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YOU'LL SEE THEY COULDN'T MAKE,
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ARE YOU HAVING AN ISSUE? OKAY.WE ARE CALLING THE ETHICS COMMISSION MEETING
[CALL TO ORDER]
TO ORDER ROLL CALL.[ROLL CALL]
PRESENT.COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER NORWAY, VICE CHAIR COLEMAN.
HERE WE HAVE COURT AND COMMISSIONER NOVE IS EXCUSED.
RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ETHICS COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11TH, 2024.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN,
[1. 24-56010 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Ethics Commission meeting of Wednesday, December 11, 2024. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MORALES DISCUSSION.I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION, AND I THINK THAT YOU'VE ANSWERED THIS
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BEFORE.UM, WE HAD A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SPEAK AND HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AND HE'S IN THE MINUTES BY NAME.
DO WE INDICATE THAT HE'S A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC OR WE JUST BECAUSE HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF, WE JUST LIST IT THAT WAY.
IF THEY SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES, WE'LL CAPTURE THAT, BUT MOST OF THE TIME WE JUST TREAT IT AS, UH, AN, UH, IDENTIFIED PERSON SPOKE.
BUT SO BE, SINCE HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF, WE DON'T HAVE TO INDICATE THAT HE'S A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
WELL, UH, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? LET'S MOVE TO A VOTE.
RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE REGARDING CITY AUDITOR AND PUBLIC UTILITIES.
IF A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORALES.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
[2. 25-53996 Recommendation to receive and file amendments to the Conflict of Interest Code regarding City Auditor and Public Utilities. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, PAGE REGARDING THE CITY AUDITOR'S DEPARTMENT.UM, IT'S PAGE 14 ON THE AGENDA, AND I JUST WANNA UNDER MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT I THINK THIS MEANS.
IT SAYS THAT THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR WAS COMBINED WITH THE TITLE OF DEPUTY CITY AUDITOR, AND THEN WHEN YOU GO TO DEPUTY CITY AUDITOR, IT SAYS IT WAS FOLDED INTO THE ASSISTANT CITY AUDITOR.
SO DOES THAT MEAN THERE'S NO LONGER ANY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR OR DEPUTY CITY AUDITOR THAT IT'S THAT PERSON ON THE FIRST LINE THAT'S UNCHANGED THAT'S DOING ALL THAT? UH, CORRECT.
SO DUTIES HAVE BEEN, UH, SHIFTED AND TRANSFERRED AND, UH, UH, PRETTY MUCH, YOU KNOW, ABSORBED BY THAT ONE CLASSIFICATION.
ANY, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY THE COMMISSIONERS? UM, WE DID HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT SUBMITTED PRIOR TO THIS MEETING ON THIS ITEM.
UM, AND IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT? YES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I'VE BEEN STUDYING AND WORKING WITH THE FPC LAWYERS NOW FOR FIVE YEARS.
I HAVE A LAW DEGREE FROM LSU AND, UM, ADMIRE ALL YOU THAT TOOK THE BAR IN CALIFORNIA.
AND I, I DO PERSONAL INJURY LAW, BUT I'M GETTING INTO THIS GOVERNMENTAL LAW AND THERE'S SO MANY GRAY AREAS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FPPC AND MY LANGUAGE.
SO, UM, WE DO LATER YOU'LL SEE WE HAVE TWO, UM, INVESTIGATIONS FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR ONE OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND IT'S NOW MADE IT TO THE ASS.
UM, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC INTEGRITY DIVISION.
UM, AT LEAST 10 MISDEMEANORS AND PROBABLY A FELONY.
AND THAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE.
AND THE LAWSUIT SHOULD BE FILED IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
SO, JUST SO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS IT'S NOT JUST THE LEVINE ACT AND FINANCIAL, IT'S ALSO PERSONAL AND IT'S ALSO, UM, LOCATION.
WE HAVE SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT LIVE IN THREE STORY AND 11 STORY.
AND SO THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS YOU CANNOT VOTE, DO ANYTHING WITHIN 500 FEET.
IT'S A LOCATION, CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
AND WE HAVE SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT HAVE VIOLATED THAT GIVING A B, C LICENSE TO PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THEIR BUILDING AND A BUSINESS CALLED PLUNGE, WHICH IS FOUR STORIES DOWN, THAT'S TOTALLY ILLEGAL, AND HENCE A FELONY GIVEN AN A, B, C LICENSE TO A BUDDY THAT LIVES IN YOUR BUILDING.
YOU JUST, YOU JUST CAN'T DO THAT 500 FEET.
AND THEN THE NEXT THING, UM, WITH THIS IS CONFLICT OF INTEREST ALSO, WHEN LAURA DOW THE AUDITOR RAN IN 2020 AND WON VERY SUCCESSFULLY, WE HAD TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS DONATE TO HER CAMPAIGN, $600.
SO THEREFORE, HOW WAS THE AUDITOR SUPPOSED TO AUDIT THESE OFFICIALS WITH THE FEPC VIOLATIONS AND THEIR OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT, WHICH WE HAVE 35 VIOLATIONS THAT ARE BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY BY THREE, UH, FEPC LAWYERS.
AND THAT LAWSUIT'S COMING THIS MONTH.
UM, HOW IS THE AUDITOR SUPPOSED TO AUDIT WHEN THEY'RE GETTING DONATIONS FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS? SO I THINK WE SHOULD MAYBE LOOK AT ELECTED OFFICIALS WITH THE AUDITOR THAT'S THE INDEPENDENT SHOULD NOT ALLOW ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DONATE BACK AND FORTH.
LORD DOW DONATED TO TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND THEN THE ELECTED OFFICIALS DONATED $600 TO THEM WITH USING
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THEIR OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT, WHICH YOU, WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THEIR OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT, YOU'LL START SEEING THAT THESE OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNTS ARE DONATING TO DOWD.AND SO THE REGULAR PUBLIC DOESN'T SEE IT.
BUT THEN WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THESE OFFICEHOLDER ACCOUNTS, YOU'RE LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, DON MCINTOSH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, TWO DONATIONS.
UM, YOU'RE LIKE, HUH, HOW IS THE CITY ATTORNEY GETTING DONATIONS THEN? OFFICE ORDER ACCOUNT DONATIONS, GOING TO DOWD AND THEN GOING BACK.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AND YOU SHOULD SEE THAT IN THE LAWSUIT.
SO I'M EDUCATING YOU ON THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST THAT IT'S PERSONAL LOCATION AND FINANCIAL.
ANY FURTHER, UH, INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? I GOT OUTTA BED.
I GOT THE FLU, SO I DON'T WANNA REALLY HANG AROUND, BUT I HAVE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT FOR THE RECORD ON THIS TOPIC.
COULD YOU GET CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE? I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
I DON'T WANNA GIVE PEOPLE GERMS. YOU KNOW, MY NAME IS JENNY GONZALEZ.
I'M A CPA AND I CAN'T SPEAK, I'M SICK, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT A DOCUMENT AND AN EXHIBIT FOR THE RECORD IF YOU WANT.
UH, IF YOU'RE AFRAID OF, UH, TRANSFERRING ANYTHING, YOU CAN PUT YOUR DOCUMENTS IN THERE, THEM FOR YOU.
I'M NOT BETTER PREPARED ABOUT IT, BUT ALL GOT HERE.
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH COPIES, BUT ONE IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE RECORD.
A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CITY CLERK IS TAKING IT.
WHAT HE WAS SAYING, THIS IS ABOUT THE SAME AS JUST READ IT.
I JUST, I CAN'T NOW, IF I HAD THE VOICE, I COULD EXPLAIN IT ALL, BUT THE PROBLEM IS I DON'T, THIS IS SAYS ABOUT INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF, UM, OFFICE HOLDERS SPENDING CITY DOLLARS ON PERSONAL EXPENSE.
I'M AN, UH, RETIRED IRS AGENT AND I HAPPEN TO READ THE, UM, UH, CAMPAIGN ACCOUNTS.
AND, UH, I, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
UH, THIS, THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO PERTAIN TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.
UM, I'M SORRY, I JUST, CAN I JUST SUBMIT THIS FOR THE RECORD AND LEAVE? 'CAUSE I'M JUST BARELY HERE.
IS, AM I INTERRUPTING? I'M SORRY, ANITA.
SO IS YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT RELATED TO ITEM NUMBER TWO ON THE AGENDA? IF IT'S NOT, THEN YOU MAY HAVE TO WAIT FOR REGULAR PUBLIC COMMENT.
HOW LONG IS THAT? CAN SHE HAND IT TO SOMEONE WHO WILL HAND IT TO US DURING REGULAR, CAN TAKE TIME AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR.
IF SHE COULD JUST HAND IT TO SOMEONE TO, TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND, AND THEY'LL PUT IT INTO THE RECORD AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
WE'LL GET IT IN THE RECORD TIME.
SHE DOESN'T NEED TO STAY FROM THE ARMY MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR US TO, TO SEE IT, TO GET A COPY.
DO THE PUBLIC COMMENT DOCUMENT UHUH? NO, BECAUSE NO, SOMEBODY ELSE COMES IN AT THE, YOU MIGHT WANNA CLARIFY FOR HER THAT YOU'VE ACCEPTED IT.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER PUBLIC CON COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO? OKAY, LET'S MOVE TO A VOTE.
UH, COMMISSIONER DEAN, BE VICTUS.
AYE, FOR, UH, COMMISSIONER DEAN, BE VICTUS.
UM, YOU CAN ACTUALLY, UH, MOVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM IF YOU PREFER CHAIR TO TAKE IT NOW.
UM, I I'M AFRAID THAT SOMEONE MIGHT BE PLANNING TO COME TOWARDS THE END OF THE MEETING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE WOULD'VE GONE TOO EARLY.
BUT WE WILL RECEIVE THE COMMENTS LATER, RIGHT? SOMEBODY HAS THEM SO WE CAN RECEIVE THEM LATER.
UH, DO WE HAVE A, A FULL VOTE? YES.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, RECOMMENDATION TO IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS REMAINING OPEN ITEMS ON THE ETHICS COMMISSION'S ORIGINAL 2020 ACTION PLAN AND THE 2019 HARVEY ROSE AUDIT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS INTO THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCIES FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC
[3. 25-53997 Recommendation to identify and discuss remaining open items on the Ethics Commission’s Original 2020 Action Plan and the 2019 Harvey Rose Audit and make recommendations for implementation considerations into the Office of Ethics and Transparency’s 5-year Strategic Roadmap. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ROADMAP APP.I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MORALES.
UM, THIS WAS, UH, AN ITEM ON THE
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AGENDA ALSO LAST TIME.UH, AND, UH, I CLARIFIED, UH, THE EXPECTATIONS AND I HOPE THAT THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH THE ACTION PLAN IN THE HARVEY ROSE AUDIT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY THOSE ITEMS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE OPEN THAT SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN OR STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
ANY DISCUSSION? I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS.
WELL, FIRST TO LOOK AT THIS, WHAT I DID WAS LOOK AT THE, UM, WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE LATEST REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER.
WE HAD AN UPDATE IN JULY OF, OF 24, ABOUT, SO THAT WAS JUST SIX MONTHS AGO, ABOUT WHERE WE WERE ON, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING WHAT, UM, THE, WHAT THE CITY HAD SAID IT WOULD DO AND WHAT WAS DONE AND WHAT WASN'T DONE.
SO I THINK AT A MINIMUM, AND, AND BY MY COUNT, WHICH I MADE IN JULY, UM, 11 OUT OF THE 25 ITEMS HAD BEEN COMPLETED AS REPORTED BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
SO I DO THINK THAT THOSE ITEMS THAT EVERYONE'S AGREED UPON ARE NOT COMPLETED SHOULD BE INCORPORATED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER INTO THE, UH, GANTT CHART THAT, THAT HEATHER EXPLAINED LAST WEEK THAT SHE'S DEVELOPING.
UM, AND I, AND I THINK THIS, THIS EFFORT IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR, UM, CONTINUITY, UM, OF THE WORK OF THIS COMMISSION GOING FORWARD IN A COUPLE MONTHS, THERE WILL BE THREE NEW COMMISSIONERS HERE IN PLACE OF THE THREE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE COMMISSION.
AND IT MAKES SENSE THAT THEY WOULD JUST TO ME, THAT IT, THAT THEY WOULD JUST BE WORKING OFF OF ONE PLAN AT THIS.
THAT SAID, I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE, SOME OF THE ITEMS IN THAT PLAN COME FROM AN AUDIT THAT WAS DONE BY THE CITY AND, AND, AND TO WHICH THE CITY RESPONDED AGREEING WITH EVERY ONE OF THE DEFICIENCIES THAT THE AUDIT POINTED OUT.
SO, AND, AND THEN THE CITY HAS REPORTED BACK TO US RECENTLY THAT THEY'RE NOT DONE.
SO WE NEED TO INCORPORATE THOSE ITEMS INTO THE PLAN.
WHETHER THAT'S DONE AS ANOTHER FIFTH ITEM ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN, OR WHETHER, YOU KNOW, YOU PREFER TO PUT THEM UNDER ONE OF THE EXISTING PILLARS THAT MARK KULA SUGGESTED TO US, DOESN'T BOTHER ME PARTICULARLY, BUT I DO THINK THEY NEED TO BE INCORPORATED.
AND I DO THINK IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN A WAY THAT THE, THE NEW PEOPLE COMING ONTO THIS UNDERSTAND THAT IT RELATES BACK TO THESE EARLIER DOCUMENTS.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S HISTORICAL INFORMATION THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT OLD THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, KEPT IN MIND AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND IT'S BEEN UPDATED AS RECENTLY AS, AS SIX MONTHS AGO BY THE, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
SO THAT'S MY GENERAL A APPROACH TO THIS.
I I DO THINK THAT, UM, A FEW OF THESE ARE FURTHER ALONG THAN THE DOCUMENTS INDICATE.
UM, BECAUSE FOR AT THIS POINT, I MEAN, SOON WE'LL HAVE THE ETHICS ORDINANCE OUT TO THE CITY COUNCIL, I HOPE, AND, AND SOON, AND WE ALREADY HAVE THE LOBBYING ORDINANCE OUT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO I THINK THOSE, THE MATTER, THE ITEMS THAT REFER TO THOSE MATTERS CAN BE, UM, CAN BE, CAN BE MODIFIED.
AND, UM, I THINK I SPOKE LAST WEEK ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE, AND I ASSUME WE HAVE THIS, THAT, UM, THAT THE, UM, THE ONGOING ITEMS WHICH ARE TO BE DONE ANNUALLY OR, YOU KNOW, PERIODICALLY ARE, ARE SPECIFICALLY CALLED FOR IN THE PLAN GOING, GOING FORWARD.
UM, THE, THE ONE, I'LL JUST SAY THE ONE THING THAT I DON'T FEEL HAS BEEN ADDRESSED ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS WHILE WE'VE FOCUSED ON WHAT THE POLICY SHOULD BE, WE HAVE NOT,
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AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO.UM, I GUESS WE CAN MAKE SUGGESTIONS, BUT, BUT THAT WOULD BE ALL THE IDEA OF WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE OF NOT FOLLOWING THINGS.
AND THE METHOD FOR ENFORCEMENT, FOR INVESTIGATION AND ENFORCEMENT HAS NOT BEEN, BEEN REALLY ADDRESSED.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME THINGS IN THE ITEMS THAT HAVE GONE OR WILL GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT SUGGESTS THAT THERE BE A, UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? A, UM, IT'S A LOW LEVEL VIOLATION OF THE, UH, FOR FILING FOR NOT WELL, FOR FILING, FOR NOT FILING YOUR 700 IS THERE'S PARDON? ADMINISTRATIVE FINE.
OR I THINK IN THE CASE OF THE 700 FORMS, I THINK, UM, THE PE PEOPLE WERE TO BE REMOVED FROM THEIR POSITION APPOINTED POSITIONS IF, UM, THEY DID NOT, UM, IF THEY DID NOT COM COMPLETE THEM.
BUT, UH, THAT, THAT'S ONE AREA, UM, FROM THE, FROM THE AUDIT THAT I, I, I DO THINK WE'VE, UM, WE, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK FOR, FOR EVERYONE IN THE CITY TO, TO DO TO, TO MEET, TO MEET THAT.
SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS.
UH, COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL, UH, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, UH, HEATHER AND TEAM.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING DONE THE, UH, RACK UP OF WHERE WE STAND.
ONE, A COUPLE OF RELATIVELY MINOR COMMENTS.
UH, ONE, I'M NOT ASKING FOR A CHANGE IN THIS DOCUMENT OR NOT TO VOTE IT OUT, BUT, UH, WE, I KNOW WE HAVE, UM, UH, THE, THE TEAM HAS ELECTED TO USE ADMINISTRATIVE LIAISONS WITHIN ADMINISTRATIVE REPS OR LIAISONS WITHIN EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE CITY AS THE LIAISONS OR ETHICS LIAISONS AS TIME PROGRESSES.
I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE, NOW, I'M NOT SAYING IT NEEDS TO BE THIS YEAR, UH, BUT AS TIME PROGRESSES, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT THE, UH, TEAM LOOK AT ACTUALLY SEPARATING THAT ROLE AND HAVING THE ETHICS LIAISON BE MORE OF A, UH, AN EMPLOYEE JUST FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, A REGULAR EMPLOYEE WITHIN EACH OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT DOESN'T HAVE NECESSARILY ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO BE ABLE TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT AND BE KIND OF AN EXTENSION OF YOU WITHIN THE CITY ONE, AND TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF DIRECT PEOPLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU WHEN THEY HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, THE IDEA BEING THAT THO THOSE EMPLOYEES WITHIN EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AS THEY'RE DESIGNATED MIGHT BE MORE, UH, RELATABLE, UH, TO OTHERS WITHIN THE, UH, THE GROUP AS OPPOSED TO, UH, THE ADMINISTRATIVE REPRESENTATIVE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT AS YOU PROGRESS.
THE OTHER RELATIVELY MINOR COMMENT, I APPRECIATE THE CLOSEOUT OR THE, WHAT'S BEEN DONE TO TIE THESE UP.
UH, WHATEVER MECHANISM WE ARE USING GOING FORWARD TO TRACK EVERYTHING THAT THE, AND I THINK WE'RE EARLY ENOUGH ALONG IN THE ETHICS, UH, OFFICE AND THE ETHICS, UH, COMMISSION'S WORK THAT YOU CAN CON, UH, CARRY OVER AND TRACK THE STATUS, EVEN IF THEY'RE CLOSED IN WHATEVER MECHANISM IS BEING TRACKED, UH, ONGOING FOR THE, UH, OS WORK AND THE COMMISSION'S WORK.
SO YOU HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF EVERYTHING THAT THE, UH, COMMISSION AND THE OET HAS DONE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE TO EVERYONE'S BENEFIT TO KIND OF MAINTAIN AND KEEP WHATEVER MEANS OF TRACKING, TO KEEP THEM, UH, INTEGRATED AND CONSISTENT.
ANY, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN? UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE, UH, COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES.
I, I THINK I MIGHT, UH, BE, BE VIEWING THIS, UM, PERHAPS A BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO HAVE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS, AT LEAST ON THE RECORD OF, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I ALSO WENT BACK AND REVIEWED THE JULY, UH, I THINK THE LAST PRESENTATION BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WAS DONE IN JULY.
AND, UH, AND IT WAS RECOGNIZED THAT SOME OF THESE ITEMS ARE YEARLY DELIVERABLES.
UM, AND SO IN THEORY, WE COULD NEVER CLOSE THEM OUT BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING, THEY HAVE TO BE ONGOING JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE YEARLY DELIVERABLES.
UM, AND SOME OF THEM, UM, WE JUST CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE THE, UH, AUTHORITY TO, TO DO
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ACTION PLAN CONTIN, AND THEN, UH, THAT WAS DONE IN 2020, THE AUDIT THAT WAS DONE IN 2019, AND THEN BLENDING IT WITH THE MARCOLA REPORT STARTS TO MAKE THIS, UH, A BIT UNRULY.I THINK WE HAVE INTERNALLY A, A CALENDAR OF, UH, UH, THE YEARLY REPORTS, OR SEMI-ANNUAL OR SOMETIMES QUARTERLY REPORTS THAT MUST BE DONE.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE OBVIOUSLY REMAIN ON CALENDAR.
UM, BUT I CONCERN, UM, I THINK ONE OF MY CONCERN IS THAT WHEN I WAS BEING ONBOARDED INTO THE COMMISSION, THERE WAS SO MANY, THERE WAS SO MUCH INFORMATION AND THERE WAS SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT AT TIMES SEEMED TO CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER.
UM, IT WAS KIND OF CONFUSING AT TIMES TO SEE WHAT WAS TAILS AND WHAT WAS HEADS AND, YOU KNOW, AND SO I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE A CLEANER DOCUMENT THAT KIND OF SHOWS WHAT THE MARULA REPORT AND GOING FORWARD, AND THEN, UM, SUN SETTING AS IT WAS RECOMMENDED IN THE MARULA REPORT, KIND OF GOING OF OUR VICTORIES OR THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, HOLDING ON TO THOSE THINGS THAT WE WERE SUCCESSFUL ON.
THE MAKING THE EARLY REPORTS, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NOW A ORDINANCE THAT HOPEFULLY WILL GO TO THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL THIS YEAR, UH, A LOBBYING REPORT THAT HOPEFULLY WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL THIS YEAR.
I SEE THOSE AS VICTORIES AND, AND KIND OF, AND FOLDING IT INTO THE, THE NEW REPORT THAT WE HAVE.
IT JUST, IN MY OPINION, MAKES IT A LITTLE UNWIELDY.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, GOING FORWARD JUST A BIT OF A CLEANER, OKAY, NOW IN 2024, THIS WAS THE REPORT.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING OFF OF, UM, RATHER THAN GOING OFF OF 20 19, 20 20, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT IN CONFLICT.
UM, AND SO MIGHT MAKE IT CONFUSING ON NEW MEMBERS WHO COME TO THE COMMISSION.
I OBVIOUSLY RESPECT EVERYONE ON THE DIOCESE AND THE, THE THOUGHTS AND THE GROUNDWORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME TO ALLOW ME TO KIND OF MAKE SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE ETHICS COMMISSION AND TO BE A PART OF REALLY A ROBUST COMMISSION AND THE GREAT WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
BUT I THINK CONTINUING TO COMBINE, CONTINUING TO LAYER JUST MAKES IT A BIT CONFUSING FOR THE NEW, THE, THE THREE NEW MEMBERS THAT WILL COME AND POTENTIAL NEW MEMBERS THAT WILL COME DOWN THE LINE SHOT.
WELL, ACTUALLY, ONE QUICK RESPONSE, AND THEN I HAD ONE OTHER ITEM, BUT, AND, AND I FULLY APPRECIATE VICE SHERIFF COLEMAN'S, UH, PERSPECTIVE AND, AND POINT, AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, WHAT I WAS PROPOSING WAS NOT FOR ONGOING REPORTING PURPOSES, BUT JUST IN THE COMMISSION'S DATABASE SO THAT WE'RE EARLY ENOUGH ON THAT.
WE HAVE ONE DATABASE WHERE WE'RE TRACKING ALL THE STUFF, AND WE CAN MOVE ALL THESE THINGS TO A NEW DATABASE, BUT IT'S JUST THERE IN THE DATABASE FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES TO UNDERSTAND AS OPPOSED TO CONTINUING TO REVISIT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
'CAUSE I WASN'T PROPOSING THAT, JUST TO BE CLEAR.
UH, AND ONE OTHER ITEM IS THE ETHICS CULTURE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF NOW'S THE TIME TO DO THAT OR, UH, TO COMMENT, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS DONE IN 2020 AND I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE DONE.
YOU KNOW, MY IDEA IS TO HAVE THOSE EVERY THREE TO FOUR YEARS.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER MORALES.
I BELIEVE WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED LAST YEAR WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE SUR THE ETHICS ATTITUDE SURVEY, WAS THAT WE WOULD LET A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME GO FROM THE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CODE OF ETHICS, SO THAT IT REALLY HAD TIME TO PERCOLATE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE ORGANIZATION.
AND THEN WE COULD SEE IF THAT HAD HELPED CHANGE ANY ATTITUDES.
SO I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY STILL ANOTHER YEAR AWAY FROM DOING THAT SURVEY.
I JUST DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF IT.
NO, IT'S ON, IT'S, IT'S ON THAT DATABASE THAT, UH, THE VICE CHAIR MENTIONED.
UM, OTHER COMMENTS? UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST, TO, AS FAR AS THE ONGOING REQUIREMENT, I, I DO CONSIDER THOSE DONE FOR PURPOSES OF THE ACTION PLAN, SIMPLY BY VIRTUE OF THE CREATION OF A CALENDAR THAT SAYS ANNUAL REPORT, QUARTERLY REPORT, OR WHATEVER.
UH, I, I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER THOSE THINGS DONE, HOPEFULLY, AS TO THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE STILL CONSIDER OPEN, WE CAN INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE MARCOLA INITIATED STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
AND THAT'LL BE THE ONLY DOCUMENT.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DOCUMENTS,
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UM, I, I, I, I'M AFRAID THAT MAYBE MY HISTORY WITH THESE DOCUMENTS IS GONNA BE REFLECTED IN MY COMMENTS RIGHT NOW.UM, BUT I DO HAVE A, A BUNCH OF THINGS THAT I CONSIDER TO BE OPEN.
UM, ON THE JULY STATUS REPORT, JULY, 2024, STATUS REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER ON STANDARD NUMBER SEVEN, THIS IS THE CITY MANAGER STATUS REPORT ON THE HARVEY ROSE AUDIT.
STANDARD NUMBER SEVEN SAID THAT THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL WITH INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION, AND THE CITY ATTORNEY SHOULD SPECIFY AND PUBLISH IN THE EXPANDED ETHICS SECTION IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE PENALTIES AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS THAT CAN BE IMPOSED BY THE ETHICS COMMISSION AND OTHER CITY PARTIES FOR ALL TYPES OF ETHICS VIOLATIONS CONSISTENT WITH PROFE PROVISIONS OF LAW.
OBVIOUSLY, THE ETHICS COMMISSION HAS NO AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE PENALTIES, BUT THE IDEA OF A DOCUMENT THAT SET THAT SAYS, HERE ARE THE POTENTIAL PENALTIES FOR A VIOLATION OF THE BROWN ACT, FOR A VIOLATION OF THE LEVINE ACT, FOR A VIOLATION OF THE CONFLICT OF INTERESTS, UM, I THINK IS AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.
AND WE SHOULD NOT DROP THAT FROM THE ACTION ITEM LIST.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK IT BELONGS IN THE ETHICS ORDINANCE, ONLY BECAUSE IT IS A COMPILATION OF A LOT OF THINGS, SOME OF WHICH ARE IN THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE, SOME OF WHICH ARE IN THE STATE REGULATIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE FEDERAL, AND SOME OF WHICH MAY BE IMPLEMENTED IN OTHER WAYS.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE CITY DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO IMPOSE, UH, DISCIPLINARY ACTION SHORT OF SOMETHING REQUIRED BY LAW.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF AN EMPLOYEE IS MIS, THIS DOCUMENT WOULD SHOW THAT THE POTENTIAL PENALTIES INCLUDE GO FROM, YOU KNOW, SUSPENSION FOR A WEEK TO TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S AN OPEN ITEM FROM THE HARVEY ROSE AUDIT ON, UM, STANDARD NUMBER EIGHT.
UM, UH, THE, THE JULY REPORT SAID THAT THAT ITEM WAS COMPLETED, BUT, UM, STANDARD NUMBER EIGHT ASKS FOR A, UH, SUMMARY TO BE PRODUCED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ETHICS COMPLAINTS FILED, AND A SUMMARY OF THE OUTCOMES BY TYPE.
IT DEMONSTRATES, AND IF, AND HAVING GONE BACK AND LOOKED AT THE SURVEY, MANY PEOPLE IN THE SURVEY SAID THAT THEY WERE RELUCTANT TO REPORT MISCONDUCT BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THAT NO ACTIONS WERE TAKEN.
OFTEN YOU CAN'T GO BACK TO AN EMPLOYEE AND SAY, YEAH, THAT GUY YOU, THAT YOU, UH, REPORTED FOR MIS CHARGING, WE DOCKED HIM TWO WEEKS PAY.
THAT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THE PRIVACY.
BUT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE COULD SAY, HEY, THERE WERE FIVE CHARGING CASES.
TWO OF THEM RESULTED IN, IN DISCIPLINE.
SO I THINK STANDARD NUMBER EIGHT HAS AN OA OPEN ITEM.
AND, UH, STANDARD NUMBER NINE AS WELL.
UM, I'LL HAVE TO FIND MY NOTE ON STANDARD NUMBER NINE.
UM, STANDARD NUMBER NINE WAS TO DIRECT THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH PRE PROCEDURES TO PERIODICALLY CONDUCT INDEPENDENT REVIEWS OF THE, OF, UH, BUYERS ACTIVITIES, UM, OR TO, TO, TO, TO CONDUCT AUDITS, UH, OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN, IN, IN A NUMBER OF AREAS.
UM, AND I, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY AUDITOR DOES NOT REPORT TO THE CITY MANAGER, AND THIS IS THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT TO US.
UH, BUT I THINK WE OUGHT TO CIRCLE BACK WITH THE CITY AUDITOR AND KEEP THAT ON THE, ON THE, UH, LIST OF THINGS.
I BELIEVE THE CITY AUDITOR MAY WELL BE DOING THE AUDITS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, UH, BUT, UH, BUT WE OUGHT TO, WE OUGHT TO GET A REPORT ON THAT.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE ACTION PLAN IS CONCERNED,
[00:40:01]
A LOT OF THE ITEMS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EXISTING AD HOCS.UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COVER THOSE TO SAY, YEAH, WE THINK THAT THE AD HOC ON, UH, POLICIES IS HANDLING THAT, OR THE AD HOC ON COMMISSION RESPONSIBILITIES IS HANDLING SOMETHING.
UM, AND I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS ON THAT.
UH, UH, HEATHER, ON 2.4, WE WERE CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE COMPANION DOCUMENT TO THE ETHICS CODE.
I, I KNOW THERE WAS WORK ON THAT, BUT I COULDN'T RECALL IF THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN COMPLETED IT.
SO THAT'S THE TOOLKIT THAT WENT BACK AND FORTH, OKAY.
BETWEEN YOU AND THE VICE CHAIR AND THE STAFF.
UM, AND IT, IT HAD A PIN PUT IN IT FOR A BIT.
UM, STAFF HAS, SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN SOME GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THE VICE CHAIR, UM, AND, UH, LILIANA AND I ARE ACTUALLY FINALIZING THAT.
UM, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT AN AN HOUR AGO.
BUT THAT WILL CHANGE, UM, AS THE ETHICS ORDINANCE COMES TO LIFE.
UM, BUT WE, I MEAN, SINCE WE STARTED THIS, THIS DOCUMENT, IN OUR OPINION, WILL BE A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT CHANGES PROBABLY ANNUALLY.
UM, SO MAYBE WE ADD ONTO THE CALENDAR, UPDATE THE TOOLKIT EVERY NOVEMBER OR SOMETHING, OR LOOK AT THE TOOLKIT FOR, YEAH, THERE WAS A SUGGESTION TO MAYBE JUST NOT DO THE TOOLKIT UNTIL THE ORDINANCE GOT TO WHERE IT NEEDED TO GO.
UM, BUT I JUST THOUGHT WE COULD DO THE TOOLKIT NOW AND THEN, UM, LOOK AT IT AGAIN.
UM, UH, SO AGAIN, ON THE ACTION PLAN, WE ALSO HAVE THE, UM, THE ITEM, UH, 4.1.
UH, WHAT WE HAVE NOT COMPLETED IS A CITYWIDE DATABASE THAT WOULD BE APPLICABLE REGARDLESS OF THE REPORTING PATH.
SO IF SOMEONE REPORTS, UH, MISCONDUCT, UM, WHETHER THEY REPORT IT TO AN AO OR THEY REPORT IT TO THE ETHICS OFFICER, OR THEY REPORT IT TO SOMEONE ELSE, THERE'S SOME CITYWIDE DATABASE SO THAT WE KNOW HOW MANY ALLEGATIONS OF PARTICULAR KINDS OF MISCONDUCT THERE HAVE BEEN IN A GIVEN YEAR.
I, I CONSIDER THAT TO BE AN OPEN ITEM.
UH, 4.3 IS OPEN, THAT'S THE INVESTIGATION, UH, FUNCTION.
UM, UH, WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE INVESTIGATIVE FUNCTION INTO THE ETHICS COMMISSION, UM, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE CITY COUNCIL ACTION, BUT THOSE, BUT WITHIN THE CITY, WE, WE HAVE RECOMMENDED A, AN INVESTIGATION PROTOCOL SO THAT EVERYONE WHO DOES CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION IN THE CITY IS FOLLOWING THE SAME GUIDELINES.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S AN OII CONSIDER THAT TO BE AN OPEN ITEM.
5.1 IMPLEMENTS THE IDEA OF PROACTIVE MEASURES.
AND AGAIN, THIS, THE ETHICS COMMISSION DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT THE AUDITS.
UH, BUT, UH, AS FAR AS THE CITY'S IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, I, I, I THINK WE OUGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY AUDITOR IS, IS, UM, UH, PUTTING THE, THE, THE, THE, THE RIGHT, UH, LIST TOGETHER, UH, OR AT LEAST TO PROVIDE OUR THOUGHTS ON, ON WHAT OUGHT TO BE IN THE AUDIT PLAN.
AGAIN, 5.2 TALKS ABOUT THE PENALTIES AND DISCIPLINE.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S AN OPEN ITEM.
WE'VE NEVER ACTUALLY LOOKED AT, UH,
[00:45:01]
DONE ANY SORT OF DEEP DIVE IN CAMPAIGN FINANCING.UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT AN AD HOC GOING RIGHT NOW, AND I WOULD JUST ASK THE, THE COMMISSION TO, TO, TO LOOK AT WHETHER THAT SATISFIES, UH, THAT, THAT WORK ITEM.
I KNOW THAT BOTH LOBBYING AND CAMPAIGN FINANCING WERE JUST PLACEHOLDERS IN THE ACTION PLAN.
WE DIDN'T SAY THERE NEEDED TO BE SOMETHING DONE, BUT WE HADN'T LOOKED AT IT, AND, AND I DON'T, AND WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT, NOT, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT HAS TO BE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT WE MAY WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS, ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WANT TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE ORAL REPORTS FROM THE ATTENDEES OF THE 2024 COUNSEL OF GOVERNMENTAL ETHICS LAWS CONFERENCE.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER D BENEDICTIS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
AND WHICH SIDE OF THE TABLE SHOULD I START ON? I'LL START WITH HEATHER.
[4. 25-53998 Recommendation to receive and file oral reports from the attendees of the 2024 Council of Governmental Ethics Laws conference. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
CHAIR.UM, SO YEAH, I'LL GIVE A QUICK, HAVE ORAL REPORT AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO COMMISSIONERS.
UM, SO EARLY LAST MONTH, UM, THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF STAFF AND COMMISSIONERS, UM, THAT WENT TO THE 46 ANNUAL FOUR DAY CONFERENCE OF GEL KOGEL WAS THE COUNCIL ON GOVERNMENTAL ETHICS LAWS, UM, OUT OF WASHINGTON, DC AND IS, UM, A NETWORK OF, UM, US AND CANADIAN, UM, ETHICS PROGRAMS. UM, SO MYSELF, JORGE EZ AND MEGAN FELIX, OUR RECORDS COORDINATOR WENT FROM OET AND COMMISSIONERS, OR NOVE, WELL AND WISE, UH, WERE ALSO THERE.
DIFFERENT TRACKS THAT WERE OFFERED AT THE CONFERENCE, UM, INCLUDED FOIA, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, CAMPAIGN, FINANCE ENFORCEMENT, ELECTIONS, LOBBYING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ETHICS.
UM, THE CONFERENCE ALSO OFFERED MANY VALUABLE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF.
THIS WAS COVERED, UH, BY THE CITY.
UM, THE CITY IS A DUES PAYING MEMBER OF GEL.
UM, THE NEAT THING ABOUT OUR MEMBERSHIP IS THAT, UM, WE PAY ONE FEE AND UP TO 50 OF US CAN BE A PART OF THAT MEMBERSHIP.
UM, SO IT'S INCLUSIVE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY ATTORNEYS ARE, UM, ON THAT, ET CETERA.
SO IT'S A, A, A GOOD MEMBERSHIP TO HAVE A DIFFERENT SESSIONS THAT, UM, THAT I WENT TO AND SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS WENT.
UM, THERE WAS ONE ON SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND TRANSPARENCY, UM, EMPLOYMENT ETHICS, UH, DEI AND ETHICS COMMISSIONS.
UH, THERE WAS A, A NEAT ONE ON WEIRD GIFTS, UM, AND JUST LOOKING AT HOW DIFFERENT, UM, ENTITIES ADDRESS GIFTS.
UH, THERE WAS ONE ON DATA DASHBOARDS, UH, WHICH WAS TIMELY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT JORGE AND I AND MEGAN TALK ABOUT A LOT IN THE OFFICE, UH, CREATING DASHBOARDS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO YEAH, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS, UM, A, A GOOD, IT PROVIDED VALUABLE INSIGHTS THAT REALLY ENHANCES OUR PROGRAM.
UM, DIFFERENT TAKEAWAYS THAT WE GOT DIFFERENT IDEAS FROM MICRO TRAININGS.
UM, WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN JUST PROMOTING COMMISSION MEETINGS, GENERALLY SPEAKING THROUGHOUT THE COMMISSION PROGRAM.
UM, LOOKING AT REVOLVING DOOR, UH, TRAINING PROGRAMS AND HOW WE COULD ADAPT THEM LOCALLY.
UM, LEARNED MORE ABOUT CAMPAIGN LEGAL CENTERS, UH, FREE RESOURCES, WHICH COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL SPOKE ABOUT LAST MONTH.
UM, SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL.
SO I FOUND THAT THE CONFERENCE WAS, IT'S OKAY TO TALK.
I FOUND THAT THE CONFERENCE WAS EXTREMELY VALUABLE AND THE,
[00:50:01]
UM, WORK OF, UH, I, AS I INDICATED WHEN I CAME BACK FROM THE CONFERENCE, I THINK IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE BENEFIT OF THIS CONFERENCE BEING LOCAL.I HAVE PREVIOUSLY ON THIS COMMISSION ADVOCATED THAT THE STAFF ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN TWO ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH I STILL THINK THEY SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE SOCIETY OF CORPORATE COMPLIANCE AND ETHICS, ALONG WITH THE ETHICS COMPLIANCE INSTITUTE.
BUT WITH REGARD TO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING IN CONFERENCES, YOU KNOW, I FOUND THAT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE SUBJECT AT THIS PARTICULAR CONFERENCE, THAT IT IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS.
UH, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE FUTURE COMMISSIONERS, UH, TO ATTEND OR SOME OF THE FUTURE COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND MEETINGS, EVEN IF IT MEANS THAT WE ARE OUT, UH, DOING SO OUTSIDE, UH, UH, OUTSIDE THE LOS ANGELES AREA.
AND IT REQUIRES SOME LEVEL OF TRAVEL EXPENSE.
'CAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS THAT MUCH BENEFIT IN PARTICIPATING IN THE MEETINGS AND ALSO THE ABILITY TO HAVE THOSE SIDE CONVERSATIONS.
UH, WITH REGARD TO THIS, I THINK SPECIFIC ITEM THAT, UH, HEATHER HAD MENTIONED WITH THE CAMPAIGN LEGAL CENTER.
SO I'D SPOKEN WITH THE CAMPAIGN LEGAL CENTER, THEIR PREFERENCE IS TO HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE, AND NOW THAT WE HAVE A REVISED DRAFT, UH, THAT WE CAN SEND THAT TO THE CAMPAIGN LINGO CENTER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HOLIDAYS AND TIME INDICATE, UH, HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT.
AND, BUT BOTTOM LINE, I FOUND THE CONFERENCE TO BE VALUABLE, COMMISSIONER WISE.
YEAH, I THOUGHT IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT.
AND, UM, I, I DID ACTUALLY FIND PARTS OF IT TO BE SOMEWHAT INSPIRATIONAL.
UM, I WAS, THIS MORNING I WAS LOOKING BACK AT THE MARK HULA REPORT, AND I THINK IT'S IN THERE THAT I SAW THEY USED THE, UM, TERM ETHICAL LITERACY AND TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, BOLSTER OUR, THE ETHICAL LITERACY OF OUR STAFF AND OUR COMMISSIONERS.
AND, UM, I, AND I THINK PARTICULARLY FOR LEARNING ABOUT, UM, ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE CONTEXT OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OR GOVERNMENT ITSELF, THIS CONFERENCE IS, IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
UM, AND, AND I WILL SAY I WAS VERY SURPRISED.
I WAS IN A LOT OF, OF, OF GROUPS WHERE THERE WAS, WHERE CANADIAN SPEAKING AND CAN AND CANADA IS, IS REALLY PRETTY, PRETTY FAR ALONG IN TERMS OF HOW THEY APPROACH, APPROACH ETHICS.
AND THERE'S, THE THING IS, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TO LEARN FROM THESE OTHER GROUPS.
I DID ATTEND, UM, A LOT OF, UH, SEVERAL SESSIONS THAT WERE ON LOBBYING.
AND I REALLY WISH THAT I HAD ATTENDED THOSE THREE SESSIONS A YEAR AGO WHEN WE WERE RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF DRAFTING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT LOBBYING, BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE, UM, INFORMED MY THINKING ABOUT IT IN, IN ADDITIONAL WAYS THAT I WOULD'VE BROUGHT TO THE DISCUSSION WHETHER THE PRODUCT AND PRODUCT WOULD'VE BEEN DIFFERENT.
BUT I THINK, UM, IT WOULD'VE BEEN VERY VALUABLE.
SO, UM, THEY, UM, I ALSO ATTENDED ONE THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UM, SMALL COMMISSIONS.
AND, UH, GUAM WAS A PARTICIPANT, UH, COLUMBUS, OHIO, SAN DIEGO, UM, AND SAN DIEGO IS PRETTY, IS PRETTY BIG COMPARED TO, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING COMPARED TO, TO, TO WHERE TO WE ARE WHERE WE ARE.
BUT, UM, THE STORIES ARE INSPIRING AND THERE'S TAKEAWAYS BECAUSE YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST I CAN SEE PARALLELS BETWEEN THINGS THEY DID AND THINGS THAT, THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO, TO LONG BEACH AS IT MOVES FORWARD WITH DEVELOPING.
ITS, UM, ITS, ITS ETHICS PROGRAM, INCLUDING, UM, THE, THE USE OF MEDIA TO, UM, TO HELP MAKE, YOU KNOW, BRING AWARENESS TO THE COMMISSION AND, AND REACHING OUT TO THEM IN, IN, IN, IN CERTAIN WAYS JUST BY PROVIDING 'EM THE AGENDAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO ANYWAY, I REALLY HOPE THAT, UM, THIS WILL GET FOLDED INTO THE BUDGET FOR THIS COMMISSION GOING FORWARD.
AND, UM, I WOULD ACTUALLY GIVE THE PRIORITY TO THE, THE STAFF WHO WILL HOPEFULLY BE WITH US THE LONGEST, UH, GIVEN THAT, UM, PEOPLE THAT, THAT SIT UP HERE HAVE TERM LIMITS.
SO, UM, BUT I, I DO THINK IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY VALUABLE.
SO I HAVE SOME NOTES AND I'LL PASS THEM ALONG TO STAFF.
'CAUSE WE, WE DI WE KNOW WE DIVIDED UP.
WE WEREN'T ALL IN THE, IN THE SAME SESSIONS.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH THE THE TIME TO BE THERE.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? OH, I HAVE ONE OTHER THING TO ADD.
THEY HAD A LOT OF, OF, UM, THERE WERE SOME MATERIALS THAT WERE PROVIDED AS PART OF REGISTRATION,
[00:55:01]
UM, THE BLUE BOOK AND, UM, A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK ARE ON THE WEBSITE FOR CODE KIL.I SUGGEST THAT WE MAKE THOSE PART OF OUR ETHICS LIBRARY OR WHATEVER THAT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC AND TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TO, TO USE PERHAPS OTHER, OTHER COMMISSIONS THE, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL MIGHT FIND, FIND THEM, UM, USEFUL PLACE TO START ON, ON CERTAIN, CERTAIN TOPICS, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO HIDE THOSE.
DO WE HAVE ANY INPUT FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? CAN WE MOVE TO A VOTE? OH, SORRY.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON UPDATED POLICIES.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER MORALES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
LOOKS, UH, I'LL BE PROVIDING THAT REPORT ON BEHALF OF, UH, COMMISSIONER DENI AND I.
[5. 25-53999 Recommendation to receive and file an update from the Ad Hoc Committee on Updated Policies. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, BUT WE HAVE A COMPLETE DRAFT OF THE ETHICS AND GOOD GOVERNMENT ACT.UH, WE HAVE MET AND WORKED WITH STAFF, UH, TO ADDRESS AND INCORPORATE COMMENTS.
AND THOSE INCLUDE THE COMMENTS THAT, UH, WERE PROVIDED BY THE CITY AUDITOR OFFICE.
AND I DO WANT TO, UH, THANK HEATHER FOR REACHING OUT TO THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND, YOU KNOW, SHARING THE DRAFT WITH THEM AND, AND SOLICITING THEIR COMMENTS ALONG WITH, UH, COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO SOME FINE TUNING AND ADDRESSING, UH, COMMENTS, UH, SPECIFICALLY FROM, UH, CHAIR P*****K AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER WEISS PROVIDED AT PRIOR MEETINGS, UH, AND SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO RELATIVES IN CLOSE PERSONAL RELATIONS.
UM, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT AS A COMMITTEE AND WITH THE, WITH THE TEAM, AND REALLY ARE WANTING TO AVOID ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING RE UH, RULES OR REQUIREMENTS IN PLACE THAT COULD PRODUCE, UH, UH, UH, THE REQUIREMENT ON INDIVIDUALS MAKING DECISIONS TO DO EXTREME FACT FINDING BEFORE MAKING A SINGLE VOTE, WHICH I DON'T THINK WE ARE INTENDING TO DO.
SO THERE'LL BE MORE COMING ON THAT.
UH, WE, UH, HAVE, UH, WORKED WITH, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND COUNSEL.
COUNSEL IS CURRENTLY TAKING A REVIEW OF THE DOCUMENT AND COMING BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHERE WE MIGHT ROLL BACK OUR DEFINITIONS TO BE MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THOSE OF THE FPPC AT THE SAME TIME BROADENING THEM, OR AT LEAST INCLUDING THEM HERE, SO THAT WE HAVE ONE COMPLETE, UH, VERSION OR ORDINANCE THAT'S IN PLACE FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, STILL MAINTAINING MORE THAT STRICTER REQUIREMENT WHEN IT MAY COME TO CLOSE, UH, PER OR CLOSE PERSONAL RELATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO HIRING AND SUPERVISION AND ENSURING THAT THERE ARE NO ONE, UH, IN YOUR CHAIN OF COMMAND OR SOMEONE'S CHAIN OF COMMAND WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, WITH REGARD TO, UH, HI HIRING AND, UH, SOMEBODY TO WORK FOR THE CITY OR SUPERVISING THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UH, WE ARE MEETING AGAIN ON MONDAY, HAVE, UH, PLANNED MEETINGS WEEKLY AND IF NECESSARY BY, UH, UH, SOME, UH, TWICE A WEEK.
UH, AND BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING, THE OTHER THING IS THAT STAFF IS PREPARING A DRAFT COVER MEMO, UH, THAT WE WILL USE TO TRANSMIT THIS, UH, TO BOTH THE, UH, COMMISSION BUT THEN ULTIMATELY TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE BACKGROUND WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.
THE NEED TO KIND OF HAVE, PULL EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS WITHIN THE CITY TOGETHER INTO ONE SPOT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, IDENTIFYING WHERE IT DID EXIST AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE PARTICULAR PIECES.
UH, WHAT THE PROPOSED CHANGES ARE AND WHAT THE PLANS ARE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, WE PLAN AND HOPE TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'VE SAID BEFORE IN PRIOR MEETINGS, UH, THE LOBBYING, UH, ORDINANCE OR LOBBYING RELATED PROVISIONS, WE HAVE A SPOT WITHIN THE DRAFT CODE, WHICH IS JUST A TWO BD, UH, FOR LOBBYING.
THE IDEA IS THAT WHEN THE CODE, UH, THE NEW ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED, THAT THE EXISTING LOBBYING RULES WOULD BE DROPPED INTO THAT PARTICULAR SECTION.
AND, UH, OR HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, AND YET A LATER POINT IN
[01:00:01]
TIME, THE NEW LOBBYING RULES, WE, WE'D BE, UH, DROPPED INTO THAT SECTION AND PLACE WHAT'S EXISTING.SO THE ORDINANCE ITSELF HAS A POIS FOR LOBBYING, BUT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE LOBBYING 'CAUSE THAT'S BEING ADDRESSED BY, THAT WAS ADDRESSED BY THE COMMISSION ALREADY AND HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
BUT THE MEMO WILL COVER LOBBYING SO THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN TAKE ONE VOTE ON THE ETHICS ORDINANCE, INCLUDING LOBBYING? YES.
REALLY, THEY'LL BE VOTING ON THE MEMO.
COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE, UH, FOLLOWING THE, A AGENDA, I THINK THAT WE MAY HAVE, UM, INADVERTENTLY, UH, SKIP TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX.
YOU WERE DISCUSSING THE ETHICS ORDINANCE OR THE ETHICS ORDINANCE, ETHICS AGENDA.
ITEM NUMBER SIX IS ON COMMISSION'S RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO THE ETHIC, THE ETHICS ORDINANCE I USE, UH, OH, MAYBE NOT PRIDE, THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON UPDATED POLICIES.
THAT'S WHAT I'M IS PREPARING THE ETHICS ORDINANCE.
SO THEY ARE REPORTING ON THE ETHICS ORDINANCE WORK.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX IS THE TIMELINE.
I THINK THAT YOU DID COVER SOME OF THE TIMELINE IN YOUR REPORT AS WELL.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINE WHEN WE GET TO SIX, BUT FIVE IS ABOUT THE ETHICS ORDINANCE 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL THAT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON UPDATED POLICIES IS DOING RIGHT NOW IS THE ETHICS ORDINANCE.
BECOME THEN I WILL RESERVE MY QUESTIONS FOR I
WELL, DOES, DO YOUR QUESTIONS RELATE TO THE TIMELINE OF GETTING THIS DONE, OR DO THEY RELATE TO THE SUBSTANCE OF, OF THE ETHICS ORDINANCE? I, I BELIEVE BOTH
UM, I'M SORRY FOR INCLUDING IT AS TWO DIFFERENT ITEMS. NO, UM, I'LL GO TO THE SUBSTANCE THEN.
SO THE, UH, THE COVER LETTER OR, UH, UM, AS YOU DESCRIBED IT AS A COVER LETTER, CUR COVER MEMO, YEAH.
UM, SO THAT WILL RE NOT REDUCE, BUT KIND OF STATE PLAINLY FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE REASON WHY THE UPDATED POLICIES NEED TO, TO BE MADE, AND THEREFORE, WILL THE ORDINANCE AS THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN REVIEWING IT ALSO BE INCLUDED, OR WILL IT NOW GO THROUGH THE MORE TRADITIONAL METHOD WHERE CITY COUNCIL WILL RECEIVE THAT, UM, COVER MEMO, UM, AND THEN VOTE ON THAT AND THEN GO TO THE CITY, UH, ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
SO, NO, THE COVER MEMO WAS INTENDED TO BE THE TRANSMITTAL SO THAT WE WOULD TAKE THIS DRAFT ORDINANCE AND ACTUALLY PROVIDE IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, AND THE COVER MIDDLE WOULD BE THE TRANSMITTAL, WHICH WOULD DISCUSS THE, UH, BACKGROUND, THE WHY, WHAT'S BEEN CHANGED, AND ACTUALLY PROVIDE A SUMMARY, A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF THE ELEMENTS.
SO WE ARE DOING THIS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS DONE, BUT LOBBYING, WHERE IN THIS CASE WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE, WHICH WAS MY, NOW MY UNDERSTANDING NOW IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IS NORMALLY DONE.
ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE? NO.
DO WE HAVE ANY INPUT FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER? OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, AND I MAY, MAYBE THIS IS MORE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, BEFORE I ASK MY NEXT QUESTION, IF FOR FOR SOME REASON WE DIDN'T INCLUDE, UH, THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE ITSELF AS WE CURRENTLY HAVE IT, WOULD THERE BE ANY WAY FOR IT TO COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION, OR WOULD THAT GO IMMEDIATE? WOULD THE CO THE COVER, UM, MEMO GO TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THEN
[01:05:01]
YOU, THE OFFICE WOULD DRAFT THE ORDINANCE AS IT TYPICALLY DOES? AS, SO THE TYPICAL WAY IT WOULD WORK IS THAT THE COMMISSION VOTES AS A MAJORITY TO RECOMMEND AN ITEM TO CITY COUNCIL.AND THAT'S WHERE THAT MEMO COMES IN TO EXPLAIN THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THE SCENARIO WOULD BE THAT THE DRAFT ORDINANCE WOULD BE ATTACHED TO THAT MEMO.
NOW, THE SECOND SCENARIO THAT YOU'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSING WOULD BE JUST THE MEMO, AND THEN THAT WOULD STILL GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT THEN IT WOULD COME, IF IT WERE TO GO FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO BE RECOMMENDED TO THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, THEN THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WOULD THEN, YOU KNOW, HAVE THIS DRAFT AND WE COULD USE IT.
UH, BUT IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY COME BACK TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, UM, THE COMMUNICATIONS WOULD BE BETWEEN CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND CITY COUNCIL.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSION CAN OF COURSE DECIDE, UH, BUT EITHER WAY, IT WOULD BE BETWEEN A CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND CITY COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, WITH THAT CLARIFICATION, I THINK THAT'S THE CORRECT WAY TO, IN MY OPINION, THE CORRECT WAY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, ATTACHING THE COVER MEMO WITH THE ORDINANCE AS DRAFTED.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE ONE, JUST CLARIFYING THING IS JUST IN MY COMMENTS WHEN I'VE SAID, UH, UH, CODE I'VE, IN THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION, I'VE BEEN REFERRING TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE AND I'VE BEEN, WHEN I SAY ORDINANCE, I'M ORDINANCE CODE, AND THE ETHICS AND GOVERNMENT ACT ARE ALL SYNONYMS IN MY MIND.
DO WE HAVE ANY INPUT FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? I GUESS WE'LL MOVE TO A VOTE.
UM, RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS TIMELINE AND STEPS NEEDED TO HAVE A COMPLETE ETHICS ORDINANCE RECOMMENDATION, INCLUDING THE LOBBYING PROPOSAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN MARCH, 2025.
I THINK YOU COVERED MUCH OF THAT.
[6. 25-54000 Recommendation to discuss timeline and steps needed to have a complete Ethics Ordinance recommendation, including lobbying proposal, to City Council in March 2025. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
IT THE EXPECTATION WE WILL SEE A DRAFT COVER MEMO THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE LOBBYING ORDINANCE AT OUR NEXT MEETING, THE FEBRUARY MEETING.THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE AIMING TO DO AND WE PLAN TO DO, YES.
ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION? I, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
IT MAY GO BACK TO WHAT WE, THEY WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT ON NUMBER FIVE, BUT I THINK IT PERTAINS TO NUMBER SIX TOO.
WHEN THIS GOES TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY COUNCIL, IT'S NOT AN UP OR DOWN VOTE.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAS THE, THEY CAN SAY YES TO THIS PART AND NO TO THAT PART.
AND THEY CAN PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT THEY, THEY WANT OR MODIFY THINGS, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, SO THE ETHICS COMMISSION WOULD BE PROVIDING ADVICE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD THEN DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'D LIKE TO USE, YOU KNOW, PORTIONS OR THE WHOLE OF THE ETHICS.
I THINK WE PREVIOUSLY, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, UH, GOT THE APPROVAL OF THE FULL COMMISSION FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC TO PRESENT AT THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND WE'D WANT SOMEONE, WE'D WANT TO AUTHORIZE MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC ON UPDATED POLICIES TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT AS WELL.
UM, THAT'S NOT ON THIS AGENDA, SO WE'LL RESERVE THAT FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
BUT I'LL MAKE SURE I DON'T FORGET IT.
PREMATURE NOW? NO, UH, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, COMMISSIONER WISE, WERE YOU? I'M DONE.
UM, I WOULD JUST, AND I, I KNOW THAT THE, THE, THE HOPE IS FOR THE FEBRUARY MEETING, I WOULD JUST, UM, STRONGLY IMPLORE THAT THE, UM, UH, AD HOC, YOU KNOW, IN, IN ALL THE WAYS POSSIBLE STICKS TO IT.
UM, THE, I THINK WE HAVE MOMENTUM.
I THINK LEGISLATION SESSION HAS HAP, YOU KNOW, IT IS IN OUR FAVOR CURRENTLY.
UM, BUT THE LONGER THAT THIS PERHAPS WILL GO AND, YOU KNOW, ANTICIPATING SOME, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION FROM THE COMMISSION, UM, I DON'T WANNA MISS THE POTENTIAL WINDOW THAT WE HAVE.
SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.
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COMMISSIONER MORALES.SO JUST SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, AND WE ALL HAVE THE SAME TIMELINE IN OUR FACE OR IN OUR MIND, IT SHOULDN'T BE OUR FACE
UM, BASICALLY THE LAST STEPS TO BE DONE, YOU'RE NOT WAITING FOR INPUT BACK FROM ANYONE ON THE DRAFTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO NOW IT'S JUST DRAFTING THE LETTER THAT'S GONNA COME TO US IS A DRAFT COMING TO US IN FEBRUARY.
SO AT THE NEXT MEETING, THERE'LL BE A DRAFT THAT WE CAN SEE AND THEN, THEN WE'LL KNOW IT'S DEFINITELY ON, ON TARGET.
THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE ORDINANCE AND THE MEMO.
ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION MEMBERS? AND IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? SEEING NONE, LET'S MOVE TO A VOTE.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON THE 2024 PRIMARY NOMINATING ELECTION CANDIDATE FILINGS.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MORALES.
[7. 25-54001 Recommendation to receive and file an update from the Ad Hoc Committee on the 2024 PNE (Primary Nominating Election) Candidate Filings. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
WORKING TOGETHER WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER NOVE.UM, WE REVIEWED THE, UH, THE, UM, GENERAL FILINGS, UH, WHICH REALLY WAS, UM, JUST ONE COUNCIL DISTRICT, WHICH IS COUNCIL DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR, UH, THE REMAINING TWO, UH, WHICH WAS COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SUPER NA AND TRUSTEE, UH, UH, CHICO.
UM, THEY HAD, UH, MADE ALL THEIR FILINGS.
UM, AS OF 11, UH, NOVEMBER 1ST, 2024, THE ONLY THING THAT I HAD NOT SEEN WAS NEITHER OF THEM HAD FILED THE 410 T, WHICH IS, UM, UH, THE TERMINATION OR THE SUNSET OF THEIR, UM, UH, OF, OF THEIR, UH, CAMPAIGNS.
AND SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO ASK THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
UM, PERHAPS I JUST DID A DOUBLE CHECK AND I, I DIDN'T SEE IT.
UM, BUT SURE, PERHAPS WHY NO PROBLEM.
AND, AND I CAN, UH, ELABORATE ON, UH, WHY THAT MIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN FILED.
SO, UH, YOU TECHNICALLY DON'T HAVE TO FILE A TERMINATION AT THE END OF A A, AN ELECT, UH, ELECTION CYCLE.
YOU CAN REMAIN OPEN AS LONG AS YOU, UH, ARE PAYING YOUR BILLS, YOU KNOW, UH, THE DISPERSING OF FUNDS OR POSSIBLY, UH, REFORMING FOR, UH, AN OFFICE HOLDER OR NEW CANDIDACY IF, IF YOU WANT TO TRANSFER, UH, THAT, THAT PREVIOUS ACCOUNT INTO A DIFFERENT ACCOUNT.
UH, SO REALLY, AS LONG AS THEY, YOU KNOW, STAY ACTIVE WITH, UH, WITH THE STATE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO FILE A TERMINATION.
DO I, UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES? SO PHILLIP, THAT MEANS FOR DISTRICT FOUR THAT WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT, COUNCILMAN SUPER OR NOT CAN LEAVE HIS OPEN WHILE HE IS IN THE PROCESS, PRESUMING THAT THAT'S WHAT HE WOULD BE DOING OF TRANSFERRING ANY REMAINING FILE.
I MEAN, I CAN SEE LEAVING IT OPEN WHILE YOU'RE PAYING BILLS AND SEEING IF THERE'S ANY BILLS THAT HAVE, ARE GONNA COME IN A LITTLE LATER.
BUT ONCE HE'S PAID HIS BILLS, THEN CONCEIVABLY HE COULD TRANSFER ANY REMAINING BALANCE INTO HIS OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
AND AT THAT POINT, I MEAN, I WOULD THINK AT SOME POINT IN TIME THAT CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT HAS TO BE CLOSED BECAUSE THE MONEY'S BEEN TRANSFERRED SOMEPLACE.
SO, UH, SO TYPICALLY, UH, JUST KIND OF PAINT WITH A REAL GENERAL BROAD BRUSH.
SO, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE, IT'S A BINARY SYSTEM.
YOU'RE EITHER, YOU KNOW, ELECTED OR YOU, YOU SEEK, UH, OTHER CANDIDACY ELSEWHERE.
UM, WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS YOU WOULD PAY YOUR BILLS, AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU'LL MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS, YOU KNOW, TRUE AND CORRECT.
AND THEN WHATEVER, UH, CONTRIBUTION LIMITS THAT YOU'RE ALLOWED, I BELIEVE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I, I BELIEVE IT'S LIKE AROUND 30,000 THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO ROLL OVER INTO THEIR OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
UM, AND THEN WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS THEY WOULDN'T FILE A TERMINATION SO MUCH, BUT RATHER AN AMENDMENT AND THAT THEY WOULD AMEND THAT, UM, THAT, UH, CANDIDATE ACCOUNT INTO AN OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
AND THEY WOULD SAY, UH, SO FOR DARRELL SUPER'S, UH, INSTANCE, IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UH, SUPER OR, UH, CD 4 20 24.
NOW IT'S DARRELL SUPER OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT 2026 OR WHATEVER YOU 2025, WHENEVER THEY ROLL OVER INTO, UH, THEIR OFFICE HOLDER.
AND FOR A CANDIDATE WHO IS NOT A, NOT SUCCESSFUL IN THE ELECTION, ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS INTO
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WHAT TYPES OF CAMPAIGNS THEY CAN ROLL THAT INTO? I MEAN, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO ROLL IT INTO A RUN FOR THE GOVERNORSHIP? UH, YEAH.SO AS LONG AS IT'S, IT'S POLITICALLY RELATED, THEY CAN, THEY CAN MOVE THAT OVER.
UH, I MEAN, THERE ARE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS DEPENDING ON, UH, THE CONTEST AND TRANSFERRING THOSE FUNDS DEPENDING ON WHAT THE FPPC UM, UH, SETS IN THOSE RESTRICTIONS.
UM, BUT AS LONG AS IT'S, AGAIN, REALLY PAINTING WITH A BROAD BRUSH, AS LONG AS IT'S, YOU KNOW, POLITICALLY ADJACENT, THEY CAN, THEY CAN MOVE THOSE FUNDS OVER, THEY CAN DONATE THEM, THEY CAN, THEY CAN, UH, GIVE THEM TO AS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OTHER CANDIDATES THAT THEY FAVOR OR AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, PUT IT TOWARDS OTHER CANDIDACY, UH, ELECTORAL RUNS.
AND DOES ANOTHER CANDIDACY HAVE TO BE WITHIN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA OR COULD IT BE OUTSIDE OF THE STATE? UM, LIKE IF THEY DECIDE THEY WERE GONNA MOVE TO TEXAS, CAN THEY TAKE THAT MONEY WITH THEM TO A CAMPAIGN IN TEXAS? SO I BELIEVE IN THAT CASE, BECAUSE IT'S OUTTA STATE, THEY WOULD NEED TO CLOSE OUT.
YOU CAN'T, THERE'S, THERE IS NO INNER STATE CANDIDACIES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE OUT WITHIN CALIFORNIA.
AND, UH, AND YEAH, AND BASICALLY ZERO THE LEDGER AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OPEN A, OPEN UP A, UH, YOUR, YOUR COMMITTEE IN WHATEVER STATE MOVING YOU'RE MOVING TO.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IN, IN THE CASE WHERE A CANDIDATE'S EXPENSES EXCEED THE DONATIONS.
SO IF, IF, IF
AND THEN YOU, YOU CLOSE OUT UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT IN THE FUND.
ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ISSUE? YES, I'M NOT PREPARED.
I JUST HEARD YOUR COMMENTS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COMMISSIONER COLEMAN AND COMMISSIONER COLEMAN AND COMMISSIONER MORALES, THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN RAISING FOR TWO YEARS.
NUMBER ONE, WHEN YOU WIN AN ELECTION, OR LIKE WHEN I RAN FOR OFFICE, YOU FORM A FORM FOUR 60, YOU GET A TREASURER, IT'S A BANK ACCOUNT.
IF YOU RAISE OVER 2000, WHICH I RAISED 20,000, AND YOU HAVE A BANK, A TREASURER, AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE LOOKS AT IT AND YOU HAVE TO FILE THESE THINGS AND YOU HAVE A TREASURER THAT'S LISTED IN ASSISTANT TREASURER, EVERYTHING'S OPEN, EVERYTHING'S TRANSPARENT.
BUT WHEN YOU LOSE, A LOT OF THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL GET MATCHING FUNDS AND HAVE A SURPLUS OF $30,000 AND THEY TRANSFER IT TO AN OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT, WHICH WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT LATER.
SO, UM, I WAS LIKE, WELL WAIT A MINUTE.
THE STATE LAW SAYS ONE CANDIDATE, ONE ACCOUNT.
SO HOW IS THIS OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT AND THIS OTHER ACCOUNT OPEN, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE ONE CANDIDATE, TWO ACCOUNTS.
SO THE CITY SAID, NO, NO, NO, NO.
WE'RE GONNA GET AROUND THIS WITH THE PAST CITY ATTORNEY AND SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA CALL IT A SUB ACCOUNT, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN LEAVE THIS ACCOUNT OPEN, BUT, AND THEN TRANSFER IT.
THEN THE MAIN ACCOUNT IS CLOSED.
SO NOW YOU HAVE ONE CANDIDATE, ONE OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
BUT WAIT A MINUTE, HOW IS IT A SUB HOLDER ACCOUNT WHEN THE MAIN ACCOUNT IS CLOSED? AND THEN WHEN YOU RUN FOR REELECTION, NOW YOU OPEN ANOTHER ACCOUNT, THEN MOVE THE SUBACCOUNT TO THIS ACCOUNT, RIGHT? AND, AND THE SUBACCOUNT CAN PAY FOR FUTURE CAMPAIGN EXPENSES, WHICH CREATES MONEY LAUNDERING, WHICH CREATES KITING, WHICH CREATES A, I'LL DONATE.
SO WHAT WE'RE ALSO, UH, UNDER INVESTIGATION WITH ING OF CAMPAIGN OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT FUNDS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE IN A MINUTE, CANDIDATE SWITCHES THEIR MATCHING FUNDS, NOW THEY HAVE AN OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
NOW I'M GONNA GIVE ALL FOUR OF YOU $500 AND WHEN I WIN, YOU ALL PUT YOUR MONEY IN YOUR OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT AND YOU ALL SIX GIVE ME $500.
AND IT'S A WAY TO JUST KEEP THE MONEY GOING.
SO AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, HEY, 5,000, $3,000, BOOM, I CAN RAISE THAT MONEY.
AND ALL IT IS IS MY MONEY GOES TO YOUR MONEY AND BACK.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS MONEY LAU CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION AND ALSO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I HAVE NUMEROUS EMAILS.
THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CALLS THE OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT, A SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
WHAT? AND THEN, UM, THE FP C'S, LIKE, WELL, IF THE MAIN ACCOUNT'S TERMINATED NOW YOU HAVE A SUB ACCOUNT.
IT'S A CAMPAIGN CANDIDATE CONTROL.
WHY IS A OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT? THE CANDIDATE DECIDES WHO GETS THE MONEY.
SO IF CANDIDATE, LIKE WE HAVE DISTRICT NINE, JOANIE GAVE $500 TO BARBARA LEE.
THAT'S HER CHOICE, RIGHT? NOT HER COMMUNITY, UH, DISTRICT TO ALLEN GIVES MONEY TO PADILLA NEWSOM WITH HER OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
AND THEN THEY TURNED AROUND AND GAVE IT RIGHT BACK.
SO I ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO MAYBE THINK
[01:20:01]
ABOUT THOSE EXACT QUESTIONS.IS AMEND THE CITY CHARTER AND GET RID OF SUB-ACCOUNT.
IT IS NOT A SUB-ACCOUNT, IT IS A ACCOUNT.
AND IF WE GET RID OF THE SUB-ACCOUNT LANGUAGE, WE WILL END THE CORRUPTION WITH THIS OFFICEHOLDER ACCOUNT, WHICH WE'RE GETTING READY TO TALK ABOUT IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? MOVE TO A VOTE.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON COMMISSION RESPONSIBILITIES.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER MORALES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS CHAIR.
I'LL BE PROVIDING THE REPORT ON THIS ALSO.
[8. 25-54002 Recommendation to receive and file an update from the Ad Hoc Committee on Commission Responsibilities. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
COMMITTEE HAS INTERVIEWED, UH, FORMER AND CURRENT, UH, CITY OFFICIALS.UM, AND THOSE WERE PRIMARILY THE FIRST ROUND OF INTERVIEWS FOR THOSE WHO WERE PRIMARILY INVOLVED IN ESTABLISHING OUR ETHICS COMMISSION, UM, AND WORK, SAY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES IN TERMS OF, UH, REALLY PROPOSING AN ETHICS OFFICE OR ETHICS COMMISSION WITHIN THE CITY, AND ALSO THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, THE CHARTER AMENDMENT.
WE HAVE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW A NUMBER OF CITIES, INCLUDING ATLANTA, LOS ANGELES, AND DIEGO, THE CITY AND COUNCIL OF SAN FRANCISCO, UH, OAKLAND.
UH, WE'VE GATHERED EXTENSIVE INFORMATION, UH, ON HOW OTHER COMMISSIONS OPERATE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR POTENTIAL, UM, IMPROVEMENT, AND SOME AREAS WHERE IT MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENT, MAYBE FIVE TO 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, BUT MAYBE NOT RECOMMENDED IN THE NEAR TERM.
UM, THIS IS INCLUDED AT THE MOST RECENT ELECTION WHERE THERE WERE TWO VERY SIGNIFICANT BALLOT MEASURES, UH, WITHIN THE STATE, UH, FOR THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES AND THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO'S ETHICS COMMISSION, WHICH ACTUALLY OVERWHELMINGLY A PASS BY THREE QUARTERS OF A VOTE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE INPUT THAT WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED, UH, WE, WE STILL HAVE PLANNED TO TALK WITH EXISTING CITY OFFICIALS.
THAT WAS KIND OF THE LAST STAGE OF THE REVIEW OF THE, UH, REVIEW THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, WITH AN IDEA THAT WE ALSO CIRCLE BACK AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH KIND OF THE DRAFT OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, PROPOSE.
UH, WE'D CIRCLE BACK WITH BOTH THE CITY AUDITOR AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHERE THEIR ORGANIZATIONS ARE MOST PARTICULARLY IMPACTED.
UH, BUT IN AN EFFORT TO PO SEEK ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
WE'RE CONSIDERING A FEW DIFFERENT APPROACHES.
ONE, POSSIBLY ISSUING A SHORT SURVEY, UH, TO, UH, CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS ALSO POSSIBLY HAVING THE AD HOC CONVENE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UH, TWO, POSSIBLY THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS COULD, UH, UH, JOIN TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT.
AND THE IDEA OF BEING TWO OR THREE IS TO MAKE IT EASY ON THEM TO CHOOSE WHAT WORKS FOR THEIR SCHEDULES.
UH, BUT THEY, FOR OTHER, AND FOR THEY WOULD BASICALLY BE THE IDENTICAL PURPOSE FOR THOSE MEETINGS.
UH, OR ALTERNATIVELY DOING INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH CERTAIN CIVIC, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GATHER INPUT FROM.
UH, WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, THANKS TO COMMISSIONER MORALES.
WE ALREADY HAVE AN EARLY PRELIMINARY DRAFT OF A REPORT, UH, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UH, WE'RE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON THE DRAFT REPORT.
UM, AND INCORPORATING, WE PLAN ON INCORPORATING THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS COMING OUT OF THE AUDIT THAT THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE HAD CONDUCTED, UH, BEFORE THE COMMISSION WAS ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED ALONG WITH THE ULA STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, OUR PLAN IS TO, UH, PROVIDE A REPORT TO THE COMMISSION BY THE APRIL MEETING.
UH, WE DO HAVE ONE QUESTION THAT THERE WAS A, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTION OF THIS COMMISSION AND THE PREFERENCE OF THIS COMMISSION WITH REGARD TO THE REPORT.
AND THAT IS WHETHER THE COMMISSION ANTICIPATES OR PREFERS TO RECEIVE A REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE SOLELY DIRECTED TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
UM, AND THEN IT'S THE ETHICS COMMISSION CAN CON CONSIDER IT, UH, OR JUST LET IT WANE OR ALTERNATIVELY THAT WE SUBMIT A DRAFT REPORT, UH, THAT, UH, THE
[01:25:01]
COMMISSION CAN CONSIDER WITH THE IDEA THAT THEN THAT DRAFT, IT WOULD BE A DRAFT OF THE REPORT THAT, OF ULTIMATELY WHAT THE COMMISSION VOTES TO SEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL.UH, AND SO THAT IS A OPEN QUESTION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMISSION ON AND FEEL IT'S RELEVANT TO THIS AGENDA TOPIC.
AND WITH THAT, UH, COMMISSIONERS MORALES AND WISE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? YOU GOOD? THANKS.
ANY, UH, COMMISSION COMMENT,
SPECIFICALLY WHETHER OR NOT THE COM THE COMMITTEE SEND A REPORT TO THE COMMISSION OF OUR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE.
OR ALTERNATIVELY, ARE WE PREPARING A, A DRAFT OF A REPORT THAT THEN THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE CAN VOTE ON AND DETERMINE AND SEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THAT THE REPORT WOULD ACTUALLY BE FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE CITY COUNCIL? SO IN ESSENCE, DO YOU WANT SOMETHING FROM THIS AD HOC THAT IS SIMILARLY TO THE ORDINANCE OR THE LOBBYIST IS SOMETHING THAT RECOMMENDS THAT THE, THAT THE COMMISSION BE BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT THOSE BLAH BLAH BLAHS NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL AND POSSIBLY BE A CHARTER AMENDMENT SO THAT THAT WOULD BE READY TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THEM TO VOTE ON? OR WOULD YOU RATHER THAT THIS AD HOC PUT TOGETHER AN, UH, ROADMAP OF WHERE CONCEIVABLY THE COMMISSION COULD GO OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN MORE CLEARLY DEFINING THE DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ROLES OF THE COMMISSION.
AND THEN, AND THEN THE COMMISSION IN ITSELF WOULD PICK THE PARTS THAT THEY WANT TO SEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL OVER THE COURSE OF TIME AS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES.
'CAUSE THERE, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE CLARIFIED AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE ORDINANCE AS IT'S WRITTEN NOW, SAYS THAT WE PROVIDE INFORMATION AND ADVICE ON SPECIFIC THINGS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KEEP SEEING THAT THE PUBLIC BELIEVES THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REALLY WORK ON ARE CAMPAIGN AND ELECTED OFFICIAL RELATED ITEMS. SO DO YOU, DO YOU WANT IT IN A REPORT NOW? OR THIS IS A ROADMAP OF WHERE WE COULD GO THAT WOULD MORE CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT THE COMMISSION'S ROLE IS, AND THEN THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE WOULD MAKE THE DECISION OVER THE COURSE OF TIME ABOUT MAYBE ANOTHER TIMEFRAME OF WHEN THEY WOULD WANT TO PURSUE THOSE THINGS WITH THE COUNCIL.
I, I, I THINK WE REALLY DO NEED TO RECEIVE SOME INPUT ON THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER WISE? UH, I, I JUST WANNA PUT OUT AN IDEA.
I DON'T KNOW IF I THINK IT'S A GOOD ONE OR NOT, BUT I'M GONNA PUT IT OUT JUST TO KEEP THE DISCUSSION GOING.
WELL, BECAUSE THIS IS HOW WE MIGHT COME TO SOME CONCLUSIONS HERE.
I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE SOME IDEA, I MEAN, THE THREE OF US ON THE COMMITTEE HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT SOME OF THESE SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE.
AND YOU ALL HAVEN'T HEARD THOSE YET BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T AGREED THAT THOSE ARE WHAT WE'RE GONNA SAY, BECAUSE WE STILL WANNA TALK TO SOME OTHER PEOPLE AND FOLD THAT IN, UM, SORT OF FOLLOWING WHAT I'M GONNA CALL THE APPROACH THAT, THAT MARULA HAS SUGGESTED FOR, FOR SOCIALIZING SOME OF OUR IDEAS BEFORE WE SAY, DO THIS OR WE THINK YOU SHOULD DO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS THE BEST THING TO DO.
UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT, AND THEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT UNDER THE EARLIER ITEMS AND THE, THE STRUGGLE TO COME UP WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
I, I'M, I, I CAN JUST SAY THAT I PERSONALLY AM THINKING THAT IT MAKES MORE SENSE.
I, I REALLY, I DON'T WANNA SLOW ANYTHING DOWN.
BUT I, I THINK AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE HAVE, WILL HAVE TO DIGEST ALL THESE THINGS AND FIT THEM INTO THE STRATEGIC, INTO THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN THE WAY THAT THEY THINK MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
SO I, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING WRITTEN, WHICH I ALSO THINK TAKES MORE TIME, ACTUALLY.
UM, IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN AS SOMETHING THAT WILL JUST GO FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT RATHER SOMETHING THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, LIVE HERE WITH THE COMMISSION, UM, AS IT WORKS THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I, I THINK THE TWO THINGS THAT
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ARE MAY COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER OR FIT INTO ONE ANOTHER SOME WAY IS GET MY, SORT OF, GET MY DRIFTUM, I, I, BUT THE MORE, THE MORE THAT I, THE MORE THAT I THINK ABOUT THIS AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, REVIEW THE WORK PLAN, THE AUDIT, THE CITY MANAGER'S RESPONSES, AND THE MARCOLA PLAN, AND WHAT I, I KNOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMITTEE, OF THE COMMISSION.
I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, IT'S GOING TO, THIS IS GOING TO BE DONE IN, IN, IN STEPS.
AND ONE OF THE STEPS IS, IS THIS COMMISSION GETTING THE, THE TRUST AND THE CONFIDENCE OF THE CITY AND THE CITY OFFICIALS SO THAT IT THEN CAN, CAN MOVE FORWARD INTO MORE AREAS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE WE CAN GET THAT ALL DONE BY BEFORE THE THREE OF US, UM, YOU KNOW, LEAVE THE, LEAVE, LEAVE THE COMMISSION OF THEIR TERMS IN.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S JUST, I'M PUTTING THAT OUT THERE AS A WAY TO, TO THINK ABOUT THIS, UM, OVERALL IN TERMS OF HOW WE, HOW WE, UM, PROCEED.
SO ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? IT, IT'S MY SENSE THAT, UM, THIS AD HOC HAS IDEAS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THEM.
I THINK IT WOULD BE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY GOOD AT IS, AS I SAY, BE BRIEF, BE BLUNT, AND, AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY THREE OF YOU WILL BE GONE,
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND WHICH ONE IS MORE FAVORABLE IN YOUR, IN YOUR OPINIONS.
UM, WHAT WE END UP DOING IS A WHOLE NOTHER THING, UH, BECAUSE OF, I THINK, LIMITED RESOURCES.
UM, BUT, UM, IF THERE IS TIME AND YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO GIVE US A RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE A ONE YEAR IN THE, IN THE OR NEAR TERM, UH, I THINK TIME HAS ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST US IN THIS, ON THIS COMMISSION.
UH, BUT I WOULD VALUE THAT NOT BEING THAT CLOSE TO, UM, THE ORIGINAL, UH, THE GENESIS OF THIS COMMISSION AND WHAT WAS EXPECTED AND HOW IT'S EVOLVED AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
WHAT ARE OUR SHORTCOMINGS? I I DON'T HAVE THAT SAME VIEW THAT THE THREE OF YOU HAVE COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
I THINK THAT, UM, WHEN IT WAS FIRST BROUGHT UP TO ADD THIS, UM, UH, AD HOC, UM, I THOUGHT THE IMMENSE VALUE, ESPECIALLY BEING SO NEW, WAS THAT THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ALL HAVE.
UM, SO I, I WOULD FIND IT EXTREMELY, AND I REALLY ENJOY ALL THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE ON THE DAIS.
I THINK THAT, UM, YOU ALL BRING IN SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE.
UM, SO I, I THINK IT WOULD BE MY, UH, PREFERENCE TO, TO SEE WHAT COMES UP.
UM, AND, AND THEN IF THERE'S TIME AND IF THERE'S ACTION ITEMS THAT YOU THINK SHOULD GO TO CITY COUNCIL IMMEDIATELY OR IN THE NEAR TERM, UM, THAT WE, UH, PERHAPS SEND A MEMO, OR AT LEAST WE'RE ARMED WITH SOMETHING THAT WE DO AS, UM, THE THREE OF YOU, YOU KNOW, ROLL OFF AND, AND THREE NEW MEMBERS COME ON.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, I THINK A, AS I WAS LISTING A, A CONCERN THAT I MAY HAVE OF PRESENTING ITEMS, UM, TO CITY COUNCIL THAT WERE REC RECOMMENDED WAS, UM, THAT WE WILL HAVE THREE NEW MEMBERS AND BRINGING THEM ON AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AND WHY WE ARE, I THINK IS IMPORTANT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE THREE MEMBERS COME INTO THIS ROLE AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S SOME OF THIS BAGGAGE PERHAPS, OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? UM, I THINK GETTING THEIR INPUT AS WELL.
I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, I'M, I'M, I WISH I HAD MORE TIME WITH YOU.
BUT I THINK WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE IN A UNIQUE POSITION OF HAVING THREE PEOPLE, THREE NEW PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO HOPEFULLY, AND I HOPE VERY
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STRONGLY, WILL HAVE STRONG OPINIONS AND NEW INSIGHTS TO BRING THEM IN.AND I HOPE THAT THEY MAY HAVE INSIGHTS THAT CAN ADD, UM, TO, SO I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE RECOMMENDATIONS BROUGHT, UH, TO THE COMMISSION FIRST, AND PERHAPS IF THERE'S SOMETHING TANGIBLE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE NEAR TERM, UM, ADDRESS THEM IF, IF PROPER.
SO I THINK I'M HEARING CONSENSUS THAT YOU GUYS SHOULD PRODUCE A MEMO TO THE COMMISSION.
AND, AND I WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER OR THE VICE CHAIR FOR HIS COMMENTS BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY GOOD PERSPECTIVE IN THAT WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF ALMOST SIX YEARS HERE IN HINDSIGHT, AND A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
BUT WHATEVER WE RECOMMEND, UM, BY THE TIME IT'S, IT'S ADOPTED, WE'LL BE LEAVING AND THERE'LL BE A WHOLE NEW CADRE OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO HAVE TO WORK IT THROUGH.
SO I THINK IT'S BETTER THAN, RATHER THAN WRITING SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA GO TO THE COUNCIL, THAT WE PREPARE SOMETHING THAT'S JUST TO THE COMMISSION THAT KIND OF SHOWS THE BREADTH OF WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES GOING FOR FORWARD.
AND THEN THE NEW, THE NEW WE FORMATTED COMMISSION CAN DECIDE AT WHAT POINTS THEY WANT TO PURSUE THINGS.
AND, AND I'M CERTAINLY COMFORTABLE IF, IF THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE DO, THAT YOU PLEASE SAY SO CLEARLY AND AFFIRM, AND I STRONGLY, SO I AGREE.
AND ALSO AS, UH, COMMISSIONER WEISS WAS TALKING IT HELP.
AND THEN THE POINT THAT, UH, UH, VICE CHAIR COLEMAN MADE, UH, WAS VERY PERTINENT.
UM, THE, IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR KIND OF DOING IT IN A STAGED APPROACH OF THINGS THAT MIGHT BE DONE 2, 5, 10 YEARS AND REALLY PROVIDE THE FULL BREADTH OF WHAT WE BELIEVE SHOULD BE DONE.
BUT DON'T LET US, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU USED THE WORD LANGUISH ONE.
I, I, I HOPE THAT THE MEMBERS THAT WILL REMAIN WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN.
BUT MAKE SURE YOU'RE SITTING THERE AND KEEPING IT ON A, ON THE TOP ALL LINES,
I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO SEE AND WORK WITH YOU ALL.
NO, WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED OUR SEATS.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, COMMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? SEEING NONE, LET'S MOVE TO A VOTE.
ITEM NUMBER NINE, RECOMMENDATION
[9. 25-54003 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. ]
TO DISCUSS ANTICIPATED AD HOC COMMITTEES FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS.AND IF APPROPRIATE, TAKE ACTION TO DISSOLVE, CREATE OR RE-AUTHORIZE AD HOC COMMITTEES.
ANY DISCUSSION? OH, I'M SORRY.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER MORALES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS DISCUSSION.
IT, IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE NOW THAT THE GENERAL ELECTION HAS PASSED, UM, AND THERE WILL, WELL,
ON THE GENERAL NOMINATING ELECTION COMMITTEE OR WHAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED PRIMARY YEAH.
ANY OTHER COMMENT? UM, ANITA, DO WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR OTHER THAN THAT TO DISSOLVE AN AD HOC, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OR A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
PHILLIP, I THINK YOU CAN CONFIRM FOR BE A SUB FOR A NEW OR FOR DISSOLVING.
SO I MEAN, IT, I WOULD SAY IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT FRIENDLY 'CAUSE IT'S IN THE NATURE OF THE RECOMMENDATION ALREADY.
SO IT'S REALLY UP TO, UH, IF YOU WANNA DISSOLVE, YOU WANNA, YOU KNOW, DO ANY OTHER ACTIVITY ON THESE AD HOCS.
IT'S ALL, ALL ALL ON THE TABLE.
SO IS THERE ANY OTHER, SO IF THERE, I WOULD JUST SAY IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, I WOULD HAVE THAT AND THEN WE COULD TAKE A VOTE.
BUT THE, THE, THE RECORD WILL REFLECT THAT WE DISSOLVED THAT AD HOC.
NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM THE COMMISSION.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? YES.
I HAVEN'T BEEN SAYING MY NAME.
I'M LEE CHARLIE SPOKE, UM, THE LAST TIME OVER THE INTERNET AND A DISTRICT TWO RESIDENT AND NAVY VETERAN.
UM, I, I WOULD JUST MAYBE THINK IT WOULD BE JUST A GREAT KIND OF NOVEL IDEA, TAKE ACTION OR DISSOLVE OR CREATE OR RE-AUTHORIZE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE.
WE DESPERATELY NEED AN OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
[01:40:01]
HAVE SIX, NINE ELECTED OFFICIALS, SIX OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNTS.THE AUDITORS NEVER DONE AN AUDIT WITH THESE THINGS.
AND, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, SUPER NA, DISTRICT FOUR HAS $109.
UM, UH, YANGA, OUR NEW VICE MAYOR, HE DOES IT AMAZING.
HE GIVES TO THE COMMUNITY CVC, HE REALLY DOES THINGS AMAZING WITH HIS COMMUNITY, HENCE WHY HE'S A THREE TIME ELECTED OFFICIAL.
BUT THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE DISTRICT NINE, WE HAVE DISTRICT TWO, AND WE HAVE, UM, THOSE TWO.
AND THEY'RE USING IT AS THEIR OWN PERSONAL SLUSH FUND, WHICH YOU'RE GONNA SEE AN ACCOUNTING, REALLY.
AND I'M TELLING YOU, UM, I REALLY THINK THAT THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE AD HOC COMMITTEE WOULD REALLY, REALLY DO AMAZING WORK WITH THE MOST CORRUPT THING IN OUR CITY.
THAT YOU CAN GO BACK 24 YEARS.
THIS OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT IS BEING ABUSED BY SOME, IT'S A PERSONAL SLUSH FUND ACCOUNT.
IT IS NOT USED FOR THE COMMUNITY OR DISTRICT TWO, WE GET $200 TRINKETS FOR A PRIDE PARADE, $200 FROM A SMART AND FINAL, NOT EVEN AT A-L-G-B-T STORE, RIGHT, IN HER DISTRICT.
BUT $30,000 GOES TO HER AND HER HUSBAND TO TRAVEL THE WORLD.
AND THAT REALLY NEEDS ETHICS COMMISSION INVOLVED.
AND IS IT LEGAL, MAYBE? IS IT ETHICAL? HECK NO.
AND, UH, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU MORE REPORTING, AND I'M GONNA SPEAK ON THIS EVERY SINGLE TIME, HOPEFULLY EDUCATING YOU GUYS ON THE, THE SPECIFICS OF THE, UH, OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
BUT IT IS RIPE FOR CORRUPTION.
IT IS RIPE FOR DISHONESTY, AND WE'VE GOT TWO BAD APPLES THAT ARE SPOILING THE BARREL.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT I RECOMMEND WE NEED AN OFFICE HOLDER SUB-ACCOUNT LOOKING AT THESE OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNTS.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? LET'S MOVE TO A VOTE.
AND BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE, UH, JUST SO WE CAN REFLECT THIS IN THE, UM, UH, THE DISSOLVEMENT OF THE, THE AD HOC, UM, I WOULD SAY TO, UH, COMMISSIONERS MORALES AND DE BENEDICTUS, IF YOU WOULD, UH, AGREE TO THAT.
WE WOULD, UH, UH, TREAT THAT IN THE, UH, IN, IN THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE JUST FOR THE RECORD.
UH, UH, COMMISSIONER T BENEDICTUS DID AGREE.
UM, SO, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10, UM, AS SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL, WAS IN RESPONSE TO AN ISSUE RAISED BY COMMISSIONER AVE.
UM, AND IN HIS ABSENCE, UM, AT A MINIMUM, I WANT TO HOLD
[10. 25-54004 Recommendation to discuss and make recommendations for a 2025 Ethics Commission meeting calendar. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ANY DISCUSSION OPEN UNTIL NEXT MEETING.I'M HAPPY TO HOLD DISCUSSION TODAY.
IF, IF FOLKS WANT TO PROVIDE INPUT OR CAN I JUST DEFER AND, AND HOLD THIS OVER? YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S MORE APPROPRIATE SO THAT WE HAVE THE BENEFIT YEAH.
OF COMMISSIONER NOVAE AS WE'RE MAKING COMMENTS ALSO.
SO WE'LL HOLD THIS ONE OVER UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING IN FEBRUARY.
WE JUST STILL NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
SO, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M, UH, UH, CAPTURING THIS CORRECTLY.
SO, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS MOTIONED BY A WEIS, IF WE WANT, WE COULD HAVE HER, UH, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, ANITA, WE'LL JUST HAVE HER LAY THIS OVER.
IS THAT RIGHT? OR SHOULD WE TAKE A NEW VOTE? YEAH, YOU COULD JUST SAY IT.
UH, SORRY, WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION? SO, I, I'M JUST WANT TO GET CLARIFICATION ON THE PROCEDURE.
IF WE WANT TO DO A VOTE ON LAYING THIS ITEM OVER, OR JUST TREAT IT AS A, A, A FRIENDLY TO LAY THE ITEM OVER.
IN THAT CASE, I WOULD HAVE WEISS AND COLEMAN, YOU KNOW, MOTION SECOND IT.
YEAH, WE CAN WITHDRAW IT TOO, IF YOU'D LIKE.
I THINK WE COULD GO EITHER OPTION.
IT JUST DEPENDS IF THERE'S A DISCUSSION TO LAY IT OVER AND WE BRING IT BACK AGAIN, OR THEY DECIDE TO LAY IT OVER AND THEN THEY AGREE TO IT.
UH, DID YOU WANNA, UH, BRING THIS BACK AT THE NEXT AGENDA? YES.
THEN YEAH, THEN WE LAY IT OVER.
SO IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT, WEISS AND, AND, YES.
[01:45:09]
AND THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES.AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11, RECOMMENDATION
[11. 25-54005 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Ethics Officer. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO RECEIVE AND FILE A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM THE ETHICS OFFICER.SKIP, DID I SKIP SOMETHING? NO, WE'RE, NO, WE'RE GOOD.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WISE.
UM, STRATEGIC ROADMAP, THE MARK HULA TRAINING.
SO WE'RE HAD OUR INITIAL MEETING WITH THEM RIGHT BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE OUR NEXT MEETING WITH THEM, UH, NEXT THURSDAY, THE 16TH.
UH, TO, UM, THE FIRST PART OF OUR TRAINING WILL BE A CASE STUDY, UM, THAT WILL BE APPLYING A FRAMEWORK TO, AND THEN, UM, THE 30TH, UH, WE'RE SCHEDULED TO FINALIZE OUR FRAMEWORK, CUSTOMIZE IT TO LONG BEACH, UM, OUR LUNCH AND LEARNS.
WE HAD PUT A PAUSE ON THOSE, UH, LATE LAST YEAR.
SO THOSE WILL OFFICIALLY KICK OFF NEXT THURSDAY AS WELL.
UM, THE FIRST ONE WILL BE JUST, UH, TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF THE OET, MEET THE STAFF, TALK ABOUT THE RESOURCES WE HAVE, INCLUDING OUR HELPLINE.
UM, THE JANUARY NEWSLETTER WENT OUT YESTERDAY.
UH, COMMISSIONER WISE IS FEATURED IN THAT.
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ IT YET, UM, BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
THESE ARE THE ANNUAL UPDATES TO COMMISSIONS.
UM, SO, UH, 2025 OFFICIALLY KICKS OFF THIS WEEK, UH, WITH OUR FIRST COMMISSION.
AND THEN, JUST A REMINDER THAT STATE OF THE CITY IS COMING UP ON TUESDAY.
UM, RSVPS ARE REQUESTED, SO IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO GO BE SURE, UH, TO RSVP.
UM, I, I WANNA SAY I DID, UH, READ THE ETHICAL ELEPHANT.
I, I LIKED ANOTHER GOOD ISSUE.
UM, AND ON THE, UH, LUNCH AND LEARNS ARE THOSE, I, I'M NOT PLANNING ON ATTENDING YOUR FIRST LUNCH AND LEARN, BUT ARE THOSE, UH, O OPEN TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION OR MEMBERS OF OTHER COMMISSIONS? UM, THEY COULD BE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S AN INTERNAL NEWSLETTER, SO YOU ALL ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF CITY EMPLOYEES THAT RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME, UM, AS WE, I'D MENTIONED TO THE CHAIR THAT OUR RETREAT LITERALLY AT THE LAST MINUTE HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT.
UM, SO WHEN WE DO MEET ON THE 24TH PART OF THAT COMMUNICATION PLANNING, WE'LL BE PLANNING THESE LUNCH AND LEARNS AND, AND, UM, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE EACH MONTH.
SO WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ONE OR TWO COMMISSIONERS AS GUEST SPEAKERS.
UM, BUT YES, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY TO, UH, ANYONE WHO WANTS TO ATTEND WILL LET YOU KNOW MM-HMM
BUT I CERTAINLY WOULD ENCOURAGE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TO PARTICIPATE.
I, I THINK IT JUST SHOWS THE FLAG AND SUPPORT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? WE'LL MOVE TO A VOTE.
ITEM NUMBER 12, RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS FOR FUTURE COMMISSION MEETINGS.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WISE.
ANY INPUT ON THIS ITEM FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION?
[12. 25-54006 Recommendation to discuss potential agenda items for future Commission meetings. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? YES.I LIVE IN THE WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD IN FIRST DISTRICT, AND I HAVE THREE ITEMS THAT WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREATER LOS
[01:50:01]
ANGELES.THEY BUILD HOUSES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE HOUSING IS BEING GIVEN TO LOS ANGELES.
RESIDENTS THAT DON'T SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, OUR LONG BEACH TAX TAXES ARE SUPPORTING HOUSES THAT MY COMMUNITY WILL NEVER BENEFIT FROM.
IN ADDITION, WHEN ELECTION TIME ROLLS AROUND, THEY WORK WITH THE CITY COUNCILWOMAN IN IMPLEMENTING POLICIES THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF CITY DEVELOPERS.
AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER GROUP, EL CENTRAL CHA.
THEY HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS GRANTS TO ASSIST OUR COMMUNITY, BUT I HAVE SEEN MINIMUM SUPPORT.
IN ADDITION, THEY TOO HAVE USED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SUPPORT MEASURES THAT BENEFIT THEMSELVES.
AND RECENTLY WE RECEIVED HUD FUNDING.
SO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES, THEY PUSHED THEIR OWN AGENDA.
THEY DID A WEEK OUTREACH TO DETERMINE THE EXPENDITURES OF THE FIVE YEAR $25 MILLION, BUT THEY ONLY RECEIVED LIKE 1% FEEDBACK, AND THEY MOVED FORWARD, MADE NO EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT RELIED ON, NOT ON BIAS NONPROFITS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE HUD FUNDS.
UM, HUD HOUSE FUNDS FOR HOUSING DON'T REALLY BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE HOUSING IS A LOTTERY, UM, THAT RANDOM PEOPLE ARE SELECTED FROM.
SO THE MONEY FROM HUT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY IS NOT REALLY BENEFITING THE COMMUNITY.
AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING IS SO TERRIBLE, THEY COULD AOT MONEY FOR HOUSING, BUT THEY'RE PUTTING IT IN CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHICH FINDS PEOPLE, AND IT KIND OF LIKE CREATES A PROBLEM WHERE PEOPLE MOVE.
SO THEREFORE THE REAL ESTATES CAN BENEFIT 'CAUSE THEY CAN GET THE LAND, OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT BENEFITING OUR COMMUNITY.
MONEY'S SUPPOSED TO BE USED TO ASSIST PEOPLE, BUT IT'S KIND OF FINDING THEM AND PUTTING THEM OUT BECAUSE OF THE, IN CONCLUSION, THESE TWO NONPROFITS HAVE BECOME THE VOICE FOR THE PEOPLE.
THEY ARE MANIPULATING COMMUNITY, COMPUTER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH GIFT CARDS SO THAT THEY CAN'T IMPLEMENT POLICIES THAT BENEFIT THEMSELVES.
AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS, THE HARDWORKING PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON COMMUNITY, DESERVE BETTER.
THEY HAVE PUT THEIR TRUST IN THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GREEDY FOR GAIN.
IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMUNITY, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, INPUT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? WE CAN MOVE TO A VOTE.
UM, BEFORE I MOVE ON, COULD, COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, TYLER IS HERE.
UM, COULD SOMEONE FROM THE COMMU FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TALKED TO THIS, UH, PERSON WHO MADE THE PUBLIC COMMENT? I THINK IT'S ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF FUNDS BY THE CITY AT LEAST TO UNDERSTAND BETTER.
AND THEN THE THREE MINUTES, MINUTES ALLOWS, UH, AFTER THE MEETING, LET'S MOVE TO A VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. YES, I AM SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO WAIT SO LONG PROBLEM.
[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.]
I'M A CPA AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE.AS YOU SEE, I CAN, I'M SICK, BUT WHILE I WAS SICK, I WROTE A MEMO.
I KNOW IT'S TOO LONG, IT'S A TAX MEMO, BUT, YOU KNOW, I COULD HAVE MADE A REWARD ON THIS INFORMATION, BUT I'M JUST SO OUTRAGED THAT THE SITUATION HAS HAPPENED.
SO IN MY OUTRAGE AND TRYING TO BE, NOT OUTRAGEOUS, BUT COMMUNICATIVE AND SOMEWHAT A LITTLE ENTERTAINING, I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THE TAX LAW AND THE CONSEQUENCES TO THE CITY AND TO, UH, OFFICE HOLDERS.
AND IN FACT, I LEAVE HER MY CARD AND IF AFTER Y'ALL READ IT, UH, YOU CAN, UH, GET IN CONTACT WITH ME AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
AND YOU'VE GIVEN A COPY OF THAT MEMO TO THE
[01:55:01]
CITY COURT.I GAVE THE PAYMENT, OR JUST TO MAKE IT, IT, IT'LL BE PROVIDED TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AG AGENDA ITEMS? I, I'VE GOT, UM, EXHIBITS FOR YOU TO LOOK AT FROM THE LAST PUBLIC COMMENTER.
ARE IT, IT, IT, I KNOW THIS IS A, UH, FOR LEAD CHARLIE'S PUBLIC COMMENT.
I TALKED REAL FAST, SO I FIGURED I BEGIN.
CAN I START? OH, WHEN THEY'RE READY.
ALMOST EARLY EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
FIRST ON FIRST AIR, FIRST CLASS AIRLINE TICKETS TO CANADA, STAYING AT A FIVE STAR PENTHOUSE SUITE THAT INCLUDES SWEDISH MASSAGES, MONOGRAM ROBES, EATING AT THE MOST EXPENSIVE FINE DINING RESTAURANT IN THE CITY.
SHE IS VISITING, ENJOYING A ROMANTIC GETAWAY, DOING RESEARCH FOR A CONVENTION THAT OCCURS SIX MONTHS IN THE FUTURE.
TWO OPEN BAR TABS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS CONVENTION TICKETS TO CHICAGO NEW CLOTHES, PERSONAL CREDIT CARD BILLS GETTING PAID.
SIX UNITED AIRLINE TICKETS, $1,000 LAVISH LUNCHEONS FOR FRIENDS.
AND WHO KNEW? BEING A HUSBAND OF ONE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER GETS YOU $15,000 IN 2023 AND 2024 FROM THE OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
WELCOME TO THE LONG BEACH OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
I'VE GIVEN YOU A HANDOUT OF WHAT THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE DEFINES, WHAT THE OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT IS, WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR.
PLEASE NOTE HOW THE FORMER LONG BEACH CITY ATTORNEY ADDED TWO SENTENCES, WHICH I HIGHLIGHTED FOR YOU JUST RIGHT HERE.
INTENTIONALLY MAKING OUR OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT THE MOST LEGALLY VAGUE LANGUAGE WRITTEN IN THE STATE.
ENCOURAGING MALFEASANCE AND ABUSE TOLD TO ME BY NUMEROUS FBPC LAWYERS.
THE OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT VIOLATES THE VA VAGUENESS DOCTRINE NEEDS TO BE REWRITTEN FOR CLARITY, NEEDS TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, ADDRESSING PERSONAL USE BENEFITS OBTAINED BY USING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS' PERSONAL CREDIT CARDS.
CURRENTLY HUSBANDS ARE WILLING, ARE USING PURCHASING AND PAYING THEMSELVES WITH THESE PERSONAL CREDIT CARDS, THEN BEING REIMBURSED, BUT ARE NOT LISTED AS TREASURERS ON ANY FORM FOUR 60.
BUT GUESS WHAT, IF YOU'RE A TEAMMATE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH IS WRONG LEGALLY, IT'S WRONG.
A MODIFIED AND AMENDED OFFICEHOLDER ACCOUNT SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN OUR ESTEEMED 2025 ETHIC COMMISSIONERS.
SOME WHO ARE JUDGES, LAWYERS, AND PARALEGALS.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE SMARTEST LEGAL MINDS IN OUR CITY ON OUR ETHICS COMMISSION AND CAN EASILY FIX THE VAGUE LANGUAGE USED IN AMENDED LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.
CHANGE THE WORD SUB-ACCOUNT TO AN ACCOUNT OR A SAVINGS ACCOUNT LIKE THE CITY ATTORNEY CALLS IT.
AND THEN WE ALSO NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ON EXPENSES.
WITHHOLDING OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNT.
WHAT DOES THAT SPECIFICALLY MEAN? DOES THAT MEAN GOING TO CANADA? DOES THAT MEAN TO GO GO TO MOULIN ROUGE TO SEE WHAT THE THE NEXT PRIDE FLOAT FREIGHT FLY PRIDE FLOATS GONNA BE LIKE IN 2025? COME ON, WE, WE NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC HERE.
THE FOUNDER'S INTENT WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED.
THESE OFFICEHOLDER ACCOUNTS WAS DESIGNED TO HELP ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO HAVE SMALLER POPULATIONS TRAVEL TO CONFERENCES AND HELP THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
EMERGENCY INFRASTRUCTURE PAIRS, JUST LIKE THE FIRE THAT'S GOING ON.
ELECTED OFFICIALS COULD USE THEIR OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNTS FOR PEOPLE THAT POSSIBLY LOST THEIR LIVES OR HOMES INSTEAD.
THAT'S WHAT THEIR INTENT, BUT WERE USING 'EM FOR IS NOT OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNTS CANNOT PAY FOR CURRENT CAMPAIGN EXPENSES, GIVE MONEY TO, OR, OR REIMBURSE.
HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS SPEND OVER $500 A YEAR FOR FOOD AND OR TRAVEL.
IT'S A MISDEMEANOR AND MAYBE A FELONY DEPENDING ON THE MISUSE AND MALFEASANCE CAUGHT USING OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNTS FOR PERSONAL USE.
DOING THE RIGHT THING WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING AS CALLED INTEGRITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN BAD APPLE CAN BE THE BARREL, AND YOU SEE THE PERSON I'M TALKING ABOUT, THERE'S, UH, A WARNING LETTER FIRST.
UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON AGENDA ITEMS? UH, LET'S MOVE TO ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, I I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING TONIGHT.
I KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS ARE SUFFERING, UH, AND OUR HEARTS
[02:00:01]
AND OUR PRAYERS AND OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH, UH, OUR NEIGHBORS ALL, ALL AROUND.[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
TURN OFF THE TV AND I TURN IT BACK ON, THERE'S ANOTHER FIRE.SO I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S BEING HERE TONIGHT.
I KNOW THAT PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE I KNOW KNOWS SOMEONE WHO'S IN HARM'S WAY.
ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, VICE CHAIR CALL ME.
UM, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I, YOU, MY, MY HEART AND DEFINITELY MY PRAYERS GO UP TO, UM, EVERYONE THAT'S BEEN IMPACTED, INCLUDING SOME MEMBERS OF MY OWN FAMILY.
AND SO, UH, I, BUT MY ANNOUNCEMENT ALSO IS, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, WE HAVE MLK DAY COMING UP.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE, AT ETHICS COMMISSION, THE IDEALS THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
STOOD FOR, UM, I THINK ARE VERY PROFOUND TO ME AND MATTERED TO ME.
AND I, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S PARADE THAT'S LOVELY, BUT ALSO I ALWAYS VIEW THAT AS A DAY OF SERVICE.
UM, AND SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS, WE GET A, A DAY OFF.
UM, BUT ALSO IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO, TO GET BACK TO THIS GREAT COMMUNITY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE THAT'S ABLE AND WILLING TO DO SO.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? WE'RE ADJOURNED.
[ADJOURNMENT]
CHIEF, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT GETS A DAY OFF.