBAN POLITICS AND URBAN GOVERNMENT.
AND I HAVE WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED, UH, ON MATTERS RELATED TO, UM, HOW CITIES ARE MANAGED AND, UM, HOW THEY CAN, UH, BE ATTENTIVE TO, UM, THE, THE POLITICS AND, AND THE, UM, UH, CITIZEN INTERESTS IN WHAT'S GOING ON AND CREATE A BETTER CULTURE, UH, WITHIN THEIR CITY GOVERNMENTS.
SO, UM, IT'S, UH, ESPECIALLY, UH, REWARDING TO ME TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS WE'RE DOING WITH THE LONG BEACH, UH, GOVERNMENT ETHICS COMMISSION AND, UM, HELP YOU, UH, UH, PURSUE YOUR GOAL OF CREATING A BETTER ETHICAL CULTURE, UM, THAT RUNS THROUGH THE CITY AND, AND ITS GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND DID YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF NOW? THANKS, JOHN.
AND I'LL JUST ADD MY THANKS, UH, TO, TO, TO JOHN'S FOR, UM, INVITING US TO BE HERE TODAY AND ALSO FOR ALL THE TIME THAT PEOPLE HAVE PUT INTO THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN UNDERWAY SINCE, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR.
I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP ETHICS AT THE MARCO CENTER FOR APPLIED ETHICS, A ROLE I'VE HELD FOR 10 YEARS.
UH, MY AREA OF EXPERTISE IS AROUND ISSUES OF LEADERSHIP AND FOLLOWERSHIP AND, UM, WITH A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN CULTURE.
AND SO I'VE STUDY ETHICAL CULTURE AND HAVE DONE SOME WORK AROUND THAT WITH A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, AS PART OF THE WORK I'VE DONE AT THE MARKLE CENTER, I'VE CONTRIBUTED TO, UH, TWO BOOKS.
ONE ON VOTING FOR ETHICS, ANOTHER ON CAMPAIGN ETHICS, AND, UM, HELPED TO START, UH, UH, UH, AREA OF THE ETHICS CENTER'S INTEREST IN ETHICS.
UM, AND SO JOHN AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER, AS I SAY, SINCE JANUARY WITH THE CITY, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME AND INTEREST EVERYBODY HAS SHOWN IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING TO HELP YOU IDENTIFY A STRATEGIC ROADMAP FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OF YOUR WORK.
UH, JOE, WOULD YOU MIND IF WE, IF THOSE AT THE TABLE, UM, COULD INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND MAYBE TELL US WHAT YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY IS HERE? I'VE ONLY HAD A CHANCE TO MEET REMOTELY WITH, UH, SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF.
UM, IT'S, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU IN PERSON.
I'VE TALKED TO JOHN, UM, ON ZOOM PREVIOUSLY, BUT NICE TO MEET YOU ANN.
UM, I, UH, AM AN ATTORNEY THAT IS IN THE PROCESS OF RETIRING.
I WAS APPOINTED TO THE COMMISSION BY THE AUDITOR IN THE, IT WAS THE FIRST GROUP OF PEOPLE IN, UM, 2019 AND SERVED AS THE FIRST CHAIR OF THE, OF THE COMMISSION.
I PREVIOUSLY WORKED ON THIS ISSUE WITH THE CITY IN ABOUT 2002 OR 2003 WHEN WE HAD, THERE WAS AN ETHICS TASK FORCE THAT WAS ASSEMBLED BY THE CITY COUNCIL FOR, UM, AND WAS PROBABLY IN EXISTENCE FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
IT WAS LESS THAN THAN A YEAR AND MADE VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS AT THAT TIME.
BEEN WITH THE COMMISSIONER COMMISSION SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
CAN CAN YOU TELL 'EM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, OR WHEN YOU SHOULD GO THROUGH YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND ALSO SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE? SURE.
UM, I'M AN ATTORNEY, UM, CURRENTLY, UM, WITH THE COUNTY OF, UH, LOS ANGELES.
AND, UM, PREVIOUSLY HAVE ALSO WORKED FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SO HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING, UM, IN THAT CAPACITY AS WELL.
I AM, UH, LONNIE, DEB BENEDICTUS, UH, FIRST TERM COMMISSIONER, UH, WAS A DIRECTOR IN CORPORATE ETHICS FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS, AND THEN, UH, MOVED TO, UH, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SETTING.
UH, WAS AN ETHICS OFFICER FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS, UH, WORKING WITH NASA PRIMARILY.
[00:50:01]
PLEASURE.UH, SORRY WE MISSED EACH OTHER.
UH, I WAS APPOINTED TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION IN 2022.
I PREVIOUSLY SEE SERVED ON THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, NOW KNOWN AS THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND THE CITIZENS POLICE COMPLAINT COMMISSION.
UM, I AM A PARALEGAL FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN LOS ANGELES.
UH, BEEN DOING THAT FOR 30 YEARS, UH, 25 YEARS WAS IN, UH, CRIMINAL AND CIVIL ABATEMENT CASES, AND NOW I JUST DO, UH, CRIMINAL DISCOVERY HERE IN LONG BEACH.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
IT'LL BE 18 YEARS IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, 10 OF THOSE YEARS WERE SPENT SUPPORTING AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
UH, ABOUT FIVE, SIX YEARS WAS SPENT BEING THE, EXCUSE ME, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COORDINATOR AND THEN ETHICS OFFICER FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON MY MASTER'S DEGREE.
I'M ON MY CAPSTONE RIGHT NOW, SO I'VE BEEN A COUPLE BALLS IN THE AIR.
SO, UM, IT'S BEEN A FUN TWO YEARS.
I'M WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, AND SEPTEMBER IT'LL BE FIVE YEARS WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, ALL WITH THAT OFFICE.
I'M ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
JOINED THE TEAM BACK IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
PREVIOUS TO THAT I WAS IN PUBLIC WORKS SINCE 2018.
SO EXCITED TO BE HERE, BEEN LEARNING A LOT ABOUT ETHICS, SUPPORTING HEATHER AND THE COMMISSION, UM, AND IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE SO FAR.
I'M TYLER BONANO CURLEY, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, AND JUST STARTED WITH THIS COMMISSION AND, UH, THE TEAM A FEW MONTHS AGO, UM, BUT PREVIOUSLY WAS IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AS THE MANAGER OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
I'M ANITA ANI, DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY.
I STARTED WITH THE ETHICS COMMISSION TODAY,
UM, UM, AND, UM, I'VE BEEN HERE, UM, FOR ABOUT LIKE TWO AND A HALF YEARS WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AND BEFORE THAT I WAS WITH THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH.
UM, AND BEFORE THAT IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, I AM MARGO MORALES, THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION FOR A COUPLE OF MORE MONTHS.
I WAS APPOINTED IN 2019 BY THEN MAYOR ROBERT GARCIA AS ONE OF HIS TWO APPOINTEES.
PROFESSIONALLY, I WORKED FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES FOR 34 YEARS IN, UH, VARIETY OF ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS.
UM, MY WORK EXPERIENCE, UH, I'M AN ATTORNEY.
I WORKED AT THE JUDICIAL BRANCH, UH, AND THEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEN PRIVATE PRACTICE.
AND THEN IN-HOUSE CORPORATE, UM, IN THE, IN-HOUSE CORPORATE ROLE, I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, A BUSINESS UNIT OF A GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR, INCLUDING ALL OF THE LEGAL INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMPLIANCE AND ETHICS FOR THAT BUSINESS.
UH, I'M ALSO HAVE BEEN, UH, WAS PART OF THE INAUGURAL, UH, GROUP OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
I WAS APPOINTED TO THE COMMISSION BY, UH, THE CITY CLERK, UH, LAURA DOWD, UM, NOT THE CITY CLERK, THE CITY AUDITOR, LAURA DOUD,
AND, UH, I HAVE BEEN, UH, PROFESSIONALLY, I HAVE, UH, 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
UH, STARTED WITH, UH, 15 YEARS OF LEGAL EXPERIENCE PRACTICING PRIMARILY BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, FIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN, UH, WASHINGTON, DC WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, UH, NOT AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THAT COMMISSION, BUT WORKING WITH THEM.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, FOR A LARGE COMPANY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, MANAGING ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE AND INFORMATION GOVERNANCE.
UH, AND, UM, NOW I AM FOCUSED ON, UH, HAVING RETIRED FROM THAT CAPACITY, UH, AND HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION.
IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO, UH, INTRODU BE INTRODUCED TO EACH OF YOU, AND TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR, YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS.
I'M GONNA MOVE OVER TO THE, UH, PODIUM.
AND SO, UH, I HAVE DISPLAYED HERE THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IS TO TAKE YOU THROUGH A BIT OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SINCE WE STARTED WORKING ON THE LONG BEACH PROJECT
[00:55:01]
IN DECEMBER.UH, THEN REVIEW, UH, IF YOU WOULD WITH US, UM, THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF YOUR ANNUAL REPORT, UH, SO THAT WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, MOST RECENTLY.
UM, AND THEN I WANNA TAKE YOU THROUGH, UH, SOME OF OUR FINDINGS, PRELIMINARY AS THEY ARE THAT COME FROM THE, UH, INTERVIEWS, THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, THE SURVEYS THAT WE HAVE DONE, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT AND, UM, TELL YOU WHAT SOME OF THE HIGH, UH, HEADLINES ARE AND WHAT WE SEE AS SOME OF THE EMERGING THEMES, UM, THAT WE'RE HEARING OR SEEING IN THE DATA THAT WE'RE COLLECTING.
AND THEN WE'D LIKE TO, UH, HAVE A DISCUSSION, GET SOME REACTIONS FROM THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
UM, AFTER THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, THE RANKINGS THAT WE ASKED, VARIOUS GROUPS THAT WE INTERVIEWED TO DO AROUND THE CITY'S VALUES AND THOSE VALUES THAT THE COMMISSION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ADVANCING.
UM, UH, TALK A BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE PUBLIC RESPONSES, UH, THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH, UM, UH, SOME PRELIMINARY SOAR ANALYSIS FINDINGS OF THE, UH, WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
AND SOAR IS, UH, STRENGTHS, OPPORTUNITIES, ASPIRATIONS, AND RESULTS.
IT'S A, IT'S A PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH AND, AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON IN AN ORGANIZATION.
AND THEN, UM, UH, HAVE, UH, AGAIN, SOME MORE DISCUSSION WITH YOU.
SO, UH, SINCE WE BEGAN THIS, THIS PROCESS, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DID AND HAVE CONTINUED TO DO THROUGHOUT IS TO GO THROUGH VARIOUS DOCUMENTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND WITH THE ETHICS COMMISSION AND SOME OTHERS.
AND I'M, I HAVE HERE JUST EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH, AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY PULLED THINGS OUT OF THESE DOCUMENTS, UH, THAT WILL HELP WITH THE SOAR ANALYSIS THAT, THAT WE ARE DOING.
UM, IT'S NOT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST.
IT HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT.
AND THEN, UH, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE AWARE OF, UH, CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE RELATE TO THE WORK OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION AND THAT, UM, UH, ANY ANALYSIS SHOULD BE INFORMED BY.
SO, UM, EVERYTHING FROM YOUR ANNUAL REPORTS TO EMPLOYEE SURVEYS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, UH, BACK IN 2019, JUST AS THE COMMISSION WAS BEING AUTHORIZED, THE MOST RECENT ONE DONE, UH, UH, WITH OUR COLLABORATION WITH, WITH HEATHER AND ORGE, UM, IN 2024.
UM, YOUR ACTION PLANS, THE MOST RECENT ONE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMISSION, ABOUT CITY GOVERNMENT, ABOUT WHO THE OFFICIALS ARE, UM, AND, UM, SOME, UH, OTHER INFORMATION THERE THAT'S JUST HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE EMERGING, UH, ETHICS WORK AND ETHICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT'S BEEN CREATED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, WE CONDUCTED, AS PART OF OUR PROCESS INTERVIEWS, UH, 26 OF THEM, ABOUT ON AVERAGE AN HOUR LONG.
WE INTERVIEWED, UM, THE ETHICS COMMISSIONERS.
WE'VE INTERVIEWED THE CITY COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE MAYOR.
UH, WE HAVE INTERVIEWED, UH, UH, UH, NINE CITY EXECUTIVES, BOTH APPOINTED AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, UM, AND SOME DEPUTIES.
AND, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED TO BOTH HEATHER AND ORGE IN THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND, UH, LET ME JUST SAY UPFRONT THAT, UM, THEY'VE BEEN WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH.
UM, THEY HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE, UH, TO OUR NEEDS AND REQUESTS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND MORE INFORMATION.
AND THEY'VE HELPED US THINK THROUGH ISSUES.
AND, UM, I COULDN'T BE MORE IMPRESSED WITH, UH, HOW COOPERATIVE, UH, THEY'VE BEEN AND HOW WELL THEY REPRESENT, UH, THE, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE HELD, UH, THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, IN WHICH, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COULD COME AND RESPOND TO SOME QUESTIONS FROM US ABOUT ETHICAL ISSUES, ABOUT THINGS LIKE THE CODE OF CONDUCT, UM, THE ROLE OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION AND, AND THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY.
UH, THE, THE FIRST, UH, PUBLIC MEETING WAS, I BELIEVE, ALMOST ENTIRELY ATTENDED BY THE COUNCIL OF BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS, IF I HAVE THAT TITLE RIGHT.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE HAD TWO SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.
SO I BELIEVE THESE WERE IN FEBRUARY, MARCH AND, UM, APRIL.
AND THE, UM, UH, THESE WERE DONE BY ZOOM.
THEY WERE DONE VIRTUALLY, BUT PEOPLE WERE VERY, UH, EAGER, I WOULD SAY, TO SHARE INFORMATION AND WE'RE VERY RESPONSIVE, UH, TO US.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE TRIED TO EXTRAPOLATE FROM THESE, UH, INTERVIEWS, UH, AND I, I, I DON'T HAVE IT, I DIDN'T MENTION IT, BUT ALSO THE EMPLOYEE SURVEY, THE MOST RECENT ONE THAT WAS DONE IS PART OF THE, THE DATA THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT.
[01:00:01]
SO WE'VE TRIED TO EXTRAPOLATE THEMES AT THIS POINT.AND AGAIN, WE'RE STILL EARLY IN A PROCESS THAT WE EXPECT WE WILL FULLY WRAP UP AND PRESENT AGAIN TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION IN AUGUST.
UM, BUT, UH, WE WANTED TO, UH, UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE'S CONSENSUS, WHERE THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME AGREEMENT AROUND CERTAIN, UM, TAKEAWAYS ON THE WORK OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION OF THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY OF, UH, THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
AND THIS HAS LED, UH, TO OUR PRELIMINARY SOAR ANALYSIS.
A A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA SHARE WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT THE SOAR IS BASED UPON THESE INTERVIEWS, THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, THE CITY EMPLOYEE, UH, SURVEY THAT WAS DONE, UM, AS WELL AS INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GATHERED FROM, UH, TALKING WITH, UH, THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT TO DATE.
AND BEFORE WE GET INTO TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE HEADLINES FROM OUR WORK, UM, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
AND WE'VE, WE, UH, TEED THIS UP, UH, BEFORE THE MEETING, IF WE COULD HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE ETHICS COMMISSIONS.
UH, TELL US A BIT ABOUT, UH, THE MAJOR, UH, TAKEAWAYS FROM YOUR 2023 ANNUAL REPORT.
WE DIDN'T REALLY PICK ONE PERSON TO DO IT.
UM, I THINK LONNIE, OR DO YOU GUYS WANNA TALK ABOUT WHAT THE POLICY, 'CAUSE YOU CAME UP WITH A FEW GOOD THINGS OUT OF THE POLICY AD HOC TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DID THERE.
THE VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT, THE, UM, I THINK THAT WHAT'S REALLY THE MOST INSTRUCTIVE IN TERMS OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF, OF THE REPORT BY THE ETHICS COMMISSION IS THE REPORT CAME OUT AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT CAME OUT RIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE FORMATION.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I'M SORRY, I THINKING I'M CONFUSED IN THE REPORT.
YEAH, IT MIGHT BE BETTER IF YOU ACTUALLY REFER TO THAT REPORT.
I I WAS THINKING OF A DIFFERENT REPORT.
NO, SO IN, AND, AND ACTUALLY I, I AM THE ONE THAT WROTE THIS WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE VICE CHAIR, BUT IN MY MIND, I THINK TWO OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE WORKED ON LAST YEAR WERE THE, UM, THE POLICY COMMITTEE WAS FORMATTED TO REALLY START LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS POLICIES THAT WE HAVE.
THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING AT GRATUITIES NEPOTISM.
THEIR WORK IS FINALLY GOING TO COME TO, TO SOME REPORTING OUT LATER THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER BIG, ONE OF THE OTHER BIG ISSUES THAT WE WORKED ON THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IS THE LOBBYIST ORDINANCE.
UM, AND AS I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, ONCE WE START DIGGING INTO THINGS, THE LOBBYIST ORDINANCE HADN'T BEEN LOOKED AT SINCE IT WAS ADOPTED MANY YEARS AGO.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT, LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY IN THE TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING, NOT ONLY WITH THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT WITH TOP CITY MANAGERS THAT IMPACT POLICY.
AND THAT GROUP SHOULD BE COMING BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS PROBABLY IN JULY.
UM, PUBLIC RECORD ACT RESPONSE WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME OUT OF CONCERN THAT THE CITY WAS VERY, VERY FAR BEHIND IN RESPONDING TO PUBLIC RECORDS.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STILL TAKING.
I MEAN, WHEN, WHEN THE FIRST REPORT CAME TO US LAST AUGUST, THERE WAS A SIX MONTH BACKLOG IN RESPONDING TO PUBLIC RECORDS, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF THE, THE STANDARDS OF THE, THE ACT.
SO, UM, THE CITY HAS REALLY TAKEN THAT TO HEART AND UNDERSTOOD OUR CONCERNS THAT THOSE RESPONSES NEED TO GO OUT ON A, ON A VERY, VERY REGULAR BASIS.
UM, LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME, WE HELD A MEETING SIMILAR TO THIS, IN THIS LOCATION WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE STRATEGIC, NO, WE DIDN'T HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, WHEN WE STARTED IN 2019, 2020, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HIT WITH THE PANDEMIC.
WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A WAY TO GO OUT AND COLLECT INFORMATION TO, FROM PEOPLE AS TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY THOUGHT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, WHAT AREAS THEY THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM.
WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT AUDITOR DOWD HAD DONE THE AUDIT THAT SHE DID.
THAT SERVED AS THE BASIS FOR OUR ROADMAP.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED ON OUR WORK.
WE STARTED LOOKING AT THE CODE OF CONDUCT, UM, OTHER ISSUES THAT WE THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND AS WE CAME TOGETHER LAST YEAR TO LOOK AT WHAT ISSUES WERE REMAINED OUTSTANDING AND WHAT AREAS WE WANTED TO LOOK AT, AT LEAST IN
[01:05:01]
MY MIND, I KNEW WE WERE COMING TO THE END OF THE WORK THAT WE HAD ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.AND THAT IN ORDER FOR THE COMMISSION TO REALLY KEEP MOVING AT THE AGGRESSIVE PACE THAT, I MEAN, AND I KNOW TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT MAY SEEM LIKE A SNAILS PACE, BUT REALLY WE HAVE BEEN AGGRESSIVELY WORKING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE THINGS.
UM, I MEAN, UNLIKE OTHER, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, WE ARE MEETING ON A MONTHLY BASIS, NOT ONLY AS THIS FULL GROUP, BUT OUR AD HOCS MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO DO THE ACTUAL NITTY GRITTY WORK.
SO THAT WAS WHEN WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD ASK CITY COUNCIL FOR MONEY SO THAT WE COULD BRING SOMEBODY IN TO DO SOME OF THAT OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY THAT OUR STAFF JUST DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME.
SO THAT WE COULD COME UP WITH, WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN.
I THINK THAT'S KIND OF HIGH LEVEL.
WHILE YOU WERE TALKING, I HOPE THAT HELPS.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING? ONE THING WE CANNOT TAKE FOR GRANTED IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE A LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET.
BECAUSE WHEN THIS COMMISSION WAS FORMED, THERE WAS NO MONEY ALLOCATED FOR IT IN THE CITY BUDGET.
SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND AND ACTUALLY BE VERY PROUD, I THINK, OF WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH VERY LITTLE RESOURCES, INCLUDING GETTING STAFF AND HAVING HEATHER HIRED AS THE ETHICS OFFICER.
SO IT DOESN'T SHOW UP IN THE REPORT NECESSARILY, BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT, HAS HISTORICAL POINT.
IT'S IN OUR PAST REPORTS, BECAUSE THAT YES, IT IS.
WHEN SUSAN WAS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION, THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE VERY, VERY RIGHTLY FOCUSED ON, THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE THE STAFF IN ORDER TO REALLY BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING.
AND THROUGH HER LEADERSHIP, THE CITY COUNCIL ALLOCATED MONEY TO US FOR THAT.
YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING? I WAS JUST, UH, GONNA POINT OUT, I BELIEVE THAT THE, UH, YOU ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, BEFORE I REALIZED I WAS ON THE WRONG TRACK, IS OUR ACTION PLAN OR THE ROADMAP.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE TOOK A DETAILED EFFORT LOOKING AT THE CITY AUDITOR REPORT, UM, THAT THE CHAIR HAD REFERENCED AND ITEMIZED EVERYTHING OUT.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AS YOU'RE DOING YOUR WORK, THAT YOU'RE KEEPING THAT ACTION PLAN IN MIND AND WILL AMONG OTHER THINGS, BE GIVING US RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE CAN MODIFY IT.
WE HAVE THE ACTION PLAN, AND WE, WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE, THE UPDATES, UH, THAT ARE IN THERE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, IT IS A GREAT WAY OF TRACKING THE PROGRESS THAT THE COMMISSION IS MAKING AND THE PRIORITIES THAT IT HAS FOR, UH, THE WORK, UH, TO, TO COME.
ANYONE ELSE CARE TO ADD ANYTHING ABOUT IT? IT LOOKS VERY NICE.
ALSO, THE ANNUAL REPORT DOES, SO WE HAVE STAFF TO THANK FOR THAT
THEY MADE, THEY MADE IT LOOK REALLY, I JUST DID THE LANGUAGE.
THEY PUT IT TOGETHER SO THAT IT LOOKED LIKE A PROFESSIONAL REPORT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE NOW BY, BY TAKING A LOOK AT JUST SOME HEADLINES THAT WE'VE PULLED OUT OF THE THEMES AND THE, UH, RESEARCH THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR.
UM, AND, UM, WE'LL PUT THESE OUT THERE JUST UPFRONT 'CAUSE WE WANT TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A, A, UH, A PATHWAY IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED SO THAT YOU'LL BETTER UNDERSTAND ONCE WE GET TO THE SOAR ANALYSIS AND THE DISCUSSION OF VALUES WHERE, UM, WHERE WE GOT SOME OF THIS FROM.
SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE HEADLINES FROM THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMISSION, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY ARE SEEN AS POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, THE, UH, QUITE OFTEN, UH, AMONG THOSE THAT WE TALKED TO, WE HEARD THIS, WE READ ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND, UM, THERE'S, UH, KUDOS THAT OFTENTIMES GO TO THE LEADERSHIP FROM THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY, UH, WITH THAT OFFICE'S CREATION BEING A GOOD WAY OF HELPING TO, UM, IMPLEMENT THE CHARGE OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
A SECOND HEADLINE IS THAT IS ABOUT THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
AND, UM, WE KNOW THIS IS ONE OF THE, THE SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION.
AND IT'S RECOGNIZED AS A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT BY, BY ALL OF THE MAJOR, UH, STAKEHOLDERS WHO WE INTERVIEWED, THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR, THE ETHICS COMMISSION ITSELF, THE, UM, UH, CITY'S EXECUTIVES, AND,
[01:10:01]
UM, BY THE, UH, OFFICE OF OET.UM, THE SURPRISE, PERHAPS IS THAT LESS THAN HALF OF CITY EMPLOYEES IN THE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, WERE SATISFIED WITH THE, THE, UH, CODE OF CONDUCT.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET INTO SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT WITH YOU.
UM, TRAINING, UH, EARLY TRAINING EFFORTS BY THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY, UH, ARE GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS BOTH NECESSARY AND VALUED.
UM, MORE EDUCATION IS CALLED FOR, UH, THERE IS A, A NEED THAT SEEMS TO BE PRESENT, UH, TO DEEPEN THE AWARENESS OF THE WORK AND THE ROLE OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION, UH, UM, THAT MIGHT RESULT IN GREATER CLARITY AROUND YOUR ROLE AND, UM, MORE REPORTING ON THE RESULTS.
AND THAT'S KIND OF A BROAD, UH, ASPECT OF, OF THE HEADLINE, UH, TO REPORTING ON RESULTS.
IT ISN'T JUST RESULTS, AS I'LL TELL YOU IN A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING ABOUT THE WORK THAT HEATHER'S OFFICE DOES, BUT ALSO ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE'S AN ETHICS COMPLAINT MADE.
WHERE DOES IT GO? WHEN DOES IT GET RESOLVED? HOW DO WE KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN RESOLVED? UH, FOUR, THERE'S BEEN A PERCEIVED LACK OF COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE ROLE AND PROGRESS OF THE ETHICS COMMITTEE, ETHICS COMMISSION, I'M SORRY.
AND AGAIN, UH, THAT COMES FROM A VARIETY OF THE GROUPS THAT WE INTERVIEWED AND TALKED TO.
AND, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAY ACTUALLY BE MORE PERCEIVED THAN REAL, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT.
BECAUSE OFTENTIMES, AS WE KNOW IN THE WORLD OF ETHICS, UH, PERCEPTIONS OFTENTIMES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN REAL FACTS.
UH, ANOTHER HEADLINE IS ABOUT THE PRIOR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION HAS MADE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND BY THIS, I MEAN, PRIOR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE PROCESS AROUND THE REVISIONS TO THE LOBBYING ORDINANCE, UM, HAVE IMPACTED SOME INDIVIDUAL'S CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN THE WORK OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION, PARTICULARLY AMONG THE PUBLIC, THOSE WHO ATTENDED THE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UM, THERE SEEMS TO BE CONFUSION ABOUT, UM, UH, SOME OF THE WORK OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION, AND PARTICULARLY AROUND THE ISSUE OF LOBBYING AND WHETHER THE LOBBYING CHANGES HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED, WHETHER THE COMMISSION HAS IGNORED PUBLIC SENTIMENT ABOUT THIS.
AND WE PICKED UP A VERY STRONG VIBE THAT, UM, THERE'S NOT, UH, SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOR INCLUDING NON-PROFITS AS A GENERAL CATEGORY IN A LIST OF THOSE WHO WOULD BE GOVERNED BY THE LOBBYING ORDINANCE REVISIONS.
THE ACTION PLAN AND ANNUAL REPORT ARE VIEWED AS, UH, USEFUL MECHANISMS FOR TRACKING PROGRESS.
UM, BUT FEW OUTSIDE OF, ESSENTIALLY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM ARE REALLY AWARE THAT YOU'VE GOT AN ACTION PLAN THAT YOU, UM, UH, HAVE A, A SYSTEM SET UP FOR TRACKING, UH, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, AND THEN THERE ARE OTHER ASPECTS OF TRACKING THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH KIND OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THINGS COME INTO THE HELPLINE.
UH, SEVEN, THERE'S A LACK OF CONSENSUS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE ETHICS COMMISSION NEEDS INVESTIGATORY POWERS.
UM, AND, UH, THAT IS SPECIFICALLY CARVED OUT.
WE KNOW FROM THE WAY YOU WERE AUTHORIZED.
UM, AND YET THERE IS A LEVEL AT WHICH, IF NOT THE COMMISSION, THEN THE COMMISSION STAFF IS INVOLVED IN HELPING TO INVESTIGATE WHEN COMPLAINTS COME IN.
SO IN THAT SENSE, THERE IS AN INVESTIGATORY ROLE.
IT MAY NOT PERTAIN DIRECTLY TO THE COMMISSION, BUT THE STAFF THAT SUPPORTS THE COMMISSION, AND I SAY THAT LARGELY WIDELY, NOT JUST REFERRING TO, UH, THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY, BUT THOSE OTHERS ON CITY STAFF WHO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
UH, EIGHT PUBLIC AWARENESS IS LOW, UM, DUE TO A LACK OF COMMUNICATION.
AND WHAT IS PERCEIVED BY THE PUBLIC IS A LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION, UH, AND THOSE WHO WORK IN THE ETHICS AREA TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC.
UM, LASTLY, THE LAST HEADLINE I'LL MENTION IS THAT THE CITY EMPLOYEES LACK OF AWARENESS OF THE ROLES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION, UM, SHOULD BE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN, UM, BECAUSE, UM, ONE WOULD EXPECT THAT THOSE WHO WORK FOR THE CITY WOULD BE MORE INFORMED ABOUT WORK THAT COMMISSIONS ARE DOING, OR THAT, UM, IS UNDERWAY.
AND, UM, AS, AS WE'LL AS WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU, UH, IT JUST SEEMS TO BE A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON AMONG CITY EMPLOYEES RATHER THAN ANYTHING PARTICULARLY NEGATIVE, UH, ABOUT
[01:15:01]
WHAT YOU'RE DOING COMING ON THE PART OF CITY EMPLOYEES.SO THOSE ARE NINE HEADLINES THAT WE WANTED TO PULL OUT FOR TODAY, UH, TO KIND OF LEAD UP TO OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT SOAR.
BUT LET ME PAUSE HERE AND SEE IF, UH, YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS OR, OR REACTIONS TO SOME OF THESE HEADLINES.
UM, WELL, ONE THING THAT DOES KIND OF SURPRISE ME IS THAT, UM, IT'S YEAR NUMBER TWO, THAT THE, THAT THE, UM, CITY EMPLOYEE RESPONDENTS ON THE SURVEY ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE CODE.
AND I'D LIKE, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT.
THE, THE OTHER ONES, UM, I FIND VERY USEFUL.
SOME ARE A LITTLE SURPRISING, SOME ARE NOT.
I, I I REALLY APPRECIATE THE ONES WHERE YOU CAN TELL PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED.
AND I MEAN, WE COULD DI WE HAVE TO DIG INTO THOSE, BUT, BUT IT'S THAT NUMBER TWO, I'M, I'M LIKE WONDERING, I WANNA KIND OF KNOW MORE ABOUT THE OTHER ONES.
I KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHY, AND I CAN GUESS WHO IS NOT HAPPY OR MOST CONFUSED, BUT THAT ONE HAS ME A LITTLE PUZZLED.
SO, UH, WE KNOW THAT THE, LET ME JUST SAY THIS, AND ANN, PLEASE JUMP IN HERE.
UM, WE KNOW THE CITY HAS A LARGE WORKFORCE, AND WHEN YOU HEAR THAT, UH, THIS IS DERIVED AT THIS POINT FROM A SURVEY OF ABOUT 146, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES THAT RESPONDED TO THE, TO THE CITYWIDE SURVEY, UM, IT'S A SMALL PORTION OF CITY EMPLOYEES, BUT, UM, IT'S NOT LIKE THIS WAS NOT UNIVERSAL ACROSS ALMOST EVERY QUESTION THAT WE ASKED THAT, UM, THERE WAS SOME DISSATISFACTION OR LACK OF SATISFACTION EXPRESSED, BUT JUST IN SO MANY, MANY CASES, A A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OR KNOWLEDGE, UM, THAT RESULTED IN EMPLOYEES SAYING THEY EITHER HAD NO OPINION OR THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION, UH, TO RESPOND.
AND GIVEN THAT THE CODE OF CONDUCT, BE IT ASPIRATIONAL OR NOT PERTAINS TO CITY EMPLOYEES AND OFFICIALS, YOU WOULD EXPECT MORE, UH, MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, AND YOU WOULD HOPE YOU WOULD HAVE MORE SATISFACTION OF THE FACT THAT THERE IS A GOVERNING CODE.
BUT, BUT IT DIDN'T, WE DON'T HAVE DATA.
LIKE THEY DIDN'T LIKE THIS SECTION OF IT, OR WAS THERE, WAS IT DIRECTED TOWARDS ANY PARTICULAR CONTENT? I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT.
PART OF IT HAS TO DO WITH PERCEPTIONS.
I BELIEVE ABOUT, UM, HOW WELL THE CODE HAS BEEN EXPLAINED TO EMPLOYEES, UM, HOW WELL IT IS ENFORCED OR WHETHER IT LACKS ENFORCEMENT THAT IT'S SORT OF LIKE, HERE'S THE HONOR CODE, HERE'S THE HONOR CODE FOR, UH, OUR EMPLOYEES AND OFFICIALS.
UM, AND WE HOPE YOU ALL ASPIRE TO, TO BE ATTENTIVE TO IT.
UM, AND OTHERS SAYING, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A CODE, THEN ENFORCE IT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD GET THE OCCASIONAL EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, I DID THIS AND NOTHING HAPPENED.
UH, I'M CON I'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND I DON'T SEE ANY ACTION BEING TAKEN.
ANN, ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD THERE? OKAY.
UH, JT, I JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR.
SO IT'S NOT THAT THEY NO, WEREN'T NECESSARILY SATISFIED WITH IT.
IN SOME CASES THEY JUST WEREN'T EVEN AWARE OF IT, OR THEY'RE NOT SATISFIED WITH HOW IT CAN BE INFLUENCED.
NO, THE MAJORITY ARE, WOULD INDICATE THEY, THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO EXPRESS A VIEW.
AND THOSE WHO DID EXPRESS A VIEW, THE SURPRISE WAS THAT THERE WAS SUCH, UM, A HIGHER LEVEL OF DISSATISFACTION THERE.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I'M GONNA HOLD OFF UNTIL WE GET FURTHER IN AN, AN AREA WHERE I WANT YOUR EXPERTISE AND AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS OKAY.
RELATED TO ENFORCEMENT OF A CODE.
UM, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURPRISED
[01:20:48]
WHAT I'M HOPING WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE.CAN I JUMP IN REALLY QUICK? AS COMMISSIONER NOVE EVERY, UH, WE NEED EVERYONE TO TURN ON THEIR MICS, UH, JUST 'CAUSE WE'RE RECORDING, SO WE'RE NOT PICKING UP COMMENTS RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU TOUCHING ON WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER BENEDICTUS WAS SAYING, UH, YOUR HEADLINES EIGHT AND NINE DON'T SURPRISE ME AT ALL.
UM, IT'S VERY HARD TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC.
UM, IT'S ALSO VERY HARD TO ENGAGE EMPLOYEES.
UM, YOU CAN'T FORCE THE EMPLOYEES TO SIGN UP FOR E-NEWSLETTERS FROM EVERY COMMISSION IN THE CITY.
YOU CAN'T FORCE EMPLOYEES TO DO CERTAIN THINGS TO BE INFORMED.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CITY OF LA I GET EMAILS ALL THE TIME FROM DEPARTMENTS AND I'M LIKE, OH, I HAVE TO DO THIS.
I HAVE TO UPDATE THIS, I HAVE TO UPDATE THAT.
AND QUITE HONESTLY, I IGNORE THEM RIGHT IN THE BACK OF MY MIND.
BUT I ONLY WILL DO THAT WHEN I, WHEN I RUN INTO THE ADOBE SITUATION AND I HAVE TO UPDATE IT.
I'M NOT GONNA STOP MY DAY TO DO THAT.
IT'S VERY HARD TO ENGAGE INDIVIDUALS, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES AS WELL.
AND EVEN IF WE DECIDED WE AUTHORIZED, UM, HEATHER TO SEND OUT A MAILER TO EVERY RESIDENT IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WHICH IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, MOST LIKELY THE MAJORITY WILL NOT READ IT.
SO, I, UM, IT'S ALWAYS A VERY INTERESTING THING ON HOW TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC.
UM, I THINK ONE MAIN THING TO DO IS ALWAYS HAVE THE COMMUNITY AT THE TABLE AND ALWAYS HAVE THE COMMUNITIES ARE BEING AFFECTED BY POLICY CHANGE AT THE TABLE.
THOSE ARE GONNA BE IMPACTED DIRECTLY.
I, I WOULD JUST ADD I AGREE 100% WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER NOVEY.
AND WHAT I WOULD ALSO NOW, OR MORE LIKELY AT THE NEXT DISCUSSION ALSO WOULD LIKE YOUR EXPERTISE OF WHAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED AND HAVE SEEN OTHER CITIES HAVE EXPERIENCED ALONG THESE HEADLINES IS INCLUDING EIGHT AND NINE, OR ESPECIALLY EIGHT AND NINE.
WE'LL GET TO TALK MORE ABOUT THESE HEADLINES AS WE, AS WE GO THROUGH THE MATERIALS THAT WE PREPARED FOR YOU.
UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, UH, I'LL THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON THE HEADLINES AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO ANNE WHO'S GONNA TAKE US THROUGH A DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME OF OUR FINDINGS.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA LOOK A LITTLE, UM, AT SOME DATA POINTS.
'CAUSE THERE WERE SOME DATA POINTS BETWEEN BOTH THE INTERVIEWS AND THE, UH, EMPLOYEE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE THAT GIVE US SOME, UM, SENSE OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT.
AND IN PARTICULAR, WE ASKED IN EACH GROUP THAT WE INTERACTED WITH ABOUT THE CITY VALUES, WHICH ARE DESCRIBED AT THE TOP OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
AND EACH HAVE A BRIEF, UH, DEFINITION IN THE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS, WE ASKED EVERYBODY THAT WE WERE TALKING WITH TO RANK THE PRESENCE OF THOSE VALUES ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, 10 BEING THE MOST, ONE BEING THE LEAST, OF HOW PRESENT THAT VALUE WAS IN THE CITY.
AND THEN WE BROKE THAT DOWN BY EACH ONE OF THE GROUPS THAT WE TALKED TO.
WE ASKED THE QUESTION A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS AND IN THE CITY SURVEY, IT WAS ALSO ASKED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
SO IN THE CITY SURVEY, IT WAS ASKED WHAT'S THE MOST PRESENT AND THE LEAST PRESENT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT PERCENTAGE INFORMATION FROM THAT GROUP.
AND IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, SINCE IT WAS HARD TO DO A SCALE OF ONE TO 10 IN A PUBLIC MEETING, WE ASKED PEOPLE TO LET US KNOW IF THE VALUE WAS NOT AT ALL PRESENT, WAS PARTIALLY PRESENT OR WAS FULLY PRESENT IN THE CITY.
SO WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH THE GRAPHS AND THEN THERE'S
[01:25:01]
SOME HEADLINES FROM THOSE.UM, AND THEN YOU CAN ASK ANY QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THOSE.
SO THE FIRST GROUP, THESE ARE FROM THE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS THAT WE DID, UH, 26 OVERALL.
AND THESE ARE AVERAGES BY EACH VALUE.
SO ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, UM, IN EACH AREA, I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THE ONE THAT WAS THE STRONGEST VALUE.
SO THE WAY TO READ THIS IS THAT OF THE NINE CITY COUNCIL INTERVIEWS THAT WERE DONE, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY WAS THE VALUE THAT THEY PLACED THE HIGHEST, AND THE AVERAGE WAS 7.4.
BUT REALLY WHAT YOU CAN SEE IN MANY OF THESE IS HOW CLOSELY TOGETHER THE RANKINGS ARE.
SO, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA IN THE CITY COUNCIL, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING DRAMATIC ABOUT THE FINDINGS, UH, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UM, CITY EXECUTIVES, THE, UH, VALUE THAT THEY FELT WAS THE HIGHEST, UH, PRESENT WAS TRANSPARENCY.
AND FOR THE ETHICS COMMISSION, IT WAS DIVERSITY, UH, 8.6%.
AND WHEN YOU AVERAGE ALL THE INTERVIEWS TOGETHER, DIVERSITY WAS ALSO THE VALUE THAT WAS, UH, CAME UP WITH THE HIGHEST AVERAGE ACROSS ALL 26 OF THOSE INTERVIEWS.
FOR THE CITY EMPLOYEE SURVEY, AGAIN, WE ASKED THE MOST PRESENT AND THE LEAST PRESENT VALUES.
AND I SHOULD SAY, ACTUALLY THIS, THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BY THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY, SO, AND DEVISED BY THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY.
SO IT WASN'T NECESSARILY JOHN AND I ASKING ONE QUICK CLARIFICATION.
WHEN YOU SAY MOST PRESENT, LEAST PRESENT, ALSO THE PRIOR IN THE RANKINGS, IT'S WHETHER OR NOT THAT VA VALUE IS SEEN AS BEING ADHERED TO WITHIN THE CITY.
SO ON THIS PRESENT, ON THIS CHART, WE DIDN'T ASK MOST AND LEAST PRESENT.
WE ASKED THEM TO TELL US A RANKING ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10 FOR EACH ONE OF THEM.
THIS IS NOT MOST OR LEAST PRESENT.
THIS IS ON AVERAGE ACCOUNTABILITY ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, ACCORDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL IS A 7.4.
AND ACCORDING TO ALL INTERVIEWEES WAS A 7.0.
UM, SO SLIGHTLY MORE THAN HALF, UH, YOU KNOW, HALFWAY TO, YEAH, FELT THAT THE CITY AND CITY WERE BEING COUNTED, NO, SORRY, MICROPHONES, PLEASE, MORE THAN HALFWAY TO AVERAGE.
SO SEVEN OUTTA 10, IN OTHER WORDS, THAT WAS THE STRENGTH OF ITS PRESENCE IN THE CITY.
UM, SO, SO 10 BEING THE MOST POSITIVE AND ONE BEING THE LEAST POSITIVE RANKING THAT YOU COULD GIVE.
UH, IT'S CLOSER TO 10 THAN IT IS TO ONE, IS THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT THESE.
THIS IS AN AVERAGE ON, ON A 10 POINT SCALE.
UM, AND DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, DIVERSITY, RIGHT? THE VALUE DIVERSITY.
AND DIVERSITY DIDN'T MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT AGENDAS, TALKED MORE ABOUT, UH, PERSPECTIVE AND CULTURES IN THE, IN THE, IN THE CITY.
SO THEN I FIND, I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THE COMMISSION SCORES ARE SO MUCH LOWER OTHER THAN DIVERSITY WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY EXECUTIVES.
WE FOUND THAT INTERESTING TOO,
SO, UM, SO AGAIN, THIS, THIS WAS ASKED ON THE SURVEY AS MOST AND LEAST PRESENT, UH, DIVERSITY WAS THE VALUE THAT WAS SEEN AS MOST PRESENT BY CITI EMPLOYEES AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS THE LEAST PRESENT OF THOSE.
BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN NOTICE THAT FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY AREN'T FAR BEHIND, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY IN TERMS OF LEAST PRESENT.
UM, BUT THE STRENGTH OF DIVERSITY IN THE CITY IS PRETTY COMPELLING.
AND THEN IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, AGAIN, WE ASKED THIS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY.
IT WAS NOT AT ALL PRESENT, SOMEWHAT PRESENT, FULLY PRESENT IN THE CITY, AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO GET PERCENTAGE RESPONSES TO THIS.
UM, AND INTERESTINGLY, DIVERSITY IS BOTH THE STRONGEST AND THE WEAKEST
UM, AND THE TWO THAT CAME OUT AS THE, YOU KNOW, NOT AS STRONGLY PRESENT WERE TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY.
AND SO SOME OF THE HEADLINES, UH, OR THE RECAP OF THE VALUES ASSESSMENT IS THAT DIVERSITY WAS THE STRONGEST VALUE PRESENT IN ALL CONSTITUENTS.
UH, THOUGH AS I MENTIONED, THERE WAS A, A LIMITED NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS PRESENT AT ALL.
UM, THE CONSISTENCY OF RANKINGS FOR THE MOST PART ACROSS THE CITY
[01:30:01]
COUNCIL, CITY EXECUTIVES, AND THE OFFICE OF TRANSPARENCY WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS.AND ONE OF THOSE, UM, IS THAT THE CITY EXECUTIVES FELT THAT THE VALUE OF TRANSPARENCY WAS THE HIGHEST, UM, AND MUCH HIGHER THAN OTHER CONSTITUENTS.
AND THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY THE LOWEST RANKED VALUE BY, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE OFFICE OF, UH, ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
THE ETHICS COMMISSION VALUE RANKINGS ARE LOWER ACROSS THE BOARD, UM, THAN THE CITY AND THE OTHER CONSTITUENTS THAT WE SPOKE WITH.
AND CITY EMPLOYEES FEEL THAT ACCOUNTABILITY IS THE LEAST PRESENT VALUE AND TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY WERE THE WEAKEST IN THE PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS.
SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE I MOVE ON? YES.
I THINK THE OTHER, UH, COMMENT IS, I, I FEEL A LITTLE MORE MOTIVATED, UH, ON OUR AD HOC FOR THE POLICY BECAUSE IT'S HARD.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, ENFORCEMENT, WE'VE TALKED, DISCUSSED ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, AND ENFORCEMENT.
AND WITHOUT POLICY, WITHOUT CHARTER, UH, IT IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.
AND, UH, THERE ARE A COUPLE, UM, BASIC ETHICS, UM, PRINCIPLES, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, GIFTS AND GRATUITIES WHERE THERE REALLY DOES NOT EXIST BRIGHT LINES AND RULES.
UH, SO I THINK THAT THAT WILL BE HELPFUL.
BUT THEN IT TURNS TO CITY LEADERSHIP FOR ENFORCEMENT.
BUT WE, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE, WE CREATE THE, THE STRUCTURE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE, AND THE GROUND RULES.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, UH, GREAT STAFF WORK, ET CETERA.
BUT IT REALLY, WE CAN ONLY, WE CAN ONLY BUILD IT.
'CAUSE I DO THINK, UM, PART OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY STRUGGLE IS A LACK OF GUIDANCE AND RULES.
WELL, I WOULD SAY THERE'S A FEW THINGS TO BE ENCOURAGED BY THIS, UM, EXERCISE.
UM, AS SOMEBODY WHO STUDIES CULTURE AND VALUES IN ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, THE FIRST IS THAT IN ALL OF THE INTERVIEWS, WHETHER THEY WERE THE PUBLIC MEETINGS OR THE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS, UM, PEOPLE WERE VERY HAPPY TO BE TALKING ABOUT VALUES AND TOOK THE WHOLE QUESTION VERY SERIOUSLY.
UM, AND WERE THOUGHTFUL IN THEIR RESPONSES.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE WOULD ASK FOR SOME TIME TO PENCIL IT OUT FIRST BEFORE THEY WOULD PROVIDE THEIR RESPONSE.
UM, SO TO SEE THAT, THAT IN THE CULTURE OF THE CITY VALUES ARE SOMETHING THAT ARE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, IS ACTUALLY A REAL ASSET FOR THE CITY.
AND I THINK SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN BUILD ON AND SPEAKS TO THE PRESENCE OF AN ETHICAL CULTURE IN A COMMUNITY.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REAL STRENGTH.
AND THEN JUST THE RANKINGS THEMSELVES ARE STRONG.
THEY ARE OVER 5.0 WHEN WE DID IT ON THE SCALE OF ONE TO 10.
SO EVEN WHERE THERE ARE LOW RANKINGS, THEY'RE NOT ONES AND TWOS.
I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE FEELING LIKE THE VALUES ARE MORE, MORE PRESENT THAN NOT PRESENT IS THE WAY TO INTERPRET THAT.
AND THAT IS ACTUALLY A REAL PLUS FOR THE CITY AND SOMETHING THAT CAN BE BUILT UPON.
MOVING ON THEN TO JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON SOME OF THE PUBLIC RESPONSES.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT WAS A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN, GIVEN SOME OF THE HEADLINES, WE FIGURED THERE'D BE, UM, UH, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR YOU TO GET A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT.
WE ASKED SOME FAMILIARITY QUESTIONS IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
WE ASKED ABOUT THE AWARENESS OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION, THE AWARENESS OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT, IF PEOPLE HAD EVER COMMUNICATED WITH AN ETHICS COMMISSION MEMBER, IF THEY'D EVER ATTENDED A MEETING OR EVER COMMUNICATED WITH A MEMBER OF THE, UH, OF THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND SO THESE ARE THE PERCENTAGES OF THE 47 RESPONDENTS IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, UH, IN RANK ORDER, IN TERMS OF THEIR AWARENESS LEVEL.
SO I THINK HERE, UM, IT WAS EVIDENT TO JOHN AND I THAT IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS THERE WAS THIS A DECENT REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY, EITHER IN THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION MEETING, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE HELD, OR EVEN IN THE OTHER TWO OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SIT ON OTHER COMMISSIONS OR PEOPLE THAT WERE, UM, AS AN AVERAGE CITIZEN, VERY ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY AND HAD DONE A LOT OF THEIR OWN RESEARCH AROUND THE CITY AND ITS ISSUES.
UM, SO IT'S WAS SURPRISING GIVEN THAT PROFILE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT JUST LITTLE OVER HALF ANSWERED POSITIVELY TO WERE THEY AWARE OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
UM, SO EVEN THOUGH THAT'S AN OVER HALF RESPONSE, IT'S AN OVER HALF RESPONSE OF, OF, OF A SET OF AUDIENCES THAT WERE BIASED TOWARDS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CITY.
I WOULD'VE EXPECTED THAT NUMBER TO ACTUALLY BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER GIVEN WHO WAS IN THE ROOM.
I MEAN, THESE WERE THE PEOPLE WHO DID SHOW UP, RIGHT?
[01:35:01]
SO THAT'S ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT.PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED ENOUGH TO COME TO A PUBLIC MEETING ABOUT THE ETHICS COMMISSION AND STILL, UM, THEY WERE ONLY HALF.
NOW, I WILL SAY, SOME PEOPLE MAKE COMMENTS LIKE, I'M IN THIS MEETING TO LEARN, YOU KNOW, I'M HERE.
I I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT IT, WHICH SORT OF POINTS TO ONE OF THOSE OTHER HEADLINES THAT WE IDENTIFIED, WHICH IS THAT THE PUBLIC'S LOOKING FOR MORE WAYS TO INTERACT WITH THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
AND SO, UM, SO THIS WAS GOOD, A GOOD, UH, STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, AND THEN SIMILARLY, YOU KNOW, NOT QUITE HALF OF THEM WERE AWARE OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
UM, THE CODE OF CONDUCT IS FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH EMPLOYEES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS AND EXECUTIVES.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY BEEN PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC AS SOMETHING FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S CONSIDERED TO BE ASPIRATIONAL FOR THE ENTIRE CITY, THEN THERE YOU'LL NEED TO DO A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LEG WORK AND PUBLICITY TO GET IT OUT THERE IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IN THEIR, IN THEIR MIND.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE BEFORE I MOVE ON? THE BUSINESS GROUP? UM, I, I'M NOT THE, IT'S CALLED COUNCIL OF BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS.
I, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT BUSINESSES ARE PART OF THIS, RIGHT.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS.
BUT THE COBA IS KIND OF LIKE A MORE OVERARCHING, THERE'S MORE BUSINESS, BUT A PRIVATE COMPANY, WOULD IT BE A MEMBER OF IT OR IS IT NO, IT'S JUST COMMUNITY BUSINESS.
IT'S THE ONE THAT BLAIR, UM, CONE MANAGES ASSOCIATION.
I THINK I THINK OF WHAT BLAIR CONE RUNS AS THE BIXBY, UM, BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, BUT I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH, SO HE DOES, BUT THERE'S A GROUP OF OTHER BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATION, SO IT, AND IT PROBABLY IS LIKE THE, THE, UH, BELMONT SHORE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION ALL TOGETHER.
I WOULD CHARACTERIZE THE PEOPLE IN THAT MEETING AS FAIRLY CONVERSANT WITH THE CITY AND ITS POLICIES.
SO, HAD A HIGH AWARENESS OF HOW THINGS, HOW BUSINESS IS DONE IN THE CITY.
IS THAT A COMMENT IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM? SORRY.
JUST WANTED TO, UM, DOUBLE CHECK.
THEN I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR YOU.
WE ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE ROLE OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY? AND I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO YOU TO SEE A RANGE OF RESPONSES.
LIKE, IT ISN'T LIKE 10 PEOPLE RESPONDED IDENTICALLY.
EVERYBODY KIND OF PUT IT IN THEIR OWN WORDS, BUT I STILL THOUGHT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO YOU TO SEE THE RANGE OF THINGS THAT THEY SAID.
THEY SEE YOUR ROLE AS PROVIDING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE CITY, UPHOLDING WHAT IS WRITTEN ABOUT ETHICS IN THE CITY, PROVIDING GUARDRAILS FOR VALUES AND ETHICS STATEMENTS, PROMOTING CITY PURPOSE AND STEWARDSHIP OVER THE LONG TERM, REVIEWING ISSUES IN REGARDS TO CONFLICT OF INTERESTS AND ENFORCING GUIDELINES ON CITY COUNCIL ACTIONS OR BEHAVIORS, SETTING THE GROUND RULES FOR BEHAVIORS ON COMMISSIONS, RECOMMENDING GUIDELINES AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND OVERSEEING ETHICS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, AGAIN, EVEN TO SAY THIS VERY FIRST ONE, THE MOST CONSISTENT RESPONSE THAT WE RECEIVED WAS QUESTIONING THE INCLUSION OF NONPROFITS IN THE LOBBYING ORDINANCE.
SO, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS THE MOST OFTEN STATED, IT STILL WAS ONLY 19% OF THE RESPONDENTS, BUT THEY'RE NOT MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT MESSAGE
IT CAME, AND IT, AND IT ALSO CAME UP IN ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS.
SO IT WASN'T JUST IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, BUT IN THE PUBLIC DIALOGUE.
UM, IT WAS DEFINITELY A THEME.
UM, PEOPLE WERE UNAWARE OF THE COMMISSION'S OUTCOMES, OR ALTERNATIVELY, THEY HAD A PERCEPTION THAT IT'S NOT DOING VERY MUCH AT ALL.
SO EITHER THEY DON'T KNOW, OR THEY THINK THEY KNOW AND THEY DON'T THINK IT'S DOING MUCH.
THERE IS INTEREST IN MORE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR VARIOUS, UM, CONSTITUENTS, COMMISSIONS, CANDIDATES ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
UM, SOME OF THAT WAS REFLECTED IN SOME OF YOUR EARLIER CONVERSATION, YOUR SORT OF AWARENESS OF THAT.
UM, BUT A SENSE THAT THERE IS AN INTEREST IN RECEIVING MORE EDUCATIONAL, UH, PROGRAMS BEFORE ADDING ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE COMMISSION'S WORK.
UH, THERE'S STRONG INTEREST IN MORE COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE PUBLIC AND TO OTHER COMMISSIONS.
AND THAT CAME UP IN, UH, THE EXCHANGE AND ALSO AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO USE VARIOUS FORMS OF MEDIA TO,
[01:40:01]
UM, TO FULFILL THAT, THAT GOAL.UH, THERE'S A DESIRE TO SEE ENFORCEMENT POWER FOR THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE HINT EARLIER THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT EMPLOYEES THOUGHT.
WE DIDN'T, WE DON'T MAYBE HAVE ALL THE DETAIL ON WHAT EMPLOYEES THOUGHT AS THEY WERE CHECKING OUT A SURVEY.
BUT HERE IN THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION, THERE DEFINITELY WAS MENTION OF, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE IT HAS SOME TEETH TO IT.
AND THEN FINALLY THAT, UM, THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE RECEIVED TRAINING OR HAD INTERACTIONS WITH THE ETHICS COMMISSION REALLY VALUE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THERE SEEMED TO BE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SORT OF SET A TONE FOR HOW THE CITY'S BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED THROUGH THE OTHER PUBLIC COMMISSIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? OKAY.
THEN WE'RE GONNA SHIFT GEARS AND SHARE WITH YOU THE HEADLINES FROM THE SOAR ANALYSIS.
ROOM BREAK BEFORE YOU GO INTO, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I'M JUST GONNA PUSH MY BUTTONS
WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN AT ALMOST TWO HOURS.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO TAKE A NO, I, UH, BIO BREAKS ARE ALWAYS RECOMMENDED.
DON'T FORGET TO EAT SNACKS, PLEASE.
EARLIER WHEN I WAS SAID I WASN'T FEELING WELL, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR.
I WAS REFERRING TO THE FACT THAT I, UH, HAD SINUS SURGERY LAST WEEK AND, UH, WAS JUST, UH, YESTERDAY WAS ABLE TO GET THE RATHER EXTENSIVE SET OF BANDAGES OFF.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO.
I WAS JUST SAY, I, I, UM, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH THERESA GOMEZ BEFORE WE GOT OUR MEETING STARTED, AND SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE RANGE OF, UH, PROGRAMS THAT SHE OVERSEES, AND WE WERE JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT ALL OF THOSE HAVE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ETHICAL ISSUES IN THEM.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, COULD WE JUST DO A QUICK ROLL CALL? OH, SURE.
COMMISSIONER COR COLEMAN, UH, PRESENT, PRESENT HERE.
COMMISSIONER, DEFENDANT DICTUS PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER WISE, PRESENT VICE CHAIR P*****K, PRESENT.
SO, UM, THANKS VERY MUCH, UM, FOR YOUR, UH, CONTINUED ATTENTION.
UM, WE'RE GONNA DIG NOW INTO THE SOAR ANALYSIS, AND I SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS IS A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS BASED ON THE MATERIALS THAT WE'VE REVIEWED SO FAR, AND THE INTERVIEWS THAT WE'VE HELD AND THE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE BY, UM, CITY EMPLOYEES.
UM, SO SOAR STANDS FOR STRENGTHS, OPPORTUNITIES, ASPIRATIONS, AND RESULTS.
UM, IT'S A TOOL THAT'S USED IN STRATEGIC PLANNING OR TO, TO DEVELOP AS WE ARE GONNA DEVELOP FOR YOU A STRATEGIC ROADMAP, SORT OF A DIRECTION THAT TO SET FOR THE COMMISSION FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UM, SOME OF YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN STRATEGIC PLANNING ACTIVITIES BEFORE, MAYBE YOU'VE USED A FRAMEWORK CALLED SWAT, STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS.
SO THIS IS A SLIGHT VARIATION ON THAT.
AND, UM, I THINK WE'D LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS A, AS A, AS A POSITIVE FRAME, AN ATTEMPT TO REALLY BRING FORWARD THE ASSETS IN AN ORGANIZATION AND BUILD ON THEM.
THE, UM, DIFFERENT CATEGORIES THAT I'M GONNA GO THROUGH HERE ARE THE SYNTHESIS OF THE, OF THE INTERVIEWS THAT WE'VE DONE, AS I SAID, IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WE HAD, AND WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH A PROCESS WHERE WE CODED THE RESULTS, SORT OF AS IF IT WERE A RESEARCH PROJECT.
SO WE TOOK NOTE, YOU KNOW, WE NOTED DOWN HOW MANY MENTIONS OF CERTAIN TOPICS, AND THEN, UM, UH, GLD TOGETHER THE, YOU KNOW, ADDED TOGETHER THE ONES THAT WERE SIMILAR.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE GO THROUGH THESE, YOU'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE SEEING THEM IN A RANKED ORDER.
SO IT'LL BE THE, THE THING THAT WAS COMMENTED ON THE MOST, UH, OR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IS THE GREATEST, IS THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT THAT, OR THE MOST TIGHTLY HELD ASPIRATION.
UM, THE FIRST STRENGTH IS THAT THE CITY, UH, UH, THE CODE OF CONDUCT WAS ADOPTED, AND THAT WAS, HAS WAS MENTIONED, UM, FREQUENTLY AND REALLY SEEN BY MANY, UM, AS A REAL ASSET IN THE CITY.
AND SOME, UH, BELIEVE THAT IT HAS IMPROVED THE CULTURE OF ETHICS IN THE CITY.
THE SECOND STRENGTH IS THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY, THE FACT THAT IT WAS ESTABLISHED AND IS LED BY A STRONG LEADER.
[01:45:01]
EXECUTIVES CAN IDENTIFY THE COMMISSION'S ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION, AND THEY SEEMED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE A HISTORY OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE COMMISSION HAS MADE.
CITY EMPLOYEES ARE AWARE OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION, UM, JUST AT LEAST THEY KNOW YOU'RE HERE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, UM, AN ASSET.
UM, THE TRAINING PROGRAM IS VALUED AND CREDITED WITH RAISING AWARENESS OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION AMONGST STAFF.
THE FACT THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION HAS ETHICS EXPERIENCE AND THAT YOU WORK TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY WAS NOTED AND VALUED.
THE COMMISSION TRACKS ITS WORK AND OUTCOMES THROUGH AN ACTION PLAN THAT THE EARLY EFFORT ON SELECTING A REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE WENT WELL, EVEN IF IT'S NOT WIDELY KNOWN, AND THAT SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND OF CITY GOVERNMENT ARE PLEASED THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION IS UNDERTAKING THE WORK ON LOBBYING.
SO WE PUT UP THAT THERE TO HELP YOU SEE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY REALLY GLAD THAT THE WORK IS, IS, UM, UNDERWAY, EVEN THOUGH OTHERS HAD A LOT TO SAY ABOUT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF IT.
OKAY, MOVING ON TO THE OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY IS TO ENGAGE AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL TO CHANGE THEIR PERCEPTION THAT NOTHING HAS COME FROM THE COMMISSION THUS FAR, WHICH A FEW OF THEM HELD, AND THAT CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES HAVE NO VIEW INTO THE WORK OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
THE SECOND OPPORTUNITY IS TO DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING BY THE PUBLIC AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE ETHICS COMMISSION'S ROLE, PERFORMANCE TRACKING AND DEFINITION OF SUCCESS.
I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT THERE'S, UM, A SENSE OF CONFUSION ABOUT ROLES BETWEEN THE ETHICS COMMISSION, THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, HUMAN RESOURCES IN SOME CASES.
AND SO ROLE CLARIFICATION IS, IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND THAT WE, UH, THAT MANY PUBLIC ELECTED, UH, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, BOTH ELECTED AND APPOINTED BELIEVE THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION IS PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF ITS ROLE.
IS THAT A NEGATIVE OR A POSITIVE?
I MEAN, E EVEN IN HERE EARLIER, UM, TODAY IN SOME OF YOUR AGENDA ITEMS, YOU MADE REFERENCE TO LET'S PUSH THE BOUNDARY AS FAR AS WE CAN.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND OUT WHETHER IT'S SEEN AS A POSITIVE OR A NEGATIVE.
UM, BUT DEFINITELY IT'S BEEN RECEIVED THAT WAY TO EMBRACE THE FACT THAT IT EFFECTIVENESS AS AN ADVISORY BODY IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO KIND OF REESTABLISH SOME CREDIBILITY.
THERE'S A PERCEPTION THAT SOME OF THE EARLY MOVES OF THE COMMISSION WERE SEEN AS STUMBLES, UM, IN PARTICULAR THE C RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE LOBBYING PROCESS.
AND THOSE CAME UP, YOU KNOW, UNPROVOKED.
WE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT EITHER ONE OF THOSE WHEN WE WENT OUT, STARTING TO ASK OUR QUESTIONS.
SO THOSE WERE, UM, FORTHCOMING IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT RATHER THAN PUNITIVE MEASURES.
SO DEFINITELY, UM, MORE OF A GLASS HALF FULL, UH, ASSET BASED APPROACH IS, UM, IS WHAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE INTERVIEWED SEE AS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE COMMISSION.
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE WITHIN CITY GOVERNMENT AND TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT WORK IN PROGRESS BEFORE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE.
UM, THE ETHICS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE, UH, ACT, I MAY HAVE THAT NOT EXACTLY, UM, OR A GOOD GOVERNMENT ACT, NOT EXACTLY, UH, ACCURATE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S GOING ON ABOUT THAT, AND IT'S NOT YET KNOWN THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
AND SO SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE GOT FROM PEOPLE WERE, WELL, BY THE TIME WE HEAR ABOUT IT, IT'S ALREADY FULLY BAKED.
THE IT'S ALREADY DONE, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AT ALL, OR TO GIVE OUR 2 CENTS ON ANY TOPIC.
SO, AS IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THIS WORK WAS UNDERWAY AND A SIGNIFICANT UNDERTAKING, AND YET THERE'S A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO AREN'T EVEN AWARE THAT THAT WORK IS GOING ON, THEN IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY AS YOU'RE DOING THE WORK TO STOP AND ENGAGE WITH DIFFERENT CONSTITUENTS AND TELL THEM ABOUT THE WORK AS IT'S ACTUALLY BEING DONE.
AND NOT TO WAIT UNTIL IT'S FULLY BAKED AND BRING IT FORWARD AS A FA ACCOMPLI, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT GET THE REACTION TO IT THAT YOU WANT.
AND THE LAST OPPORTUNITY IS TO IDENTIFY MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMUNICATE AND INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO JOHN, WHO'S GONNA TALK ABOUT ASPIRATIONS AND RESULTS.
[01:50:01]
OKAY.SO ASPIRATIONS ARE, ARE REALLY ABOUT WHAT INTERNALLY MIGHT BE DONE, UH, THAT COULD IMPROVE AND ENHANCE, UH, THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION, THE WORK OF THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY, UM, AND, UH, PLACE IT IN A GOOD POSITION MOVING INTO THE FUTURE.
AGAIN, AS ANNE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE LISTED THESE IN TERMS OF WHERE THERE WAS THE, THE, THE, THESE WERE THE PRIORITIES THAT WE, UH, DISCOVERED IN THE THEMES.
SO THE TOP ASPIRATION THAT CAME OUT OF ALL OF THE INTERVIEWS AND SO FORTH, UM, IS THAT THE COMMISSION SHOULD FOCUS ON BROAD PRIORITIES AND ITS CORE ROLES AS LAID OUT IN YOUR, YOUR CHARTER.
UM, THE BREADTH OF THE COMMISSION'S ROLE BEYOND LOBBYING.
AND, AND SO MANY, UM, UH, COMMENTED ABOUT THE LOBBYING THING IS THOUGH, THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT YOU'RE FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW, WHICH I THINK EVEN WE UNDERSTAND IS NOT TRUE.
BUT AGAIN, THERE'S THE PERCEPTION OF THAT.
AND, UH, SO SOME HAVE SAID, WELL, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER CORE ROLES OF THE COMMISSION, OTHER THAN DEVELOPING A, A CODE OF CONDUCT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S BEING DONE ON CAMPAIGN? UM, I'M SORRY.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE, UH, BROAD GOVERNMENT ETHICS ISSUES AND, UH, CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICIES, UH, FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND, UM, UH, MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, ASSISTING DEPARTMENTS IN DEVELOPING THEIR OWN CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODES AND HAVING ADVOCATES WHO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, UH, AND HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHARTER CITY ORDINANCES ROLES OF ELECTED AND, UH, PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
UM, THE, WHAT, WHAT WE WERE HEARING AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD SO FAR IS THAT THERE'S AN IMPORTANT ROLE, EVEN AS AN ADVISORY BODY AND FOCUSING ON HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS AN ADVISORY BODY, POTENTIALLY LAYS THE, THE, UM, FOUNDATION FOR AN EXPANSION OR AN ALTERATION IN THE, UH, COMMISSION'S ROLE GOING FORWARD.
AND YOU MAY NOT, YOU MAY WANNA BE THERE TODAY, BUT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THERE TOMORROW, BUT SOMETIME IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET TO WHERE, UH, YOU WOULD LIKE THE ETHICS COMMISSION, UH, TO BE.
UM, WE HEARD, UH, QUITE OFTEN, AND THIS WASN'T JUST FROM THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY, UH, BUT THAT THE, THE STAFF TO MANAGE THE GROWING WORKLOAD OF THE, UH, ETHICS COMMISSION AND THE ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY ISSUES THAT COME UP IN CITY GOVERNMENT, UM, IS, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS, IS DIFFICULT TO MANAGE WITH THE STAFF OF ONE FULL-TIME LEADER FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
AND THEN SOME PEOPLE LIKE JORGE, WHO DO THEIR WORK IN THE OFFICE AS PART OF THEIR, THEIR BROADER ROLE FOR THE CITY MANAGER, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PROVIDES SOMEONE WHO DOES, DOES WORK AS PART OF THEIR ROLE IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND YOU GET THE POINT I'M MAKING HERE.
DID YOU HEAR THAT? DID YOU, IN TERMS OF THAT COMMENT, DID, IS THAT A COMMENT THAT YOU HEARD ACROSS THE BOARD FROM ALL STAKEHOLDERS INTERVIEWED? OR, AND DID THAT INCLUDE THE CITY COUNCIL ITSELF? UM, WE, WE DID ASK ABOUT THAT WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO WE, WE HAVE INCLUDED, UM, THEIR, THEIR COMMENTS IN OUR SOAR ANALYSIS THAT DID NOT FRANKLY, COME UP AS OFTEN IN THAT GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS, IF YOU WILL, UM, AS IT DID AMONG OTHERS.
BUT AGAIN, UM, TO GO BACK TO AN OPPORTUNITY THAT ANNE TALKED ABOUT, IS THAT, UH, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO KIND OF RESET THINGS AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET INTO THIS MORE AS WE LOOK AT MORE INFORMATION, BUT TO RESET THINGS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL GOING FORWARD.
UM, THAT THERE, THERE ARE CLEARLY, UH, A STRONG SENSE THERE THAT EITHER, I KNOW THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT THIS A FEW MINUTES AGO.
YOU'RE PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT YOUR ROLE SHOULD BE.
AND, UM, YOU, YOU TOOK UPON, YOU TOOK SOMETHING UPON YOURSELVES TO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WASN'T INTERESTED IN TAKING UP AS ONE OF YOUR EARLY ACTIONS.
AND THAT WAS THE, THE CEN RECOMMENDATION.
AND THAT IT'S THERE, IT JUST, IT'S JUST AN ISSUE THAT IT'S DIFFICULT FOR SOME PEOPLE TO LET GO OF.
SO IT'S GOOD TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
UM, SO I, I THINK WE, I, I, WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT EXPANDING THE STAFF, I THINK NOT NE REQUIRES A DEEPER LOOK AT THE WORKLOAD AND WHERE IT'S GOING, HOW THAT HELPLINE IS MANAGED, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, SOME BENCHMARKING TO HOW OTHER CITIES RELATIVE TO THEIR SIZE AND THE SIZE OF LONG BEACH, ARE MANAGING THEIR OWN ETHICS COMMISSIONS, SUPPORTING
[01:55:01]
THEIR ETHICS COMMISSIONS, AND HAVING A, A FULL-TIME STAFF THERE, UH, CLARIFYING THE INVESTIGATIVE ROLE AND EXPANDING THE ROLE TO INCLUDE ENFORCEMENT.UM, THE, I I THINK THE, THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT, UM, YOU'RE NOT FORMALLY GIVEN THE POWER TO INVESTIGATE THINGS, AND YET THE STAFF THAT SUPPORTS YOU IS EXPECTED TO INVESTIGATE THINGS OR TO BE PART OF THOSE ROLES WHEN SOMETHING MIGHT COME IN THROUGH THE HELPLINE, WHETHER THEY'RE DOING IT, UH, AS THE, THE SOLE STAFF LOOKING INTO IT, OR THEY'RE DOING IT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE AUDITOR OR THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE, UM, NEED TO CLARIFY IS THAT THE COMMISSION ITSELF MAY NOT BE CHARGED WITH INVESTIGATIONS, BUT WE HAVE A STAFF THAT SUPPORTS US THAT PARTICIPATES IN INVESTIGATIONS.
I THINK THE BIGGER QUESTION, AND THE ONE THAT PROBABLY IS MORE RELEVANT IS WHAT KIND OF ENFORCEMENT, UM, SHOULD, UH, THE COMMISSION AND THOSE WHO SUPPORTIVE HAVE IN ENFORCING THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND THE OTHER ETHICS STANDARDS AND POLICIES THAT EXIST IN THE CITY, UM, IMPLEMENTING A NEW PROCESS.
AND I'VE CHARACTERIZED ANNE, AND I'VE CHARACTERIZED IT AS A TRIAGING PROCESS FOR WHAT COMES INTO THE HELPLINE.
SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO SPEND TIME ON THAT IF YOU ASPIRE TO MAKE THE HELPLINE SOMETHING THAT EMPLOYEES TRUST IN, AND THAT EVERYONE HAS SOME UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS AN OUTCOME, EVEN IF THAT PARTICULAR OUTCOME CAN'T BE PUBLICLY REVEALED.
UM, IT, IT WOULD BE THE, THE, THE, THE WORKER OF THE HELPLINE WOULD BE IMPROVED.
IF THERE'S A, SOME TRIAGING THAT TAKES PLACE WHERE MAYBE THREE OFFICES, MAYBE IT'S IT'S OET, THE AUDITOR AND ONE OTHER OFFICE THAT ARE, THAT ARE LOOKING AT THE HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, LOOKING AT THE STUFF THAT COMES IN AND THEN DECIDING, YOU KNOW, HEATHER, THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING YOU SHOULD LOOK AT.
OR HUMAN RESOURCES CAN SAY, I'M TAKING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE DO AS A NORMAL PART OF OUR CHARGE AS THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE.
AND THEN THAT ONCE YOU, YOU HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE, YOU GET A BETTER IDEA OF HOW MUCH STAFF TIME IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT YOU END UP TAKING INTO YOUR OFFICE.
BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S A LITTLE LACK OF, UH, CLARIFICATION AROUND HOW THE HELPLINE OUGHT TO OPERATE.
AND THERE ARE MANY MODELS OF HELPLINES THAT WORK VERY WELL, BUT THEY WORK WELL WHEN THEY'RE SORT OF AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL SHARING OF RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE INITIAL INTAKE STAGE TO ENSURE THAT THAT COMPLAINT IS, IS ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE RIGHT OFFICE OR SEVERAL OFFICES THAT CAN INVESTIGATE IT.
UM, REVISING THE CITY CODE TO HAVE AN ALL ETHICS RELATED ORDINANCE AND POLICIES IN ONE CHAPTER.
WE DO, WE DO, WE DID HEAR THAT.
UM, THAT IS AN, THIS AN ASPIRATION.
I KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT AN AD HOC WORKING ON THAT, AND, UM, THAT PUTS YOU IN A GOOD PLACE.
UM, AND A THEME THAT RUNS ACROSS, UM, ALL OF OUR, UH, INTERVIEWS AND OTHER DATA THAT WE LOOKED AT IS REALLY RELATED TO HOW WE CAN BETTER, UM, EDUCATE, UH, EVERYONE ABOUT THE WORK OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION, ABOUT THE CODE OF CONDUCT, ABOUT WHAT OUR ROLE IS WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH GOVERNMENT.
AND SO THAT'S ABOUT PROVIDING BETTER EDUCATION TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND CHARGE TRAINING, BETTER TRAINING, MORE TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES AND OFFICIALS, AND BETTER COMMUNICATION.
WE HEARD ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION REPEATEDLY FROM EVERY STAKEHOLDER GROUP THAT WE SPOKE TO.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A ASPIRATIONAL OPPORTUNITY HERE CONTINUING WITH ASPIRATIONS.
UM, THE, THESE NEXT TWO KIND OF GO TOGETHER IN MANY WAYS.
UM, WE, UH, YOU KNOW, AMONG, AND THIS IS CLEARLY IN THE TOP 50% OF RESPONSES THAT WE GOT, THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME EVALUATION OF WHERE THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY LOGICALLY BELONGS IN CITY GOVERNMENT, HAVING IT UNDER RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER OF LONG BEACH GOVERNMENT.
OR FROM AN ORGANIZATIONAL STANDPOINT, WHEN YOU DEAL WITH THE, WITH THE FUNCTIONAL ROLES OF AN ETHICS OFFICE, THEN YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT, WHETHER THAT IS IN FACT, LIKE OTHER PARTS OF, UH, MANAGING A CITY, WHAT, UH, WHERE A, AN OFFICE, UH, LIKE THIS SHOULD BE LOCATED, SHOULD IT REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE COMMISSION? UM, THAT WOULD PROBABLY, UH, ONLY OCCUR IF THERE'S A CHANGE IN THE COMMISSION'S ROLE TO A MORE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION, UH, THAT CAN DO MORE THAN SIMPLY ADVISE AND THEN WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS, UH, IN RESPONSE TO YOUR ADVICE TO THE, THE LEGISLATIVE BODY OF
[02:00:01]
THE CITY.UM, BUT BOTH OF THOSE CAME UP OFTEN ENOUGH THAT THEY RISE INTO THE TOP HALF OF THE, UH, ASPIRATIONAL ITEMS THAT THEMES THAT WE LOCATED IN OUR ANALYSIS.
UM, IMPROVING THE TRACKING AND THE OUTCOMES OF THE, OF THE HELPLINE, I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
AND I'M NOT, I, UH, WE HEARD THIS A LOT.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE, AS YET, ANN AND I HAVE CLARITY AROUND, UM, WHAT TRACKING IS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE, WHAT KIND OF REPORTING OUT IS TAKING PLACE ON OUTCOMES, WHO DOES THAT? WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE MORE CENTRAL COORDINATION OF, UH, THIS, BUT THE HELPLINE IS, UH, IS, UM, UH, IT, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY AND IT'S A BURDEN, BUT IF YOU DON'T MANAGE THE OPPORTUNITY AND, AND ALSO MANAGE THE BURDENS THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT, THEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN WHAT THE HELPLINE CAN BE.
SO IT WAS MENTIONED OFTEN ENOUGH THAT I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE NEED TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT.
UM, I THINK YOU'RE ALREADY, YOU ALREADY LEAN IN THIS DIRECTION OF THE NEXT BULLET POINT ABOUT MAINTAINING AND UPDATING THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
I MEAN, IT REALLY SHOULD BE A, A LIVING DOCUMENT AND THAT IT, IT, UH, IS UPDATED AS NECESSARY AND ON SOME REGULAR BASIS.
SO WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, EVERY TWO YEARS OR THREE YEARS, YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT, WHATEVER, BUT IT, IT'S, UH, UH, DEFINITELY A THEME THAT EMERGED.
AND THEN DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH THE OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS IS SOMETHING THAT EMERGES.
AND BY THAT I MEAN, UM, YOU'LL FIND CONCERNS IN, IN, IN FROM THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, FROM THE, UH, ON THE CITY COUNCIL, FROM THOSE IN EXECUTIVE POSITIONS ABOUT WANTING TO BE DIALOGUING PERHAPS MORE TO DEVELOP THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
AND, UM, KNOWING THAT IS, IS AN ASPIRATIONAL AND AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN HAVING MORE DIALOGUE WITH YOU OF KNOWING MORE ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE COMING FROM, FROM THE COMMISSION, UH, AND HAVING SOME CLARITY AROUND THAT AND, UM, COLLABORATION IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH IT.
SO I JUST, I KIND OF HAVE A MICROPHONE.
SHE'S NOT TALKING INTO IT, BUT IT'S ON.
I, SO I THINK THAT'S AN AREA WE'RE GONNA KIND OF NEED YOUR EXPERTISE ON, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO AVOID IS THE PERCEPTION THAT WE'RE TAKING DIRECTION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MM-HMM.
AND SO TO, TO MEET WITH THEM AND GO OVER THINGS WITH THEM IS, IS KIND OF, THAT'S A FINE LINE.
AND I THINK WHERE IT'S GOTTEN US INTO A HOLE GOING FORWARD IN USING LOBBYING AS AN EXAMPLE, IS WE'VE PUT OUT A COUPLE OF DRAFTS THAT THEN THE NONPROFITS HAVE BEEN GOING BACK TO THEM AND MEETING WITH THEM AND TELLING 'EM, WE DON'T LIKE THIS, WE DON'T LIKE THAT, BUT WE AS AN AD HOC HAS SPECIFICALLY NOT MET WITH THEM BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THAT PUBLIC PERCEPTION THAT WE'RE, WE ARE THEIR PUPPETS.
SO THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW OTHER CITIES MANAGE THAT WORK WITH THAT, BUT THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL NEED YOUR HELP WITH AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND WE'LL CERTAINLY TRY TO PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE THERE.
SO THEN RESULTS, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF EXTERNAL EITHER TO WHAT THE CITY CAN CONTROL, WHAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION CAN DO, UM, AND THIS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE OTHER CONSTITUENCIES THAT YOU HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT, MAINLY THE PUBLIC, UM, KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC JUST DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION DOES OR SHOULD DO.
AND THIS ALLOWS YOU TO THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE RESULT THAT SORT OF COMES AWAY FROM.
AND, AND IT ISN'T JUST THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE SAW IN THE, UM, MEETINGS WE HAD, THE PUBLIC MEETINGS WE HAD, THERE WERE, THERE WERE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED ABOUT PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS, PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHERS.
AND THAT CAME THROUGH, UM, AS, AS THE TOP RESULT TO THINK ABOUT IS, UM, HOW DO WE IMPROVE THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION DOES ENHANCE COMMUNICATIONS WITH CITY EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC, UH, AGAIN, BOTH KEY CONSTITUENCIES TO WHAT, TO THE WORK THAT AN ETHICS COMMISSION DOES.
AND SO HAVING IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS, UH, SHOULD BE A RESULT OF SOMETHING THAT COULD BE AND PERHAPS SHOULD BE AN, UH, AN OUTCOME FOR OUR ORGANIZATION.
UM, RIGHT NOW, EXPANDING THE ROLE OF THE COMMISSION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S EMBRACED BY A MAJORITY OF THE CITY COUNCIL
[02:05:02]
THAT'S PRESENT DAY.AND AGAIN, I, IF, IF THAT IS, IF THERE IS A STRONG DESIRE TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION, AND THERE IS SOME SUPPORT FOR EXPANDING THE ROLE BEYOND JUST BEING ADVISORY, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OVER THE COURSE OF A FIVE YEAR PLAN, YOU CAN WORK TOWARD, UM, WITH SOME CAREFUL STEPS ALONG THE WAY THAT PAVE THE, THE PATHWAY TOWARD THAT.
UM, PROMOTING THE CITY'S VALUES AND POSITIVELY IMPACTING CITIZENS' LIVES WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS MENTIONED A NUMBER OF TIMES BY PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, AND BY THOSE OTHERS THAT WE INTERVIEWED, THAT THAT'S AN OPPOR, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COMMISSIONS CAN DO.
AND THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION SEEMS TO BE IN A, A LOFTY POSITION GIVEN ITS CHARGE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE CULTURE THAT OPERATES WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, TRY TO ADDRESS THE LOW AWARENESS AND, AND MORE NEUTRAL PERCEPTIONS OF CITY EMPLOYEES.
AND, UH, FINALLY, UM, UH, THERE SEEMS TO BE A, UH, A, A DEMAND FOR PROMOTING A CULTURE OF ETHICS ACROSS THE CITY, WHICH ISN'T JUST ABOUT TRYING TO CREATE MORE ETHICS WITHIN THE CITY GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO WITHIN THE, THE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN WHICH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH GOVERNMENT OPERATES.
SO THESE ARE AMONG, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS SEVERAL HUNDRED DIFFERENT COMMENTS THAT WE PICKED UP THAT WERE UNIQUE.
UM, A, A REVISION OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT, UH, WHICH MANY DESCRIBE TODAY AS AN ASPIRATIONAL CODE.
UM, IT'S WHAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE, BUT IF WE COULD THINK ABOUT WAYS TO REVISE THE CODE THAT CONTINUE TO LAY IT OUT THERE AS AN ASPIRATION THAT, THAT ALL CITY EMPLOYEES, ALL CITY EMPLOYEE, UH, UH, OFFICIALS SHOULD WORK TOWARD, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME EMBEDDING PARTS OF IT INTO POLICY THAT CAN BE ENFORCED IS, UH, A, A RESULT THAT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO, UM, STRIVE TOWARD RESPONDING TO THE LINGERING DE DOUBTS ABOUT THE ETHICS COMMISSION VALUE STILL EXISTS IN SOME QUARTERS.
AND, UM, AND, AND AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO ALMOST A SINGULAR EVENT BECAUSE IT, IT HAPPENED SO EARLY IN THE LIFESPAN OF THE, UH, ETHICS COMMISSION.
AND, AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? DOES THAT MEAN WE NEED TO HAVE MORE DIALOGUE WITH SOME PEOPLE ABOUT THAT? OR WE JUST NEED TO HAVE OUR ACTIONS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES? I'M GONNA SAY IT'S A, A COMBINATION OF, UM, LETTING YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, BUT ALSO SOME, SOME WORDS
UM, SO, UM, I THINK ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, THE MEANINGFUL WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AROUND LOBBYING, UM, THE GOOD GOVERNMENT ACTS, UM, THE, THE VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, UM, DO START TO SHOW THE CITY COUNCIL AND OTHER CONSTITUENTS WHAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION IS DOING.
BUT THE WORDS, PART OF IT IS TAKING THE TIME TO GO VISIT WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND COMMUNICATE SOME OF THAT TO THEM, AND TO DO IT MAYBE WHEN THERE ISN'T NEWS TO REPORT OR THERE ISN'T A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE, BUT JUST ALONG THE WAY TO BE UPDATING THEM MORE REGULARLY ON THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, SEVERAL OF THEM SAID THEY, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY WOULD COME AND GO OVER THEIR ACTION PLAN OR THEIR ANNUAL REPORT IN A CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
OTHERS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND, AND MAYBE THAT'S BEEN TRIED, BUT THERE WAS A SENSE OF INTEREST IN THAT FROM THE, FROM A NUMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE TALKED TO.
SO THAT'S WHERE I SAY THE WORDS CAN BE HELPFUL TO YOU, JUST, I WOULD THINK ABOUT IT AS, UM, CONTINUING TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING ALREADY, UM, BUT THAT THEY HAVE MORE VISIBILITY INTO YOUR WORK AS IT GOES ON.
BUT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE CENTER ISSUE HEAD ON WITH MORE OF THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE CEN UM, RECOMMENDATION CERTAINLY COMMENTED ON IT, BUT EVERYBODY WAS VERY DIPLOMATIC ABOUT THAT.
AND ACTUALLY, I, I FELT WENT A LITTLE BIT OUTTA THEIR WAY TO NOT HAVE THAT FLAVOR, THEIR COMMENTS TOO MUCH.
THEY NOTED IT, BUT THEY MOVED ON.
SO IT MAY BE THAT IT'S FAR ENOUGH IN THE PAST THAT IT CAN BE NOTED AND MOVED ON FROM, UM, I, I THINK I WOULD FOCUS MORE ON BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL GOING FORWARD.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA RE REPEAT, UH, WHAT ANNE SAID.
I THINK THAT YOU, YOU JUST HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT BOTHERS SOME PEOPLE, UH, SOME OF WHOM ARE STILL IN CITY GOVERNMENT,
[02:10:02]
ON THE CITY COUNCIL, OTHER PLACES.UM, BUT, UM, SO BOBBY AND I HAVE MET WITH ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND SINCE THEN, THOSE, SINCE THEN, AND THOSE TWO THAT WERE IMPACTED WITH IT, RAISED IT IN OUR DIALOGUE.
AND WE HAD, I MEAN, WE HAD A HEAD ON DISCUSSION WITH THEM ABOUT IT.
SO I, I REALLY DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN DO MORE THAN THE, I MEAN, IT'S, AND I KNOW IT'S A STING TO THEM.
I KNOW IT'S, IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A STING, BUT IT, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
UM, AND IN RETROSPECT, I'VE SHARED THIS WITH YOU.
I THINK WE GOT USED BY ANOTHER OFFICE HOLDER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, THEY KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THE INVESTIGATION, AND THEY CHOSE NOT TO.
AND I THINK, I THINK THAT COMES WITH SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DIALOGUED ABOUT EARLIER HERE.
AND THEN IN THE PAST, THERE'S BEEN NO REPERCUSSIONS FOR CERTAIN ACTIONS.
AND THE FACT THAT WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE INVESTIGATION THAT CAME BACK AND CAME BACK WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION WAS LIKE AN EYEOPENER.
AND I THINK FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT RAISES QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER THEY WANT TO GIVE US THAT ABILITY IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE SOMEBODY HOLDING THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE IN TERMS OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
SUSAN, I, I, I THINK, MY HONOR, I, I THINK THIS COMES, THIS WILL COME BACK AS A DISCUSSION ITEM IF WE TAKE ON THE ISSUE OF WHAT ABOUT INVESTIGATORY POWERS AND HOW TO HANDLE STUFF ON THE HELPLINE, BECAUSE AS INDICATED IN OUR DISCUSSION WITH REFERENCE TO THAT ITEM THAT WAS ON THE AGENDA TODAY, WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND, AND IN THE CASE WHERE THE CENTER HAPPENED, IT, IT WAS SUBMITTED TO US, AND WE WERE GIVEN CERTAIN OPTIONS.
WE HAD NO OPPORTUNITY TO DO, UM, OUR OWN INVESTIGATION OR TO ASK FOR ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION.
UM, AND IT'S TRUE, THE PEOPLE COULD HAVE COME AND SPOKEN TO US, BUT THEY WOULD'VE HAD TO DO THAT VOLUNTARILY.
I MEAN, I, IT WAS, THERE WAS NO, THERE'S NO PROCESS.
IF WE TRY TO WORK ON THOSE ISSUES, THEN ALL THE PROB THOSE PROBLEMS WILL, THAT THERE WERE WITH THAT ITEM WHEN IT CAME BEFORE US.
AND IT WASN'T, IT WAS NOT A, A UNANIMOUS VOTE TO, TO, UM, TO, TO DO WHAT THE COMMISSION DECIDED TO DO.
AND, AND, AND SO I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT I, BUT I THINK, AND I GUESS WE'LL JUST FILE A LOT OF THOSE REPORTS ABOUT WHO WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO, BUT, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD HAVE IT.
WE SHOULD HAVE, WE SHOULD WORK.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD GIVE PRIORITY TO GOING FORWARD.
NOT IN TERMS OF THAT PARTICULAR INSTANCE, BUT ALL THESE INSTANCES.
WE SHOULD FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE, AND, AND THEN WE CAN GO TALK TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
WE CAN BRANCH OUT, WE CAN GO IN LITTLE GROUPS OF TWO, YOU KNOW, SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO FALL JUST ON TWO PEOPLE AND JUST TALK AND GET THE, GET THEIR FEEDBACK.
AND THEN WE CAN DO A BUNCH OF PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND, AND IF WE COME OUT WITH A RECOMMENDATION AND PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT, WE'LL GET WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN ON THE LOBBYING SUBCOMMITTEE, WHICH IS A LOT OF, A LOT OF FEEDBACK.
BUT IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA TAKE, IT'S GONNA TAKE, EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO ROLL UP, ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES, BUT MAYBE PEOPLE ARE READY FOR IT.
I WAS JUST GONNA GET FOR HEATHER, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, UM, JUST KNOWING AND GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, UM, PROCEDURAL JUSTICE IS EVERYTHING.
AND THAT PARTICULAR CASE WAS FULL BODY.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING, UH, WE WERE HANDS OFF, WE WERE CONSULTATIVE, WE WERE ADVISORY, UH, AND THEN, UH, THE OPTIONS WERE PROVIDED.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE HARD PART OF ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE.
AND, UM, SOME RELATIONSHIPS PROBABLY DO, BUT I THINK IT'S THAT ONGOING DIALOGUE, UH, THE ITERATIVE PROCESS.
WE WILL GET BETTER AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL BE ALSO A LITTLE MORE AWARE OF WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, AGAIN, THERE WERE NO OUTCOMES OR ACTIONS TAKEN IN THE PAST.
SO I, I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE DID.
AND, UM, YOU COULD NOT DENY THAT THERE WASN'T PROCEDURAL JUSTICE THERE.
ALL, ALL I WOULD ADD TO, UH, YOUR, YOUR, UH, EXPRESSIONS HERE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY VALUE YOU WOULD FIND IN REVISITING
[02:15:01]
THE CENSURE MATTER WITH, WITH OTHERS.UM, IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU DO NEXT AND, AND HOW YOU CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE THROUGH DIALOGUE AND ACTION, UM, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO CONTRIBUTE TO GOOD OUTCOMES IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, I THINK IS, IS THE BEST APPROACH.
AND THAT WILL REESTABLISH TRUST AMONG THOSE THAT, THAT, UH, IT MAY BE WANING IN.
AND, UM, UH, SHOWING ATTENTION TO THOSE KIND OF CORE MATTERS OF THE COMMISSION WILL REINFORCE THAT AS WELL.
ANN, I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT.
I THINK YOU'RE ALREADY AWARE OF THIS, BUT GETTING THE LEVEL OF FEEDBACK THAT YOU DO GET ON THINGS LIKE THE LOBBYING ORDINANCE, UM, IS ACTUALLY A GREAT SIGN.
I MEAN, IT MEANS THAT YOUR WORK IS, PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF IT, THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, AND, AND THEY'RE ENGAGED IN IT, AND THEY WANNA BE ENGAGED IN IT.
SO JUST THINK ABOUT THAT AS THE THREAD THROUGH ALL OF THIS IS, THERE ARE IS SOME FEEDBACK ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT IT MEANS PEOPLE ARE ENGAGED WITH THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO THAT'S ACTUALLY A VERY POSITIVE THING.
UH, JUST TO FINISH THIS, THIS LIST, UH, A CULTURE SURVEY OF, UH, ALL STAKEHOLDERS WOULD BE A VALUABLE THING TO CONSIDER DOING IN THE FUTURE.
UH, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATER DIALOGUE WITH THE PUBLIC.
IT'S A THEME THAT COMES THROUGH IN ALMOST ALL CATEGORIES OF THE SOAR THAT WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT.
UM, AND, UM, THIS GETS CLOSE TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT CONSIDER SOCIALIZING PROPOSALS, THAT THINGS THAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING HERE, UM, WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AS THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPED, RATHER THAN WAITING TILL YOU, YOU'VE MADE YOUR FINAL RECOMMENDATION MIGHT HELP TO, UH, GAIN NOT ONLY THEIR SUPPORT FOR IT, BUT AGAIN, IT INCREASES THAT LEVEL OF TRUST IN THE WORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, THAT COME FROM THIS COMMISSION.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOCIALIZING THE CITY COUNCIL IS TO SEE WHETHER THERE'D BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMISSION OR THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION TO ANNUALLY GIVE A, GIVE AN ORAL REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON YOUR ANNUAL REPORT, UH, TO, TO REINFORCE IF YOU READ THE ANNUAL REPORT, IT'S SO CLEAR THAT OF THE, THE THINGS YOU'RE WORKING ON ARE CORE TO YOUR MISSION, AND THAT THEY, THEY ARE BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE COMMISSION.
UM, IT'S GETTING THAT ACROSS AND GETTING IT ON THE RECORD THAT, THAT, UH, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, SO THOSE, THOSE ARE THE, THE FINAL RESULTS.
AGAIN, THERE ARE MANY MORE, YOU KNOW, DOZENS IF NOT A HUNDRED OTHER THEMES, BUT THEY JUST DIDN'T RISE TO THE SAME LEVEL.
AND WE'LL SHARE A LOT OF THE, THE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION WITH YOU.
BUT IF ONE PERSON SAID IT, UH, WE CAPTURED IT, THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS GONNA BE EMERGING THEME, AND IT WAS ONE PERSON WHO SAID IT AMONG ALL OF THOSE THAT WE INTERVIEWED OR, OR TALKED TO.
SO WE DIDN'T INCLUDE THOSE ONE-OFFS IN, IN HERE.
UM, I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT, THAT FOR THE MOST PART, WE, WE DIDN'T, UH, UH, SINGLE OUT ANYTHING THAT CAME SPECIFICALLY FROM THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY.
WHEN YOU HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT WERE PART OF OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS, THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM TO BE SHARING DIRECTLY WHAT THEY SAID.
BUT, UM, WE, WE'VE TALKED A BIT ALREADY ABOUT WHERE THERE'S AGREEMENT, WHERE THERE'S CONSENSUS, UH, BETWEEN WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHAT THAT OFFICE IS DOING, OR WHAT THAT OFFICE IS DOING AND, AND OTHERS IN THE CITY.
SO, UH, LET ME STOP THERE AND, AND SEE WHAT DISCUSSION YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE AROUND THE SOAR ANALYSIS.
AND THANK YOU FOR THIS REPORT.
I, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY, UH, BENEFICIAL, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BEING ONE OF THE NEWER COMMISSIONERS.
I, I THINK THIS WAS REALLY GOOD INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY AS, AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION KIND OF, UH, REVOLVES AROUND THAT ONE, ONE OF THE LAST STATEMENTS YOU MADE WHEN YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS A COUPLE, ONE-OFFS THAT YOU THOUGHT MAY, UH, YOU KNOW, BECOME AN EMERGENT THEME WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR FINALIZED REPORT.
WOULD, WOULD YOU STILL INCLUDE SOME OF THOSE OR JUST 'CAUSE, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE, JUST ONE PERSON SAID IT, THAT ONE PERSON MAY HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, UM, THAT COULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR SOME OF THE WORK.
YEAH, WE, WE'LL, AND, AND THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THE PERSON WHO WAS REALLY SPEAKING TO US IN CONFIDENCE THAT, THAT WE WOULD ONLY BE, UH, SHARING THEMES THAT WERE COMING OUT OF THIS RATHER THAN SOMETHING THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, COME BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL THAT, UH, THAT SHARED IT WITH US.
BUT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SHARE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN, UH, SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE SOME OF THE RAW MATERIAL WITH WHICH WE, WE WERE WORKING WITH RAUL.
[02:20:01]
UM, GOING BACK TO YOUR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ASPIRATIONS, YES.WHEN YOU WERE MENTIONING THE, THE HELP, UH, THE HELPLINE AND A, UH, AN EFFORT OF TRIAGE TO SUPPORT A HELPLINE, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING, UH, THAT THE COMPLAINANT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE RESULT OF AN INVESTIGATION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT CAN'T BE, UM, BECAUSE OF CONFIDENTIALITY.
IT'S NOT RELEASED OR NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH FOR THE COMPLAINANT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK ON? UH, TWO MONTHS AGO, WE HAD CITY AUDITOR MAKE A PRESENTATION AND THEY HAVE THEIR SYSTEM OF RECEIVING COMPLAINTS ON THEIR HELPLINE, HOTLINE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND I ASKED THEM, WILL THE COMPLAINANT FIND OUT? AND THEY HAD THE SAME ANSWER AS A LOT OF AGENCIES DO, WE CAN'T RELEASE THAT INFORMATION.
TO PUT IT MORE IN CONTEXT, WHEN I SAT ON THE A CITIZENS POLICE COMPLAINT COMMISSION FOR FOUR YEARS, IT WAS, UM, IT'S VERY DISHEARTENING WHEN YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ALLEGED POLICE MISCONDUCT, AND THEY COME IN, THE COMMISSION GOES INTO CLOSED SESSION ABOUT THREE TO FOUR HOURS, AND THEY STILL EXPECT THE COMPLAINANT TO SIT OUTSIDE TO RECEIVE THE RESULTS OR THE FINDINGS OF THE COMMISSION.
THEY SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT, BUT WE CAN MAIL YOU THE DECISION.
BUT THE DECISION IS ONE WORD, UNFOUNDED, FOUNDED NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE CLOSED.
AND I TRY TO PUT MYSELF IN THE POSITION OF THE COMPLAINANTS WHO FOLLOW THE PROCESS THAT WE ARE ASKING THEM TO FOLLOW, AND THEN THEY GO HOME WITH UNFOUNDED AND NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE.
I FEEL LIKE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY DOES FOLLOWS THAT PATTERN.
SO WHEN YOU WERE MENTIONING SOMETHING, AND I'M SORRY IF I CHOPPED UP YOUR WORDS, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO TO IMPROVE THAT? SO ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT OPERATE, THESE HELPLINES, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WRESTLE WITH THIS QUESTION ALL THE TIME.
UM, WHAT CAN BE SHARED WITH THE COMPLAINANT, UM, AFTER WE'VE DONE AN INVESTIGATION? AND OFTENTIMES IT IS, TO YOUR POINT, RO IT'S, IT'S A ONE WORD ANSWER, NO SUPPORT FOR IT WAS UNFOUNDED, UM, ACTION WAS, YOU KNOW, INVESTIGATED AND ACTION TAKEN, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, UH, THERE WERE, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT SORT OF EMERGED FROM THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE WERE HAVING.
AND ONE IS THAT IN, IN SOME CASES, PEOPLE ARE STILL WAITING TO KNOW WHETHER THERE'S BEEN AN ACTION OF ANY SORT.
HAS THE INVESTIGATION BEEN CONCLUDED? UM, TO THEM IT'S NOT ALWAYS CLEAR WHO EVEN IS DOING AN INVESTIGATION.
IS IT IN THE HANDS OF THE AUDITOR? IS THIS AN HR ISSUE? UM, IS, IS THE ETHICS STAFF LOOKING, LOOKING INTO THIS? AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE CATEGORIES OF ETHICS RELATED COMPLAINTS THAT CAN BE INVESTIGATED IN WHICH MORE THAN JUST THE, UM, UH, OUTCOME IS, IS WHAT'S SHARED.
AND THAT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE CAN DO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING RELATED TO AN EMPLOYEE.
AND, AND I KNOW FROM, UM, FROM OTHER CITIES AND, UH, THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT IT COMES TO INVESTIGATE A, A COMPLAINT AGAINST A POLICE OFFICER, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IT SEEMS TO GO INTO A DARK HOLE AND YOU'RE NOT SURE WHEN THAT'S EVER GONNA COME OUT.
AND SO, UM, IT MAY IN FACT BE THAT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED, BUT THAT DOESN'T, IT, WHAT, WHAT SHOULD BE OF CONCERN TO THE COMMISSION AND THOSE THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH OPERATING THE HELPLINE IS HOW DO WE ASSURE THE, THE EMPLOYEES, THE PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND THE PUBLIC THAT THE HELPLINE IS A USEFUL TOOL AND THAT SOMETHING DOES THAT, THAT THE COMPLAINTS ARE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, AND THAT THERE IS AN OUTCOME, EVEN IF WE CAN'T SHARE THAT OUTCOME DIRECTLY WITH YOU.
UM, IT, AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT ALL ORGANIZATIONS KIND OF WRESTLE WITH, AND IT DEPENDS UPON THE SENSITIVITY OF THE COMPLAINT THAT IS BEING INVESTIGATED.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT'S ULTIMATELY RELEASED, UM, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
IN THE POLICE SITUATION, COMMISSION SITUATION, IF AN, IF A COMPLAINT WAS SUSTAINED, WHAT WAS THE COMPLAINANT TOLD? IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, AND THIS IS BEFORE THE COMMISSION WAS REVAMPED, IT'S BEEN RECENTLY REVAMPED, SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO,
[02:25:01]
BUT IT WAS, AGAIN, IT WAS JUST A LETTER THAT WAS SENT TO THE COMPLAINANT THAT IT WAS, UM, UPHELD OR SUSTAINED, AND THAT WAS IT.IT'S, UM, IT'S THE PROCESS, BUT DISCIPLINARY, DISCIPLINARY ACTION WASN'T, IF, IF THERE WAS DISCIPLINARY ACTION TAKEN, THEN THAT WASN'T COMMUNICATED BECAUSE THAT'S A PERSONNEL MATTER.
BUT IF, BUT LET'S SAY IT RESULTED IN A CHANGE IN POLICY, LET'S SAY THAT, THAT WHAT WAS SUSTAINED SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A, A KINK IN THE DEPARTMENT'S POLICY.
WOULD THEY BE TOLD THAT THERE WAS A POLICY UPDATE? I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE THAT WOULD COME LATER.
I DON'T KNOW, UM, UM, IF MS. DEMPSEY DID THAT.
BUT, UM, THAT WOULD COME LATER.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE COMPLAINANT MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, A YEAR LATER WOULD, WOULD WAIT A YEAR.
I JUST WANNA OFFER TO THE CONVERSATION.
I WANT US ALL TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE WORD STUMBLE COMES TO MIND.
WE STUMBLED WITH THE HELPLINE INITIALLY.
UH, WE TRIED TO PARTNER WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, PUT A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY AND RESOURCES, MONTHS AND MONTHS INTO ESTABLISHING ONE HELPLINE SLASH HOTLINE.
WE GOT TO A POINT WHERE IT WAS RECOGNIZED THAT THAT JUST WAS NOT GOING TO WORK OUT TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE AS A PROGRAM AND THE AUDITOR TO KEEP THE SPACE THAT THEY WANTED TO KEEP.
SO WE HAD TO CREATE A NEW HELPLINE.
SO ALL OF THE MARK, ALL OF THE OUTREACH THAT WE DID, THE COMMUNICATION PROMOTING THIS INITIALLY ALL WENT DOWN THE TUBES VERY QUICKLY.
SO WE'RE DOING A LOT OF FIXING FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO AS THE HELPLINE NUMBERS INCREASE, WHICH IS GOOD, AND YES, THERE IS STILL THAT CONFUSION AND THAT NEED FOR CLARIFICATION.
ALSO WANTED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE AUDITORS NUMBERS WENT UP A LOT LAST YEAR.
SO I THINK THEY WERE STILL GETTING, I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME CONFUSION BETWEEN PROBABLY EVEN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, UM, HELPLINE.
IT'S ALL THE SAME TO MOST OF THESE FOLKS.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME, OFFER THEM SOME CLARITY OR TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE NOT SURE ABOUT, I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT THEY UNDERSTAND.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIX THAT STUMBLE.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE TO JUST MAKE US ALL AWARE A COUPLE OF THE, UM, ITEMS THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED WITH US THAT HAVE COME IN AS COMPLAINTS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
SOMETIMES I, AT LEAST WHEN I READ IT, I THINK, OH, THIS PERSON DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THAT.
WELL, I'LL JUST SAY THAT I THINK WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT AN ISSUE.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S A SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE TO IT THAT COULD BE GIVEN IN RESPONSE.
BUT THAT, BUT THAT IS WHAT THE, UM, I, I THINK THAT A RESPONSE COULD BE GIVEN.
BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY ATTEMPT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE SHOULD, I GUESS THERE'S NO ROLE FOR, WE'RE NOT GONNA TELL THEM.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO SORT OF TRY TO MAKE AN ARGUMENT JUST JUSTIFYING IT.
BUT IT DOES GIVE MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME NOTES ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE MISUNDERSTOOD BY THE, THE PUBLIC.
I THINK ABOUT WHEN THERE'S CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND, AND WHEN THERE'S, THERE'S NOT, ESPECIALLY IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE MUNICIPAL CONTEXT BECAUSE, AND I'LL JUST USE THIS, THIS ONE EXAMPLE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE A TENANT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T VOTE OR, OR THAT YOU'RE A LANDLORD.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT IF YOU'RE ON THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU CAN'T VOTE FOR, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S GONNA BE A RENT CONTROL ORDINANCE OR NOT.
YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE A PROPERTY OWNER DOESN'T MEAN, UNLESS IT'S, IT'S YOU EXACTLY.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T GENERALLY SAY YES TO SOME ZONING PLAN OR NOT ZONING PLAN, BECAUSE OTHERWISE THERE, YOU KNOW, IT GETS TO A POINT WHERE WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE ANYBODY ON THESE COMMISSIONS.
'CAUSE THEY'D HAVE TO COME FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS, BASICALLY.
[02:30:01]
BUT, BUT THAT'S, BUT I'M, I'M GETTING LIKE, TOO PHILOSOPHICAL, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A, IT SORT OF IS A PROBLEM.I MEAN, IT BECOMES A PUBLIC EDUCATION PROBLEM ABOUT, ABOUT WHY, YOU KNOW, SORT OF HOW, HOW GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT WORKS.
AND SO ANYWAY, I JUST FIND IT, IT'S A LITTLE, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION, TO ME IT GETS TO BE A LITTLE SORT OF FRUSTRATING IN A WAY BECAUSE WE, WE SOMETIMES STOP WITHOUT REALLY EXPLAINING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, WHAT THE REASONS ARE.
SO, BUT I, I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT IS IN THE SOAR COMMUNICATIONS, PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME OF OUR BIGGEST THINGS GOING FORWARD.
AND YES, WE STUMBLED WITH THAT.
WE STUMBLED WITH A FEW OTHER THINGS, BUT REALLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIFE OF THIS COMMISSION, WE ARE STILL IN OUR INFANCY.
WE'VE ONLY BEEN AROUND FOR FIVE YEARS.
SO THERE SHOULD BE SOME STUMBLES THERE.
AND THAT, THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO DO THIS, IS, THIS IS SOMETHING WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE DONE IN THE BEGINNING IF THERE HADN'T BEEN THE PANDEMIC.
AND SO NOW WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN IN A DIFFERENT PLACE IF WE'D DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WITHIN THAT FIRST YEAR OR TWO, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, NOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND WE CAN GO FROM HERE.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YES, PLEASE.
SO I WANT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE REPORT, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU.
UM, A COUPLE OF AREAS THAT I WANT TO EXPLORE, AND MAYBE IT'S JUST MORE OF A KIND OF EXPLORE OR KIND OF TEE IT UP FOR OUR NEXT DISCUSSION.
I BELIEVE YOU ARE DOING, YOU HAVE EXPERTISE WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND YOU'RE DOING SOME ADDITIONAL BENCHMARKING AS PART OF OUR PROCESS.
UH, SO I WOULD REALLY BE INTERESTED IN A LITTLE BIT TO THE CHAIR'S POINT IS I'D REALLY BE INTERESTED IN WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE SHOULD BE.
UH, WE HAVE AN IDEAL STATE WHERE WE WANT TO GO COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES, YOU KNOW, WITH ETHICS COMMISSIONS AND WHERE THEY ARE IN TERMS OF THE, UM, AGE OF THOSE COMMISSIONS.
UM, ANOTHER TOPIC THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER DEES AND I, AND BEFORE, UH, TAYLOR, LEFT TAYLOR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND EXPLORING.
I REALLY WANT TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT.
AND WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING IS THIS CON THIS CONCEPT OF ASPIRATIONAL.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T HAVE A SPECIFIC RULE TO, TO HAVE, LET'S ASSUME SOMEBODY IS GOING TO ENFORCE THE RULES.
UH, WE CAN'T HAVE A SPECIFIC RULE FOR EACH AND EVERY THING THAT MUST BE DONE.
IN SOME CASES, THERE'S GONNA BE CASES WHERE SOMEBODY, I FEEL VERY MUCH SHOULD BE FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED THE ETHICS CODE AND A VIOLATED, UH, OR BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.
UH, AND THEN THAT TYPE OF ASPIRATIONAL.
AND I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE SOME TENSION BECAUSE EVERYONE'S GONNA WANT TO SAY, SHOW ME THE EXACT RULE THAT SAYS I CAN'T OR HAD TO DO WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
AND I REALLY AM GONNA BE INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU'RE SEEING WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS OF HOW THEY'RE REALLY WORKING TO, UH, IN THAT, WITH THAT BOUNDARY AND TRYING TO KIND OF GET BEYOND IT SO THAT WE ARE HOLDING PEOPLE TO A HIGHER CALLING, UH, WITHOUT GIVING THEM THE SPECIFIC, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS SPECIFIC, UH, RULE FOR EACH AND EVERY ACTION.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M PUSHING ON THIS IS, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT BECOMES TOO CUMBERSOME FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE TRYING TO COMPLY, UH, IF THEY HAVE TO KIND OF INTERPRET OR GO THROUGH AND FIND A RULE FOR EVERY LITTLE THING, UH, BECAUSE IT'S THE RULES.
THEY JUST, THEY COLLAPSE UNDER THEIR WEIGHT.
A PART OF WHAT YOU YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THE NEED TO KIND OF, UH, CREATE A, A LEVEL OF ETHICAL AWARENESS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION.
IT'S ALSO AN INDIVIDUAL THING.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE, THE, THE, THE GOALS OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S DONE IN THE MARCOLA CENTER IS, IS ABOUT HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO EXERCISE THEIR MORAL MUSCLES ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND, UM, WITH THAT LEVEL OF ETHICAL AWARENESS ON KEY THINGS, THEN YOU DON'T NEED TO POINT TO A RULE.
IT YOU'VE DEVELOPED THIS UNDERSTANDING WITHIN THEM WHERE THEY CAN RECOGNIZE, UM, THE NEED FOR A MORE, UH, UH, MORAL APPROACH TO THIS.
THAT THIS, THIS REPRESENTS CLEARLY A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
I DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, UM, UH, POLICY OR RULE IS SPECIFICALLY.
[02:35:01]
AND I'M GOING TO ENSURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN ABOUT DEVELOPING THAT WITHIN THE CULTURE.
UM, AND IT STARTS WITH THE ONBOARDING OF, AND RECRUITING AND THEN ONBOARDING OF, OF, UH, NEW EMPLOYEES.
IT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, WHAT'S EXPECTED OF CANDIDATES THAT ARE, THAT ARE SEEKING PUBLIC OFFICE AND SO FORTH.
I THINK THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HAS IS, PLEASE, MIKE, GOOD THING IS MIKE, MIKE, MIKE.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S THAT THE HELPLINE OR COM I'LL CALL IT THE COMPLAINT LINE.
BUT COULD THERE BE LIKE AN ASK FIRST LINE? YOU KNOW, DON'T ASK FOR FORGIVENESS LATER.
I, MOST PEOPLE KIND OF KNOW LIKE, LIKE A JIMINY CRICKET THAT WHAT THEY'RE DOING MAYBE BE A PROBLEM.
BUT IF THERE WAS AN OPENING FOR CITY REPRESENTATIVES TO JUST KNOW THEY COULD ASK FIRST EVEN ANONYMOUSLY, THEN THEY COULD GET THE ANSWERS BEFORE THEY ACT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S HARD TO MAKE A RULE THAT IS SO COMPREHENSIVE.
IT COVERS EVERYTHING BECAUSE YEAH, WE ALL SORT OF MAKE IT UP AS WE GO ALONG, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS LIKE, I OWN PROPERTY OR I OWN AN APARTMENT HOUSE, AND NOW WE'RE VOTING ON SOMETHING THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO AT ALL.
DO I HAVE TO RECUSE MYSELF? I MEAN, JUST SOMETHING LIKE ASK FIRST RATHER THAN THE JUST, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR FORGIVENESS LATER.
AND PURE, JUST ALONG THOSE LINES AS WE CONTINUED, I MEAN, I THINK WE SHOULD BE AND ARE PROMOTING THE HELPLINE TO DO EXACTLY THAT.
UH, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD THAT WE ACTUALLY SEE THAT BREAKDOWN IN OUR HELPLINE REPORTS.
AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO GET TO WHERE, TO THE COMMENT I'D REALLY LIKE TO GET TO WHERE 50% OF THE CALLS OR MORE OF THE HELPLINE ARE ASKING FIRST, UH, IT IS A METRIC THAT WE, I AM USED TO HAVING TRACKED BEFORE AND TRYING TO GET THAT, THAT METRIC UP AS OPPOSED TO THE, UH, TIPSTER, I DON'T BELIEVE WE PUT THIS IN YOUR CONTRACT WHEN WE SET IT UP, BUT IN EVERYTHING IN HERE, OPPORTUNITIES, ASPIRATIONS, TALKS ABOUT COMMUNICATION WITH THE COUNCIL AND GETTING, GIVING THEM INFORMATION BEFORE WE MOVE TOO FAR ALONG.
IS THERE A WAY THAT THIS CAN BE SYNTHESIZED AND PROVIDED TO THEM KIND OF AS FOLLOW UP TO YOUR MEETINGS WITH THEM, THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE GONE OVER WITH US.
THIS IS, THIS IS KIND OF THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING SO THAT THEY DO, WE WE ARE STARTING TO OPEN THAT DOORWAY WITH THEM.
THAT WITH THE, WITH THE COUNCIL.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT A, SAY A CLIENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL NO.
OR REALLY YOUR CLIENT, UM, LEMME GO BACK TO THE
AND I'M THINKING IF WE'RE GONNA START OPENING THAT DOOR TO ENHANCING COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR THEM TO HAVE SOME OF, SOME KIND OF INTERIM REPORTS SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND HOW WE GET TO WHERE IT IS WE'RE GOING TO EVENTUALLY GO.
I MEAN, I, I THINK OBVIOUSLY WITH THEIR CONCERN THAT WE'RE OVERREACHING, THAT MAYBE WE'RE GONNA TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE ROADMAP BEFORE WE ADOPT IT, JUST TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THEY THINK WE NEED TO BE ADDRESSING THAT SHOULD BE IN THERE.
SO I THINK THAT IF THEY COULD GET KIND OF THIS OVERVIEW OR AT LEAST, UH, A CLIFFNOTES VERSION OF IT, JUST SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WAS GIVEN, I THINK IT WOULD HELP US AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND DID YOU, I WAS JUST GONNA, UH, WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP AROUND ABOUT WHICH KINDS OF THINGS YOU BRING TO CITY COUNCIL.
THEN YOU, THEN YOU HAVE THE ROADMAP RECOMMENDATION TO DO THAT.
I THINK WHAT YOU'VE JUST BROUGHT UP IS SOMETHING FOR US TO TAKE UP, MAYBE A, AFTER WE'VE SYNTHESIZED SOME OF THE DISCUSSION TODAY, WHICH IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT THE CITY COUNCIL TO WEIGH IN, EVEN ON THE ROADMAP ITSELF BEFORE IT'S FULLY ADOPTED.
BUT IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT, AND WE ARE, WE'RE GETTING CRITICIZED FOR, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO DISCUSS AND THINK ABOUT, SUSAN.
WELL, IT, IT IS SORT OF INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE I DO REMEMBER WHEN THE COMMISSION STARTED, THERE WAS A LOT OF RELUCTANCE ABOUT TALKING TO THE MAYOR
[02:40:01]
OR THE CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE THE PERCEPTION WAS, AT THAT TIME AT LEAST, THAT THEY WANTED US NOT TO DO THAT, TO LOOK LIKE WE WERE JUST OPERATING ON OUR OWN.AND SO NOW IT'S LIKE, WE'RE ONLY FIVE YEARS LATER AND IT'S LIKE, COME AROUND AND LIKE, OH, NO, NOW WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT TELLING US ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT THEY DO, BUT DO BUT'S ALSO A NEW MAYOR AND COUNCIL? NO, I, I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S STILL THE ETHICS COMMISSION AND IT, IT CAN'T BE IS IS THAT HOW IT'S GONNA BE? IT'S GONNA BE A FLIP FLOP.
I MEAN, JUST DEPENDING ON WHO THE MAYOR IS.
I MEAN, WELL, I'M JUST, I I AM JUST SAYING THIS HAS TO DO WITH WHAT IS THE SORT OF HOW THE ETHICS COMMISSION'S GONNA RELATE TO EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE, IN THE, THIS, THE CITY COUNCIL.
I MEAN, I, I KNOW FROM MY EXPERIENCE ON THE HARBOR COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF TIME SPENT EXPLAINING TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THE CITY COUNCIL'S OFFICE WHAT THE PLANS WERE FOR THE PORT FOR THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS OR, OR WHATEVER.
THERE WAS ALL THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
AND, AND THERE WAS ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES IS, WAS, WAS, UM, WAS SPENT ON THAT.
BUT IT SEEMED LIKE, AND WHEN I CAME TO THIS COMMISSION, IT SEEMED LIKE, WELL, NO, THAT NOW THIS IS DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, AND SO I I'M JUST THAT WE, THERE'S TWO, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SAYING THERE'S DIFFERENT MESSAGES THAT ARE, THAT WE ARE, THAT I'M PERCEIVING FROM, UM, FROM WHAT THE ELECTEDS WANT.
I LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE HA WE'LL HAVE A RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME OUT OF THE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM US MORE.
UM, AND I, I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE OR, OR SIMPLY INCREASE OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I GUESS WE AS A FULL COMMISSION NEED TO DECIDE AT WHAT STAGES WE DO THAT.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME DISAGREEMENT, AND I DON'T HAVE ALL THE HISTORY FROM WHEN THE THIS COMMISSION WAS FIRST FORMED, BUT I HAVE MY OWN GUT THAT I DON'T REALLY, I, I REALLY LIKE THAT WE HAVE INDEPENDENTLY AND BASED ON THE AUDIT, DEVELOPED AN ACTION PLAN, AND WE'RE GONNA DEVELOP AN OPERATING PLAN, AND WE'RE GONNA DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND I'D LIKE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL ON THAT.
BUT I GUESS I'M, I'M VERY RELUCTANT TO TALK TO THEM WHEN SOMETHING'S IN DRAFT.
BUT RATHER, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LOBBYING ORDINANCE, I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM TALKING TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND LET THEM KNOW WHERE WE STAND.
BUT NOT NNN NOT A NOT CHANGING OUR RECOMMENDATION BASED ON A MEETING, UH, WITH THEM.
BECAUSE THEN WE'RE, WE'RE, IT GOES BACK TO WHAT I, YEAH, I SAID THEN WE'RE, THEN WE'RE SEEN AS PUPPETS, WHICH IS A UNCOMFORT LEVEL FOR ME.
THEY MAY, THEY MAY NOT LIKE SOME OF WHAT WE RECOMMEND AND THEY MIGHT REJECT IT, BUT THEN THEY'RE ON THE RECORD REJECTING A RECOMMENDATION OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION THAT WOULD PROVIDE GREATER TRANSPARENCY.
AND I THINK THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY WHERE THEY NEED TO BE IS, IS HEARING THE RECOMMENDATION RATHER THAN WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU KNOW? YEAH.
UM, SO, UH, SO I THINK, BUT I THINK IT MERITS A FULL DISCUSSION, UH, A DISCUSSION AMONG THE FULL COMMISSION.
I, AND I AGREE, I AGREE WITH THE CONCERNS ABOUT HAVING INDEPENDENCE, BUT, AND I FELT THIS IN TERMS OF THE CONVERS, UH, THE POINTS THAT COMMISSIONER WISE WAS MAKING AT THE TIME BACK US YEARS AGO NOW, IS I DON'T, AND PART OF IT'S THE ENVIRONMENT I HAVE COME FROM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE BENEFITS OF SOCIALIZATION.
AND THOSE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, GOING THROUGH PLANS AND GETTING INPUT NOT ONLY GIVES YOU INPUT THAT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA MAKE IT, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE SEEN LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE INDEPENDENCE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE'S TREMENDOUS VALUE IN GETTING THAT INPUT.
'CAUSE IT HELPS BOTH IN CRYSTALLIZING WHAT THOSE PLANS REALLY SHOULD BE IN AN IDEAL WORLD AND TO, AS YOU CONTINUE TO KIND OF SELL 'EM AND SOCIALIZE 'EM GOING FORWARD.
SO THERE IS SOME VALUE THERE THAT I WANT TO TRY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN DOING IT IN BASICALLY ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS AS OPPOSED TO EVERYTHING IN A PUBLIC MEETING.
'CAUSE THE PUBLIC MEETINGS ARE VERY STILTED ENVIRONMENTS,
[02:45:01]
AND IT CHANGES HOW WE INTERACT AND IT CHANGES HOW THE INPUT IS GIVEN.BUT AGAIN, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SENDING TO THEM AS A RECOMMENDATION, YOU CANNOT HAVE SERIAL MEETINGS OR WILL BE IN VIOLATION OF THE BROWN ACT.
I UNDERSTAND, UH, MS. ANDERSON
YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD JUST OFFER SOMETHING HERE.
AND THAT IS IN A, IN, IN A TYPICAL COUNCIL MANAGER GOVERNMENT AS YOU HAVE HERE IN LONG BEACH, UM, YOU'RE OPERATING WITH WHAT'S OFTENTIMES CALLED THE POLITICS ADMINISTRATION DICHOTOMY, WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL DEALS WITH THE POLITICAL ISSUES AND THE CITY MANAGER DEALS WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES.
AND ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT THAT REPORT INTO THE MANAGER, UM, ARE, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, DEVELOPING AND, UH, POLICY THAT, THAT MIGHT EVENTUALLY GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ITS APPROVAL, AS WELL AS AT THE SAME TIME RUNNING EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON, UH, FOR THE MOST PART IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A MIX HERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME ELECTED E EXECUTIVES AND OTHERS ARE, UH, UH, APPOINTED.
UM, AND SO WHERE ARE COMMISSIONS IN THIS PROCESS? WELL, UM, THE WORK YOU'RE DOING IS A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE POLITICAL THAN IT IS TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE, BUT YOU'RE ALSO TRYING TO CARVE A ROLE HERE FOR YOURSELVES WHERE YOU CAN HELP CARVE OUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, UH, ASPECTS OF AN ETHICAL CULTURE FOR THE CITY AND DEVELOP THOSE POLICIES THAT YOU ARE MOST SUITED TO DEVELOPING, WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH THINGS LIKE A CODE OF CONDUCT AND LOBBYING ACTIVITIES AND, UH, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, UH, AS, AS EXAMPLES.
AND YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THAT, BUT YOU CAN'T DO SO IN DEVELOPING THINGS THAT MIGHT EVENTUALLY BE, UH, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES THAT STILL HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND NOT BE SEEN AS PART OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS.
AND SO, CITIZEN COMMISSIONS ARE, ARE SOMETHING IN BETWEEN, IN MANY CASES WHERE IT'S, IT'S AN, IT'S AN ENGAGING ROLE FOR THE PUBLIC THAT THAT GIVES SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THE POLITICAL BODY, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, ABOUT WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING AND, AND SO FORTH, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, UM, UH, PROVIDING, UM, AN OVERLAY OF, OF, UM, UH, OVERSEEING HOW THINGS LIKE ETHICS POLICIES ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED AND ENFORCED, UM, WITHIN THE CITY.
SO IT'S, YOU HAVE A DIFFICULT ROLE AND, AND NOT EVERY COMMISSION IS THE SAME MM-HMM.
AND WE KNOW THAT, WE'VE HEARD THAT.
UH, AND THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL IN CITIES.
SO AGAIN, PART OF IT IS FIGURING OUT WHERE, WHERE ARE YOU IN THIS, THE, IN A GOVERNMENT STRUCTURED IN THE WAY THAT IT IS AS A, AS A COUNCIL MANAGER SYSTEM.
I PUT THE NEXT STEPS UP THERE.
WE WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, SYNTHESIZE MORE OF WHAT WE HEARD HERE TODAY WITH THE REST OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT.
UM, WE ARE GONNA DO SOME BENCHMARKING.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE EXTENSIVE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SOME OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE CAN POINT TO HOW THIS IS DONE OR COULD BE DONE, I THINK TO J T'S QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE, AND, AND WHAT SHOULD WE BE, UH, RELATIVE TO WHAT OR WHAT IS AND WHAT, WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING RELATIVE TO WHAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DO? UM, WE'RE GONNA UPDATE OUR SOAR ANALYSIS AND THE THEMES.
UM, WE WILL HAVE A, A FULL REPORT ON THE PUBLIC INPUT THAT, UH, WE RECEIVED.
WE'LL DEVELOP THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, PROVIDE TRAINING TO, TO HEATHER AND, AND HER STAFF ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT THESE AND SOME TRAINING AROUND HOW TO BEST EXECUTE, UH, THE STRATEGIC, UM, ROADMAP.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE SPENDING, UH, THE COMING MONTHS ON.
AND WE'LL PROBABLY CONTINUE TO INTERACT A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH, WITH HEATHER AND ORGE THAN WE, WE WILL WITH THE COMMISSIONERS HERE.
BUT AT ANY TIME, UM, WE'RE YOUR, WE'RE YOUR, UH, UH, YOUR CONSULTANTS I GUESS, AND, UM, WE, WE WORK FOR YOU.
SO WE DO WANT TO, TO KNOW IF, IF WE'RE TAKING YOU IN A DIRECTION THAT YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO GO OR WE'RE NOT DOING THE THINGS THAT, UM, YOU BELIEVE YOU'RE GONNA GET FROM US.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY GET BACK TOGETHER WITH YOU IN AUGUST.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE A DATE IN AUGUST, UH, PICK THE AUGUST 14TH.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE TO PRESENT THEIR FINAL RECOMME WHEN
[02:50:01]
WELL, SO IN TERMS OF THE PREPARING OF THE ROADMAP MM-HMM.WELL, WE'VE BEEN DISCHARGED TO DEVELOP ONE FOR YOU AND TODAY IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY WAYS FOR US TO GET INPUT FROM YOU.
SO WE'RE GONNA USE WHAT WAS COMMENTED ON TODAY, BUT I THINK YOU SHOULD SEE BETWEEN NOW AND AUGUST THAT WE'RE A RESOURCE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA HAVE FURTHER COMMENT, YOU SHOULD REACH OUT TO US.
UM, AND IF WE HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, WE'RE GONNA BE REACHING OUT TO YOU.
WE'RE, WE'RE UNDOUBTEDLY GONNA GET SOME ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVE WHEN WE DO THE BENCHMARKING AGAINST OTHER CITIES THAT WE'RE GONNA WANNA FOLLOW UP WITH PEOPLE ON.
SO WE HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH HEATHER TO GET ACCESS TO THE VARIOUS PEOPLE THAT WE NEED EITHER ON THE COMMISSION OR IN THE, UM, CITY OFFICES.
AND I IMAGINE THAT THAT'S HOW IT WOULD CONTINUE THAT, THAT THAT'S COMING FROM US.
SO AS WE SEE THAT WE NEED MORE INFORMATION, WE'LL BE REACHING OUT.
BUT THAT SHOULDN'T PREVENT YOU FROM REACHING OUT TO US IF THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU WANNA BE TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK THAT ACTUALLY, LET'S KEEP HEATHER AS THE CONDUIT.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE, JUST PUT IT IN WRITING AND SEND IT TO HEATHER AND LET HER SEND IT ON.
THAT AS, AS THE MANAGER, THE MECHANISM FOR DOING THAT IS, IS, HAS BEEN WORKING WELL.
I THINK THAT ADDRESSES POTENTIAL SERIAL MEETING ISSUES TOO.
OR WHAT YOU WOULD CHANGE TO THE EXISTING TOOL.
ACTUALLY, I WAS LOOKING AT IT IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY.
I WAS THINKING THAT THE ROADMAP EXISTS ALONGSIDE OF THE ACTION PLAN.
UM, BUT IF I'M, IF I'M WRONG, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UM, JUST, SO FOR EXAMPLE, AS AS, UM, AS WE WERE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE INPUT, ONE OF THE THINGS WAS OUTREACH TO THE PUBLIC, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE IN THE ACTION PLAN OUTREACH TO THE PUBLIC, UM, BUT AT A MUCH MORE GRANULAR LEVEL MM-HMM.
AND, AND, AND WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH HEATHER AND AND JORGE ABOUT IS TAKING THE ACTION PLAN AND EXPANDING IT TO SMALLER STEPS.
SO UNDER OUTREACH, THERE WOULD BE SMALLER STEPS OF, YOU KNOW, PLAN FIVE MEETINGS, DISTRICT MEETINGS, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF THING.
BUT HAVING A STRATEGIC PLAN WOULD SAY THAT'S A PRIORITY.
AND MAYBE IT, MAYBE WE WOULD CHANGE SOME OF THOSE SMALLER STEPS, BUT I'M HOPING THAT THE, THE ACTION PLAN EX CONTINUES TO EXIST ALONGSIDE WELL WHEN IT GET ROLLED INTO, BECAUSE I THINK TO HAVE TWO DOCUMENTS BECOMES CONFUSING, NOT ONLY TO THE COMMISSION GOING FORWARD, BUT THE PUBLIC.
SO I WOULD SEE WHAT WE HAVEN'T ACCOMPLISHED IN HERE IF IT ADDRESSES SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THE, THAT WE'VE GOTTEN COMMENTS BACK ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND, AND I WRONG, I MEAN, WE'VE ALL GOT WELL, WELL, I, I'LL LET IN, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT OPINIONATED AT ALL HERE, ARE WE? NO, NO.
BUT, UM, I, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WHERE DOES THE ACTION PLAN LIE IN THE PRESENCE OF A STRATEGIC PLAN? AND WITH MOST STRATEGIC PLANS, YOU END UP HAVING SOME SORT OF AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THAT PRIORITY, AND HERE'S WHAT WE CAN POINT TO IN TERMS OF OF OUTCOMES.
AND SO IT IN EFFECT THE ACTION PLAN, IT REALLY GETS RE UM, CONSTITUTED AROUND AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
ALL I WOULD SAY IS THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP IS A HIGH LEVEL DOCUMENT.
SO IT IS GONNA POINT YOU TOWARDS THE PRIMARY OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE TO STRENGTHEN THE ETHICS COMMISSION'S EFFICACY, AND GIVE YOU A SET OF PRIORITIES IN EACH ONE OF THOSE.
UM, WITHOUT HAVING THOUGHT ABOUT IT TOO MUCH, BUT JUST LISTENING TO THIS EXCHANGE, I THINK IT'S, UM, IT'S LIKELY THAT IF, IF, IF OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO MAINTAIN AN ACTION PLAN, THAT YEAH, IT MIGHT NEED TO BE UPDATED OR REPRIORITIZED FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
I THINK WE'RE ALL KIND OF THE SAYING THE SAME THING, SUSAN.
[02:55:01]
THE, THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE IS, AND IT IS INCORPORATED IN THE WORK PLAN AS I RECALL, BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE, THERE WAS THE AUDIT THAT WAS DONE.THERE WAS THE RESPONSE FROM THE CITY MANAGER, AND I UNDERSTAND NOW IN JULY WE'LL GET AN AMENDED RESPONSE.
AND, AND REALLY THAT NEEDS TO ALL BE FOLDED INTO, I THINK OF THE WORK PLAN MORE AS THE TO-DO LIST.
BUT OUR TO-DO LIST MAY CHANGE SOMEWHAT, I THINK BASED ON WHAT, WHEN WE GET THAT ADDITIONAL RESPONSE TO THE, TO THE AUDIT.
SO, UM, AND ONCE WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP, WE MIGHT DO AN AD HOC THAT DOES THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ROLLING IN THE ACTION PLAN.
THE ACTION PLAN WAS ALWAYS A LIVING DOCUMENT.
SO IT'LL GET A WHOLE NEW LIFE.
IS THERE ANY STRATEGIC PLAN? YEAH.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP IMPLEMENTATION PLAN,
ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THIS? I THINK YOU GUYS, YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED SMITH.
ANYTHING ELSE MUCH GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? CAN WE HAVE THE VOTE? WE'RE RECEIVING AND FILING THE UPDATE.
SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES LEFT.
[6. 24-53265 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Ad Hoc Committee on the 2024 PNE (Primary Nominating Election) Candidate Filings. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
HAVE A MOTION ON THE RECORD OR DID YOU WANNA DEFER TO JUNE? I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WE SAID LAST.SO LET'S NO, UH, DEFER IT TILL AUGUST REPORT.
THE, THE PRIMARY, PRIMARY NOMINATING COMMITTEE I UNDERSTAND IS THE FILING IS AT THE END OF JULY.
SO WE CAN COME BACK IN AUGUST.
SO LET'S TAKE A VOTE TO DEFER ITEM NUMBER SIX TO AUGUST.
DO I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? IVE SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ON DEFERRING ITEM SIX TO AUGUST? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? CAN WE HAVE THE VOTE PLEASE? COMMISSIONER NOVA? AYE.
[7. 24-53266 WITHDRAWN Recommendation to discuss anticipated Ad Hoc Committees for upcoming projects; and, if appropriate, take action to dissolve, create or reauthorize Ad Hoc Committees. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ITEM SEVEN FOR NOW BECAUSE I DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT WE'RE NOT DISSOLVING OR ADOPTING.[8. 24-53251 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Ethics Officer. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
DO WE HAVE A NO UPDATE FROM THE ETHICS OFFICER? MY LAPTOP DIED AND THAT'S WHERE MY REPORT IS.UM, SO THE FEW THINGS I REMEMBER ARE THE NEWSLETTER WENT OUT.
WE'RE WORKING ON OUR NEXT, UM, NEXT EDITION.
I SENT AN EMAIL OUT TODAY FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
I'M JUST GIVING YOU A HEADS UP THAT YOU'RE GONNA START GETTING REMINDERS ABOUT DIFFERENT TRAININGS.
WE ARE A NON COUNCIL APPOINTED COMMISSION, CORRECT? NO, WE'RE, WE ARE, FOUR OF US ARE APPOINTED BY COUNCIL.
COMMISSIONER, WE WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH.
WE'RE ALL APPROVED BY, WE'RE APPROVED BY COUNCIL? YEAH.
SO THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO NOT NO, ONLY FOUR OF US ARE APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
OH, AND THEN THE OTHER THREE OF US.
SO SOME OF YOU HAVE TO TAKE THESE TRAININGS AND SOME OF YOU MAY WANT TO TAKE THESE TRAININGS.
UM, SO
SO YEAH, UH, TWO OF THEM, THE PARLIAMENTARY AND THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
I'LL TALK TO MO AND SEE WHERE WE, BECAUSE WE ARE A HYBRID, SO IT'S A BIT CONFUSING ON WHO I THINK IT WOULD FOR CONSISTENCY.
SO WE ALL HAVE THE SAME TRAINING.
HOPEFULLY SHE SAYS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE IT.
UM, BUT THAT'S EXCITING AS WE TALK ABOUT INCREASING OUR REACH WITH TRAINING, UM, WE, UH, WE ARE RELEASING SOME OF THOSE TRAININGS AND I THINK ANITA IS STARRING IN SOME OF THESE TRAININGS THAT YOU'LL SEE.
SO, UM, I WILL SAY MY HUSBAND FOUND A 14 MINUTE GAP AT THE END OF THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE.
WE WERE TRYING TO, UM, FIX STUFF BEFORE TAYLOR LEFT, BUT, UM, YEAH, WE'RE STILL COLLECTING THAT.
HE HAD TO SIT THERE FOR 14 MINUTES BEFORE HE, HE'D FINISHED THE TRAINING.
I'D SIT FOR 14 MINUTES BEFORE HE COULD PRINT OUT.
AND THAT'S THE PARLIAMENTARY ONE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT HE YEAH, IT WAS A PARLIAMENTARY ONE.
I GOT MY CERTIFICATE WITHOUT WAITING.
I TOLD HIM MAYBE HE WENT TOO FAST, SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE TO QUIT.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT I CAN'T, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE.
I MEAN I'VE BEEN WORKING A LOT WITH UM, ANNE AND JOHN.
OKAY, SO NOTHING ELSE TO REPORT.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE HEATHER'S REPORT? SO MOVED.
[03:00:01]
BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.SECOND BY COMMISSIONER DUB BENEDICTUS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR HEATHER? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? CAN I HAVE THE VOTE PLEASE? COMMISSIONER NOVA? AYE.
COMMISSIONER DIP BENEDICTUS AYE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS
[9. 24-53252 WITHDRAWN Recommendation to discuss potential agenda items for future Commission meetings. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
FOR THE FUTURE? SEEING NONE, WE'RE GONNA SKIP UNLESS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HAS A ITEM FOR US.WE'RE WE'RE JUST GONNA SKIP ITEM NINE.
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Ethics Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
SEEING NO PUBLIC COMMENT? WE WILL STAND ADJOURNED.[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
EVERYONE NEXT MONTH[ADJOURNMENT]
OR FOR THOSE.