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TWO 11.[CALL TO ORDER]
UH, CALL TO ORDER.WILL YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL CALL? COMMISSIONER
[ROLL CALL]
WEISS PRESENT.COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER DE UH, PRESENT, UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO ASSEMBLY BILL 2 4 4 9.
I HAVE JUST CAUSED CIRCUMSTANCES AUTHORIZING MY REMOTE PARTICIPATION IN THE PUBLIC MEETING.
UH, THERE IS NO ONE IN THIS ROOM WITH ME OR ACCESS TO THIS WEB WEBCAST.
COMMISSIONER NOVE, VICE CHAIR COLEMAN, UH, UH, PRESENT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT ON THE RECORD, UM, PURSUANT TO ASSEMBLY BILL 2 44 9.
UM, I HAVE JUST CIRCUMSTANCES AUTHORIZING MY REMOTE PARTICIPATION IN THIS MEETING.
I TOO HAVE A CONTAGIOUS ILLNESS.
UM, THERE'S NO ONE IN THE ROOM OVER THE AGE OF 18, UM, WITH ME.
UH, P*****K, UH, UH, UH, I NEED TO ROLL CALL REAL QUICK.
AND IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD, YOU CAN READ THE, THE PREPARED STATEMENT.
THIS MEETING WILL FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS OF AB 2, 2, 4, 4 9, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND AND ADDRESS THIS BODY VIA A CALL IN OPTION, AN INTERNET-BASED SERVICE OPTION.
AND IN-PERSON AT THIS MEETING, AS REFERENCED WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER
[1. 25-54937 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Ethics Commission meeting of Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ONE, RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ETHICS COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12TH, 2025.THAT WAS A MOTION BY MORALES, AND SECOND BY WEISS.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY INPUT FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? OKAY.
UH, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UH, ON ITEM NUMBER ONE IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE ZOOM LINK, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND OR DIAL NINE NOW, OR, SORRY, STAR NINE.
NOW, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CALL IN, SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
COMMISSIONER D BENEDICTUS AYE.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION, AND IF NECESSARY, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND APPROVE THE CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK FOR ETHICAL DECISION MAKING FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH,
[2. 25-54938 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation, and if necessary, provide feedback and approve the customized Framework for Ethical Decision Making for the City of Long Beach provided by Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
PROVIDED BY MARULA CENTER FOR APPLIED ETHICS.THAT WAS A, A MOTION BY SHOTWELL, COMMISSIONER BY MORALES.
AND I WILL TURN TO THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MARULA CENTER.
UH, WILL THEY COME UP ON SO THAT WE CAN SEE THEM? I, UH, WHILE YOU'RE WORKING, THAT AS A PRELIMINARY MATTER, I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO THANK THE, THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MARCOLA CENTER FOR PROVIDING THE MATERIALS TO US, AT LEAST IN DRAFT, IN ADVANCE.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A TRAINING SESSION FOR THE COMMISSION, AND, UH, AND PART OF, PART OF IT, PART OF AN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IS TO RECEIVE THE, THE INFORMATION.
UM, BUT, UH, GIVEN, UH, THE NATURE OF THIS MEETING AND, AND THE EXPERTISE REPRESENTED ON THE COMMISSION, I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK THROUGH IT IN ADVANCE.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT YOUR NORMAL PROCESS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BOTH OF YOU.
I, I'LL JUST START AND THEN I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO ANNE VERY QUICKLY.
UH, JOHN ERO HERE, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS AT THE MARCOLA
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CENTER, AND MY COLLEAGUE ANN S***T, WHO'S THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP ETHICS, UM, WILL BE, UH, LEADING THE PRESENTATION, UH, ON OUR BEHALF.UH, CHAIR P*****K, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, MAKING TIME, UM, IN THE COMMISSION'S, UH, AGENDA TODAY FOR US TO DO, UH, WHAT IS IN EFFECT THE FINAL DELIVERABLE ON OUR CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, AND THE ETHICS PROGRAM, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE TRAINING, UM, PARTICULARLY IN REGARD TO THE FRAMEWORK FOR ETHICAL DECISION MAKING.
UH, WE'VE HAD TWO, UH, REALLY GOOD SESSIONS, TRAINING SESSIONS, UM, WITH THE STAFF, UH, OF THE ETHICS PROGRAM AND WITH, UH, SEVERAL OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE, UM, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
UH, WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BRING, UH, TO YOU TODAY, UH, THE TRAINING, UM, AND TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE CUSTOMIZATION OF THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP, UM, AT LEAST IN DRAFT FORM FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE ETHICS PROGRAM.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE ANN.
I'LL JUST ADD MY THANKS TO JOHN, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOU.
IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE OVER THESE SEVERAL MONTHS TO, UH, WORK WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND THE ETHICS COMMISSION AND THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY.
SO, I'M GONNA START BY SHARING MY SCREEN AND, UH, GONNA WALK US THROUGH A SLIDE DECK THAT, YEAH.
AS, UM, COMMISSIONER P*****K HAS INDICATED YOU'VE ALL RECEIVED IN ADVANCE.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY, UH, WE CAN GET IT TO A SLIDESHOW VERSION.
IS THAT WORKING FOR EVERYBODY? THUMBS UP, JOHN, IF THAT LOOKS GOOD TO YOU.
UM, SO WHAT THIS MAKES IT HARDER FOR ME TO DO IS TO SEE IF THERE'S A QUESTION FROM ANYONE ON THE COMMISSION.
SO, BECAUSE YOU'RE SOMEWHAT FAR AWAY FROM ME, SO YOU FEEL, FEEL FREE TO PIPE UP.
WE'LL JUST INTERRUPT AS I'M GOING ALONG.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO BE ASKING ABOUT, YOU CAN DO THE RAISE YOUR HAND, UH, VERSION, BUT I MAY NOT SEE ALL OF YOU THAT ARE SITTING THERE IN CHAMBERS.
SO, UM, UH, DON'T, DON'T BE SHY ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET THIS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK TODAY ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE MARK LE CENTER'S KIND OF PRIMARY TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IS OUR FRAMEWORK FOR ETHICAL DECISION MAKING.
AND, UM, THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND THE CONDITIONS THAT FAVOR THE USE OF ETHICS IN ORGANIZATIONS, JUST 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'LL BE KINDA HELPFUL FOR THE COMMISSION TO BE AWARE OF IN ITS WORK.
UM, WE'RE GONNA DO A COUPLE OF CASES AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S, UM, CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK.
SO, SO TAKING THE FRAMEWORK OF ETHICAL DECISION MAKING THAT THE CENTER USES IT AND ADOPTING IT, ADAPTING IT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AND THAT'LL BUILD ON SOME WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE WITH STAFF AND, UM, GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, UM, TO THAT AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I GET STARTED? OKAY, MOVING ON THEN.
UM, SO FIRST WE'RE JUST GONNA START BY TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS ETHICS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE IN A SMALLER GROUP SETTING, I MIGHT ASK SOMEBODY.
ACTUALLY, I, I THINK WE STILL CAN.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO TAKE A STAB AT A DEFINITION OF ETHICS? ALL RIGHT, NO ONE'S GONNA BE BOLD TODAY.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, WHY DON'T WE FIRST START BY TALKING ABOUT WHAT ETHICS ISN'T.
'CAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME CONFUSION, CERTAINLY IN THE GENERAL POPULATION, MAYBE NOT IN AN ETHICS COMMISSION, BUT IN THE GENERAL POPULATION ABOUT WHAT ETHICS REALLY IS.
SO IT'S NOT THE SAME AS LAW AND COMPLIANCE OR A SET OF FIXED RULES TO FOLLOW.
AND THAT'S AN INTERESTING THING TO TELL AN ETHICS COMMISSION BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES YOU ARE DEALING VERY, UH, UH, THOUGHTFULLY AND INTENTIONALLY WITH RULES AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'VE BEEN FOLLOWED.
AND THAT IS PART OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
BUT IT'S NOT, THE ONLY THING THAT ETHICS, UM, IS SO THAT THERE'S PROFESSIONAL CODES AND STANDARDS.
UM, BUT ETHICS IS MORE THAN THAT, NOR IS IT A PURELY NEGATIVE FRAME.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE HEAR ETHICS, THEY TEND TO FEEL KIND OF INSTANTLY JUDGED OR CONS THINKING ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT WE LIKE TO FRAME IT.
I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU A DIFFERENT WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT IN JUST A MOMENT.
IT'S NOT A SUBJECTIVE SENSE OF RIGHT, NOR IS IT THE NON-MORAL CUSTOMS OF ETIQUETTE.
SOCIAL NORMS HELP INFORM WHAT'S ETHICAL AND WHAT'S NOT ETHICAL, BUT IT, THEY CHANGE OVER TIME.
AND SO THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY THE ONLY, UM,
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BAROMETER THAT WE USE IN DETERMINING WHAT'S ETHICAL.AND IT'S NOT AN OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY OR UNQUESTIONING LOYALTY.
UM, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS.
IT IS A PROCESS OF LEARNING TO IDENTIFY MORAL ISSUES AND MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.
AND AT THE MARCO CENTER, WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MAKING DECISIONS WITH THE CARE AND CONCERN FOR OTHERS IN MIND.
AND WE LIKE TO GROUND IT IN, UM, HUMAN FLOURISHING, WHICH IS WHAT THE ORIGINAL GREEK PHILOSOPHERS WHO WERE FIRST TALKING ABOUT AND INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF ETHICS, UM, USED AS THEIR, THEIR, UH, THEIR SORT OF, UM, NORTH STAR, IF YOU WILL.
THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE CREATE THE GOOD LIFE? WHAT IS THE GOOD LIFE? AND THAT, AND ETHICS IS A MEANS FOR BRINGING ABOUT THE GOOD LIFE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HUMAN FLOURISHING, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THAT? IN TODAY'S STANDARDS, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY DEFINE HUMAN FLOURISHING.
AND HERE'S ONE DEFINITION FROM THE HUMAN FLOURISHING PROGRAM AT HARVARD INSTITUTE'S.
UM, AT HARVARD'S INSTITUTE FOR QUANTITATIVE SOCIAL SCIENCE.
THEY IDENTIFY, DEFINE IT AS THE ONGOING PROCESS OF REALIZING ONE'S OWN GOOD AND THE COMMON GOOD BY FULFILLING HUMAN CAPABILITIES.
AND THEY, UM, AL FURTHER SORT OF ACKNOWLEDGE THERE ARE THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF IT, MEANING AND PURPOSE, CLOSE SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, CHARACTER AND VIRTUE HAPPINESS AND LIFE SATISFACTION HEALTH, BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL STABILITY TO MEET BASIC NEEDS.
SO ONE THING I ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT OUT ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR, UM, DEFINITION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL NEEDS ARE JUST ONE PIECE OF IT, AND THEY, AND THEY ACTUALLY LIST THEM LESS.
SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK OF HUMAN FLOURISHING AND THEY GO IMMEDIATELY TO KIND OF THE ECONOMICS.
UM, BUT THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAN JUST THAT.
THE OTHER THING I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THE FRAMEWORK IS TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARRIVE AT A FULLY FORMED CONSCIENCE AS PART OF A DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS.
SO WE ALL GO THROUGH STAGES, AND IT STARTS WHEN WE'RE VERY YOUNG, AND AT FIRST WE'RE THE MOST INTERESTED IN DOING THINGS THAT WILL KEEP US OUTTA TROUBLE OR GET US WHAT WE WANT.
AND THEN AS WE MATURE, WE START TO BECOME AWARE OF OTHER PEOPLE AND WE WANNA MAKE THEM HAPPY.
MEET GROUP NORMS, SORT OF GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE.
AND WE ALSO START TO IDENTIFY THAT THERE ARE RULES AND LAWS THAT GUIDE BEHAVIOR IN SOCIETY.
SO WE WANNA DO THE RIGHT THING ACCORDING TO THE RULES.
AND THEN AS WE MATURE PAST THAT PHASE, WE START TO BECOME AWARE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THAN WE HAVE.
AND THERE MIGHT BE A MINORITY POINT OF VIEW THAT'S EXPRESSED IN A GROUP SETTING, BUT THAT THAT IS STILL WORTHY OF RESPECT AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE GET TO A SET OF PRINCIPLES THAT WE'RE USING TO GOVERN OUR ACTIONS THAT DEFINE A FULLY FORMED CONSCIENCE.
AND RESEARCH WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS TAKES MANY YEARS, AND IN FACT, SOME PEOPLE DON'T ARRIVE AT A FULLY FORMED CONSCIENCE TILL SOMEWHERE AROUND THE AGE OF 40.
SO IT'S A USEFUL THING TO KNOW WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH PEOPLE IN THEIR EARLY STAGES OF THEIR CAREER THAT THEY MIGHT BE SOMEWHERE ON THIS CONTINUUM AND NOT YET AT THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE, UM, COMFORTABLE AND FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A FULLY FORMED MORAL CONSCIENCE.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING SO FAR? OKAY, MOVING ON THEN.
SO LET'S DIVE INTO THE FORMAL QUESTION AND, AND I WILL ASK A QUESTION AND HATE, OH, SORRY, I HATE TO BELABOR IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, AND I'M HESITATED TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION OF ETHICS AND BEING AN ETHICS PROF, ETHICS, COMPLIANCE PROFESSIONAL.
IT'S SOMETHING I'VE EVEN ALWAYS KIND OF HAVE VERY LONG-WINDED EXPLANATIONS.
BUT YOU MENTIONED, UM, UH, MORALITY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE OFTEN TRIED TO DISTINGUISH IS BUSINESS ETHICS AND MORALITY.
WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, IN THE CLASSIC EXAMPLE I'VE USED IS ADULTERY NECESSARILY MAYBE NON-MORAL, BUT I, IN THE BUSINESS ETHICS COM CASE, UNLESS IT'S BETWEEN COWORKERS, I DIDN'T CONSIDER IT TO BE AN ETHICAL ISSUE.
UM, IT'S A MORAL ISSUE VERSUS AN ETHICAL.
SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND YOUR USE OF IDENTIFYING MORAL ISSUES AND MAKING BETTER DECISIONS.
WELL, ETHICS IS ABOUT MORALS, AND IT IS ABOUT THINKING ABOUT, UH, THOSE UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE US ALL, SOME OF WHICH ARE GROUNDED IN MORALITY.
UM, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE ALL TEND TO ACCEPT, IT'S NOT OKAY TO MURDER SOMEBODY OR, UM, AND SO THOSE ARE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY PART OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED IN ETHICS.
SO I I, I DON'T THINK WE SEE, UM, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE AS MUCH OF A FINE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
THEY'RE SORT OF COMPLIMENTARY.
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USE ETHICS IN THE ETHICS COMMISSION SETTING, YOU TEND TO BE TALKING ABOUT A PROFESSIONAL SET OF STANDARDS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO GOVERNMENT ETHICS, WHICH IS JOHN'S AREA OF EXPERTISE.AND I DO LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS ETHICS.
AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AROUND BUSINESS ETHICS THAT WE EXPLORE THAT ARE MAYBE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THAN THAN JOHN'S, BUT THEY ALL LINK BACK TO A FULLY FORMED TO, TO CONSCIENCE AND TO MAKING DECISIONS AROUND WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
JOHN, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA SAY ABOUT THAT? YEAH, I, I WOULD JUST, UH, ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY MORAL ISSUES IS AN IMPORTANT, UM, UH, ETHICAL, UH, A LEVEL OF ETHICAL AWARENESS.
AND, UM, THE WAY IT SORT OF, UM, MANIFESTS ITSELF IS, IS WHEN ONE, AND WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL CAN RECOGNIZE, UH, MORAL ISSUES, UH, AND BE ABLE TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS, THEY'RE ACTUALLY DEMONSTRATING, UH, THAT THEY HAVE A LEVEL OF ETHICAL AWARENESS AS, AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
I REALLY DO CONSIDER ALL ETHICAL ISSUES, MORAL ISSUES.
I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IF I CONSIDER ALL MORAL ISSUES, ETHICAL ISSUES, BUT WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE.
UM, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ROLLING THIS OUT FURTHER, I KNOW SOME OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMEWORKS TALK ABOUT, UM, A MORAL ISSUE.
BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS, IS THERE A REASON THAT YOU CHOSE NOT TO, TO LOOK AT THE DUTY OR OBLIGATION FRAMEWORK? UM, I THINK WE DO TALK ABOUT DUTIES.
MAY WE, MAYBE WE DON'T USE THAT WORD EXPLICITLY, BUT WHAT OUR FRAMEWORK DOES IS TAKE THE, UM, PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITIONS OVER THE CENTURIES AND DISTILL THEM INTO SIX BUCKETS, IF YOU WILL.
SIX LENSES IS THE TERM THAT WE USE FOR THEM, THAT HELP PEOPLE TO SYNTHESIZE THEM INTO A WAY THAT THEY CAN BE APPLIED.
SO THERE'S A SET OF QUESTIONS THAT GOES WITH EACH ONE OF THOSE LENSES THAT, UM, TALKS ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S WHAT'S CONSIDERED ETHICAL USING THAT PARTICULAR APPLICATION.
AND WHAT WE RECOMMEND IS THAT PEOPLE USE ALL OF THEM IN, IN DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING IS ETHICAL.
SO THEY LOOK AT IT FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT VANTAGE POINTS.
AND I JUST GOING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS, I'M NOT SURE WHO WAS SPEAKING PREVIOUSLY, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT WE DO DISAGREE.
I THINK ACTUALLY YOUR DISTINCTION OF EVERYTHING ETHICAL IS MORAL, BUT NOT EVERYTHING MORAL IS ETHICAL IS, UH, IS CONSISTENT WITH, WITH WHAT WE WOULD SAY AS WELL.
SO LET'S GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE.
SO THE FIRST LENS I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS THIS NOTION OF RIGHTS.
UM, WE'RE ALL SORT OF AFFORDED A SET, UH, YOU KNOW, A SENSE OF HUMAN DIGNITY, JUST, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE HUMAN BEINGS.
THERE'S A CERTAIN SET OF RIGHTS THAT ARE OWED TO US.
AND THIS IS RECOGNIZED GLOBALLY, UM, THROUGH THINGS LIKE THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION OF RIGHTS AND SORT OF A, UM, A A COMMON APPLICATION THAT PEOPLE MAKE.
SO THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASK IN THIS LENS ARE WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE RESPECTING HUMAN RIGHTS.
UM, IS THE OPTION THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING, UH, OR THE CHOICES THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US, ESSENTIAL TO A PERSON'S DIGNITY AND SELF-WORTH.
AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF AN INDIVIDUAL WERE DENIED THAT? RIGHT.
WOULD WE OURSELVES WANNA HAVE THAT SAME RIGHT IF WE WERE IN THAT PERSON'S POSITION? SO THIS LENS IS ASKING WHAT OPTION BEST RESPECTS THE RIGHTS OF ALL WHO HAVE A STAKE IN A DECISION OR ARE AFFECTED BY IT? THE NEXT LENS IS FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE.
AND THIS IS A PRETTY COMMON ONE.
MOST PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THIS.
ANYONE WITH SIBLINGS HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S FAIR OR NOT FAIR, PROBABLY AROUND THE FAMILY DINING ROOM TABLE SINCE THEY WERE VERY YOUNG.
UM, BUT I LIKE THIS WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT, UM, BECAUSE IT HELPS TO, TO, UM, ME ANYWAY, TO THINK ABOUT, UH, JUSTICE THROUGH A NEW DEFINITION OR A RELATIVELY NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT.
TO ME, WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE MARLA CENTER, WHICH IS 11 YEARS AGO NOW, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT THAT NEW, BUT, UM, THINKING ABOUT WHO GETS THE BENEFITS AND THE BURDENS IN A CER CERTAIN SITUATION AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED EVENLY.
UM, SO THIS IS ASKING WHICH OPTION TREATS PEOPLE FAIRLY, GIVING THEM EACH WHAT THEY'RE 'EM, EACH WHAT THEIR DUE.
THE UTILITARIAN LENS IS ONE MANY PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
IT GETS USED IN ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE OFTEN, UM, SORT OF ASKING ABOUT
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WHAT'S THE GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER.SO WHICH ACTION WILL PRODUCE THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR EVERYONE AFFECTED OR MINIMIZE THE HARMS. SO, UM, WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT.
SO ESSENTIALLY YOU'RE ASKING, ARE YOU MAXIMIZING THE GOOD AND MINIMIZING HARMS FOR EVERYONE THAT'S AFFECTED? UM, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE DOING A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR AN ORGANIZATION, YOU'RE APPLYING THE UTILITARIAN LENS.
UM, I USED TO WORK IN A JOURNALISM, UH, ENTERPRISE AT A DAILY NEWSPAPER.
JOURNALISTS ARE OFTEN FACED WITH THIS KIND OF, UM, UH, CALCULUS WHEN THEY'RE DECIDING, FOR EXAMPLE, DO I COVER A STORY ABOUT SOMEBODY IN A PUBLIC ROLE THAT'S UNFLATTERING TO THEM? UM, THAT PERSON MIGHT HAVE REACHED OUT AND SAID, YOU KNOW, IF KNOW, IF YOU PUBLISH THIS STORY, IT'S GONNA RUIN ME.
IT'S GONNA DESTROY MY REPUTATION, IT'S GONNA HARM MY FAMILY.
AND SO THAT JOURNALIST HAS TO DECIDE, WELL, DO I, DO I PUBLISH THIS STORY WHICH IS DETRIMENTAL TO THIS INDIVIDUAL, BUT ACTUALLY SERVES A GREATER GOOD AND ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN ON THE DECISION TO PUBLISH THE STORY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A COMMITMENT TO THE FOURTH ESTATE AND TO THE PUBLIC GOOD IN THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
THAT'S, THEY'RE APPLYING A U UTILITARIAN CALCULUS WHEN THEY'RE COMING TO THAT DECISION.
THE COMMON GOOD IS, UM, ASK THE QUESTION OF ARE WE DOING OUR PART TO LOOK OUT FOR, UM, ALL THE INTERESTS IN A, IN A SITUATION, NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS.
AND, UM, THE QUESTION YOU CAN ASK YOURSELF IS WHAT OBLIGATION YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE ASPECTS OF THE COMMON GOOD, BECAUSE WE ALL BENEFIT FROM THEM.
SO IT'S ABOUT WHICH OPTION BEST SERVES THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, NOT JUST SOME INTERESTS.
AND GOVERNMENT HAS A UNIQUE SET OF, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE COMMON GOOD.
UM, IT'S, I I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE ALL INTERACTING WITH ALL THE TIME.
I THINK THIS IS A LENS THAT YOU PROBABLY USE FAIRLY REGULARLY.
AND CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE KIND OF A, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN U THE UTILITARIAN AND THE COMMON GOOD? BECAUSE THEY SEEM VERY SIMILAR, BUT MAYBE I'M MISSING SOMETHING.
AND SO, ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT IS, AT A SOCIETAL LEVEL, THE COMMON GOOD IS LOOKING AT SOCIETY BROADLY.
UM, THERE ARE PUBLIC GOODS LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PUBLIC EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, GOOD ROADS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE ASSETS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THE, AND THERE ARE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE OR MORE INTANGIBLE THINGS LIKE TRUST, UM, IS SORT OF A REFLECTION OF THE COMMON GOOD.
SO WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE COMMON GOOD, YOU TEND TO BE THINKING AT A, AT A SOCIETAL LEVEL.
JOHN, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD ADD TO THAT? NO, I THINK THAT THAT'S A VERY GOOD EXPLANATION.
AND, UM, SO OFTEN WHEN, UM, THE, A UTILITARIAN LENS IS BROUGHT INTO, UH, CONSIDERATION, UM, YOU'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT, AT, UM, LESS, UH, BROAD, UH, KINDS OF ISSUES THAN THOSE THAT ARE DESIGNED TO SERVE THE COMMON GOOD.
AND IT HAS TO DO WITH MAYBE A VERY SPECIFIC POLICY, UM, THAT'S UP BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT.
UH, AND TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, THE, THE MOST GOOD WILL BE DONE FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER, AND THAT WE'LL MINIMIZE ANY HARM, UH, TO THE MINORITY OR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE OPPOSED, UH, TO THE POLICY.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE VIRTUE LENS.
AND, UM, VIRTUE ETHICISTS ARE ASKING THE QUESTION, DOES THE CHOICE THAT I'M MAKING REPRESENT ALLOW ME TO BE THE BEST PERSON I CAN BE, BASICALLY? AND, UM, IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT AT AN ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL OR CITYWIDE IS SORT OF, DOES IT REPRESENT THE, UM, MY ORGANIZATION'S REPUTATION OR THE VISION OF THE KIND OF ORGANIZATION WE WOULD LIKE OURSELVES TO BE? UM, SO THIS IS KIND OF THE RED FACE TEST.
YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE LOOKING IN THE MIRROR, DO YOU LIKE, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE? AND DO THEY HUE TO YOUR OWN SENSE OF CONSCIENCE? AND THE LAST LENS IS THE CARE LENS, THE CARE ETHICS LENS.
AND THIS IS REALLY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT RELATIONSHIPS AND THE FEELINGS OF OTHER PEOPLE.
AND SO IT'S ASKING IF YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, UH, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DECISION MAKER AND AFFECTED PARTIES AND TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT CONCERNS AND FEELINGS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, AGAIN, I THINK GOVERNMENT HAS SOME UNIQUE RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN IT COMES TO THE CARE ETHICS LENS BECAUSE THEY ARE ENTRUSTED TO SERVE THE PUBLIC AND TO CARE ABOUT THE PUBLIC BROADLY.
UM, SO THEY NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT AND OFTEN DO, I THINK, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FEELINGS AND THE CONCERNS OF THIS CITIZENRY THAT'S RAISING THOSE ISSUES.
[00:25:01]
NOW, WE USE ALL THOSE LENSES IN A BROAD FRAMEWORK, AND THE FIRST STEP OF THAT FRAMEWORK IS JUST RECOGNIZING THAT YOU HAVE AN ETHICAL ISSUE.SO THERE ARE SOME CUES THAT THERE'S AN ETHICAL ISSUE, ALTHOUGH WE, WE JOKE SOMETIMES AT THE MARK LESS CENTER THAT EVERYTHING CAN BE DISTILLED INTO AN ETHICAL ISSUE, AN ETHICAL DECISION.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME HALLMARKS OF ETHICAL DILEMMAS THAT ARE GOOD TO LOOK OUT FOR.
I THINK THE EASIEST ONE IS TO JUST ASK IF SOMEBODY COULD BE HARMED BY A CERTAIN DECISION, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT AN ETHICAL CONSIDERATION ON YOUR HANDS.
IF YOU HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN TWO REALLY BAD OPTIONS, SOMETIMES THAT'S EASY TO SEE, OH, THIS IS AN ETHICAL ISSUE.
BUT ALSO SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN TWO REALLY GOOD OPTIONS, YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DISCERN WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE, THEY BOTH LOOK LIKE THEY'RE, UM, THEY'RE GOOD DEALS.
AND, UM, YOU WANNA BE THINKING ABOUT MORE THAN WHAT IS SOLELY LEGAL, NOT JUST, UH, THE LAW IS IMPORTANT.
UM, SOMETIMES WE USE IT AS A, AS A BASELINE OR A FLOOR, IF YOU WILL, BUT IT'S TRUE THAT NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS ETHICAL IS LEGAL, AND NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS LEGAL IS ETHICAL.
SO THE, THERE ARE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE TWO.
THE NEXT STEP IS TO GET THE FACTS, AND THIS INCLUDES BOTH THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND THE DECISION, AND ALSO THE IDENTIFICATION OF STAKEHOLDERS, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT OVERLOOKING SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA BE AFFECTED BY THE DECISION, UM, AND FEELS LIKE THEY HAVE A, A STAKE IN ITS OUTCOME.
AND AFTER YOU'VE DONE THAT, IF AFTER YOU'VE MADE SURE YOU'VE GOTTEN ALL THE FACTS AND, AND YOU KNOW WHO THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE, THEN IT'S TIME TO DEPLOY THOSE LENSES AND ASK YOURSELF THE, THE QUESTION THAT GOES ALONG WITH EACH ONE OF THE LENSES AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE OPTION BEFORE YOU.
AND ONCE YOU'VE DONE THAT, IT'S TIME TO ACTUALLY MAKE A DECISION.
SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED ALL THE OPTIONS, AND YOU ALSO MAYBE WANNA SORT OF DO SOME, SOME ROLE PLAYING OR SOME DISCUSSING DISCUSSION WITH SOMEBODY ELSE BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY ACT ON IT TO ASK YOURSELF KIND OF, UM, WHAT, WHAT OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT THINK ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OFTEN USE THE, WOULD I FEEL COMFORTABLE IF I SAW THIS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEWSPAPER? I, I LIKE THE ONE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD MY MOTHER THINK ABOUT THIS IF I WERE TO TELL HER ABOUT THE DECISION THAT, UH, I'M MAKING? AND ALSO TO THINK THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE WAY A DECISION IS EXECUTED HAS AS MUCH TO DO WITH HOW ETHICAL IT IS THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
AND THEN WE AT, UM, SANTA CLARA, WE'RE A JESUIT UNIVERSITY.
WE EMPHASIZED REFLECTION AND LEARNING IN ALL THAT WE DO.
AND SO THE LAST STAGE OF THE FRAMEWORK IS TO REFLECT ON THE OUTCOME AND, UH, AND IDENTIFY LEARNING SORT OF A POSTMORTEM, IF YOU WILL, AND THINK ABOUT HOW YOU COULD BENEFIT FROM WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED IN THAT SITUATION IN FUTURE DECISIONS.
AND BECAUSE WE SEE THIS AS AN ONGOING PROCESS, ONE THAT'S USED REGULARLY, THERE'S SORT OF A RINSE AND REPEAT ASPECT TO IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING WITH EACH OPTION THAT YOU TAKE, AND YOU'RE PROBABLY DOING THIS ALL THE TIME.
IN FACT, THE, THE, THE LENSES THAT I JUST SHARED WITH YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT NEW TO YOU.
THEY MAY HAVE NAMES THAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD USED BEFORE, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE APPLYING THEM PROBABLY PRETTY REGULARLY IN YOUR DECISION MAKING.
BUT THIS HELPS YOU TO IDENTIFY THE STEPS AND TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT IT.
UM, AND CERTAINLY IN ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY.
AND IN, AS, AS THINGS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED, IT'S A GOOD THING TO BRING FORWARD.
IT'S JUST A TOOL FOR DECISION MAKING THAT GETS EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, IF I MAY, SO THE, THE DIFFERENT LENSES ARE ACTUALLY DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACHES TO ETHICAL DECISION MAKING.
UM, IF WE ARE ROLLING THIS, UH, THIS IS VERY HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TO ANALYZE THE ETHICAL ISSUE.
BUT DO YOU, IN TERMS OF ROLLING THIS OUT TO A LARGER AUDIENCE OF CITY EMPLOYEES, UM, DO YOU HAVE ONE PARTICULAR APPROACH THAT YOU BELIEVE WORKS BEST IN A MUNICIPAL ENVIRONMENT? OR ARE YOU RECOMMENDING THAT WE TRAIN IN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT ETHICAL DECISIONS? SO WE'RE GONNA, WE, LET'S JUST GO TO OUR DISCUSSION, UM, I'M SORRY,
UM, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'LL, YOU'LL, YOU'LL FIND SOME, SOME POTENTIAL ANSWER THERE.
I'M GONNA COME BACK AND ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY.
[00:30:01]
IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT THESE SORT OF REFLECTION QUESTIONS.WHICH ONES DO YOU FIND YOURSELF USING THE MOST OFTEN? I CAN GO BACK TO, UH, THE SLIDE HERE THAT HAS 'EM ALL LISTED.
I, I'D LIKE TO, UH, LAYER IN AFTER, UM, COMMISSIONER, I'M SORRY, CHAIR POLLOCK'S, UH, COMMENT.
UM, I FIND THAT TO BE ISSUE RECOGNITION TO BE THE HARDEST ONE.
UM, AND LOOKING AT THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, THE DECISIONS OR THE, UM, THE DILEMMAS THAT THEY MIGHT FACE ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE ELECTED.
UH, I FIND THAT THE ELECTED, UH, THEY'RE OFTEN JUST, UH, ALL DECISIONS ARE GOOD.
THEY MAKE, UH, THEY HAVE, UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE, THE, THE BATTLE BETWEEN TWO GOODS, THE BATTLE BETWEEN TWO BADS THEIR DECISIONS.
UH, I THINK THAT THEY NEED PROBABLY MORE TARGETED.
UH, IS SHE RECOGNITION, UH, VERSUS THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE.
UM, I, I FEEL THAT, UH, I, I COULD SEE WHERE SHE'S GOING IN THAT WE NEED TO, UH, PARSE OUT HOW WE MIGHT APPROACH, UM, HOW TO RECOGNIZE ETHICAL ISSUES DEPENDING ON THE TARGET AUDIENCE.
UM, UH, THE ELECTED, UH, TEND TO FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.
UH, AND VERY SELDOM DO, DO YOU HEAR A LOT OF NOS OUT OF THEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO EXPENDITURES, ET CETERA, VERSUS, UM, TRANSACTIONS, DAY-TO-DAY TRANSACTIONS THAT HAD HIT A CONTRACTS ORGANIZATION.
SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE JUST LAYERING IN ON, ON HER POINT.
WELL, SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT AS YOU MAKE A DECISION, THAT YOU ACTUALLY ASK YOURSELF EACH ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS, UM, THAT YOU TRY AND AUGMENT WHATEVER YOUR DEFAULT MIGHT BE.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S INTERESTING TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT ARE THE DEFAULTS, 'CAUSE MOST OF US HAVE THEM, WE HAVE ONES THAT ARE KIND OF OUR GO-TO LENS.
AND AGAIN, WE MAY NOT HAVE CALLED IT A LENS BEFORE OR EVEN USED THE LABEL THAT IS ON IT NOW.
BUT, UM, AS WE, AS YOU THINK ABOUT IT, ARE THERE SOME THAT YOU FIND THAT YOU USE MORE OFTEN? UM, I HAVE, I HAVE A, I DON'T KNOW A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, BUT WHEN I'M MAKING A DECISION, WHAT IS ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT TO ME ARE WHAT THE FIRST TWO COLUMNS ARE ABOUT.
AND I THINK, UM, THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER, UM, I HAVE ALL THE FACTS THAT ARE NEEDED TO MAKE THE DECISION, AND THEN ALSO IDENTIFYING THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND ODDLY, I THINK WHEN YOU ARE WORKING ON THOSE THINGS, MAYBE NOT ODDLY, BUT ANYWAY, YOU ALREADY HAVE TO START APPLYING THE ETHICAL LENSES WHEN YOU'RE ASKING THOSE, THOSE QUESTIONS.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN, UH, LET'S JUST SAY AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE, ARE YOU JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT THE EFFECT OF THE, OF WHATEVER THIS THING IS IS ON, IS ON THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH? OR ARE YOU GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS ON THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA? OR ARE YOU GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS ON THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE EARTH, THE WHOLE PLACE? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S AN, THAT, THAT CAN BE LOOKED AT AS AN ETHICAL, AS AN ETHICAL QUESTION, I THINK.
AND ALSO, IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, IF YOU HAVEN'T COLLECTED ENOUGH FACTS OR BEEN PROVIDED ENOUGH FACTS, THEN YOU'VE, YOU'VE GOTTA GO BACK.
AND, AND AS I LOOKED AT THIS AND, AND LOOKED AND GOING FORWARD A LITTLE BIT INTO WHAT YOU LAY OUT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNED ME WAS THAT LIKE HAVING THE FACTS WASN'T EMPHASIZED ENOUGH WHEN YOU, BEFORE YOU START ASKING THE QUESTIONS.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE GOOD FACTS, YOU AREN'T GOING, OR, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SOLID FACTS, THEN YOU ARE NOT GOING TO, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY COME OUT WITH VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD RESULTS.
SO, UM, I MEAN, I KNOW IT SOMETIME YOU HAVE TO STOP THE CLOCK AND IT'S ALL YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, BUT, UM, I, I THINK THE FACT FINDING PART AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT YOU ARE GONNA TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, THOSE ARE ETHICAL ISSUES THAT, THAT YOU HAVE TO, AND YOU HAVE TO BE APPLYING THE LENSES IN THOSE STAGES AS YOU, AS YOU GO FORWARD.
I THINK WE GET ANY DEBATE OUT OF US THAT THEY ARE IMPORTANT.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE IN THE FRAMEWORK AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE EARLY IN THE FRAMEWORK.
THEY'RE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
I THINK THE WAY, AND I, AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY APPLYING THE LENSES IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS, YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE WHO HAS RIGHTS AND, AND, AND WHICH, UH, AND JUSTICE, WHO'S GONNA BE NEEDING, WHO DO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE BEING TREATED FAIRLY? IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BROADER IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT, YOU'RE STARTING TO APPLY THE
[00:35:01]
COMMON GOOD LENS.SO I THINK THAT'S, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT YOU'RE STARTING TO APPLY THOSE LENSES, UM, AS YOU'RE IDENTIFYING THE STAKEHOLDERS, THE THE NEXT STAGE IS SIMPLY TO THEN SAY, OKAY, NOW I HAVE THIS DECISION BEFORE ME.
AND, AND TO, AND TO USE EACH ONE OF THOSE LENSES AS YOU'RE CONSIDERING THE OPTIONS BEFORE YOU.
SO I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE HAVE ANY DISAGREEMENT THERE.
I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT THAT GETTING THE FACTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN IDENTIFYING THE STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, I THINK YOU'RE, IT'S ACCURATE TO SAY THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DEPLOYING THE LENSES AT THAT POINT, BUT THEN THERE IS A STEP WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT THE DECISION BEFORE YOU TO APPLY THE LENSES AGAIN.
AND I MIGHT JUST ADD TO WHAT ANNE HAS JUST, UH, SAID, UH, COMMISSIONER, I THINK IT WAS COMMISSIONER WEISS WHO WAS ASKING THE QUESTION, UM, THAT THERE'S, THERE'S NO INTENT, UH, IN, IN THE FRAMEWORK TO RUSH THE, THE GATHERING OF FACTS BEFORE BEGINNING TO EVALUATE.
YOU REALLY DO NEED TO HAVE THE FACTS AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT'S, THAT'S TAKEN TO, UH, ASSESS THE FACTS OF A CASE, KIND OF DEPENDS UPON HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE COMPREHENSIVE IN, UM, GATHERING ALL OF THE FACTS THAT ARE ABOUT THE SITUATION, UH, VERSUS A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, OF AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH THAT LEANS TOWARD EXPEDIENCY, DEPENDING UPON THE NATURE OF IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, RATIONAL, COMPREHENSIVE DECISION MAKING REQUIRES ONE, TO GET ALL OF THE FACTS.
AND YOU NEED THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE GONNA SEND, UH, A PERSON UP INTO SPACE ON A ROCKET.
BUT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DECIDE, UM, UH, WHERE THE, WHERE STOP SIGNS OUGHT TO BE, UH, PLACED ON, UH, UH, A SERIES OF CITY STREETS, UH, YOU PROBABLY CAN TAKE A MORE INCREMENTAL APPROACH, UH, IN ORDER TO GET TO A DECISION THAT'S REALLY NEEDED AND PERHAPS BEING CALLED FOR BY, BY THE PUBLIC.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY, COMMISSIONER, IS THAT, UM, YOU ASKED A REALLY GOOD QUESTION WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT CLIMATE AS AN EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT LEVEL OF CONCERN ARE WE TRYING TO, UH, APPLY THE, UM, ETHICAL LENSES TO? IS IT A, AND I THINK IT DEPENDS UPON, UM, WHAT, WHAT ASPECT OF THE COMMON GOOD YOU BELIEVE IS MOST IMPORTANT IN THIS SITUATION.
IS IT ABOUT WHAT'S RELEVANT TO THE CITY, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH? IS IT SOMETHING THAT THAT'S MORE, UH, RELEVANT TO THE COMMON GOOD OF, OF THE BROADER STATE OF CALIFORNIA OR BROADER, UH, ASPECTS OF OUR SOCIETY, A AS A NATION? AND I THINK THAT'S JUST, UH, SOMETHING THAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH AS THEY GO ABOUT, UM, APPLYING THIS AND CERTAINLY, UM, THINGS LIKE, UH, UH, CLIMATE, UH, POLICY, CLIMATE CHANGE, UM, TRANSCEND, UH, THE BOUNDARIES OF, UH, POLITICAL JURISDICTIONS.
AND SO, UH, SOMETIMES THE, THE MOST EXPEDIENT THING TO DO IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT FROM, UM, WHAT'S CLOSEST TO HOME, WHAT'S IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE TIME.
UM, SO JUST GETTING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM YOU AND MAYBE HAVE A LITTLE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LENSES THAT YOU THINK YOU'RE USING TO GUIDE DECISIONS MOST OFTEN IN THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL TAKE A, I TAKE A STAB AT THAT.
AS I WAS READING AND LISTENING.
UM, I THINK I, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY NOT THE BEST, BUT I THINK I, I TAKE INTO TO THE CARE ETHICS, UM, WHERE I TRY TO TAKE IN THE RELATIONSHIPS CONCERNS, UNDERSTAND ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, MUCH OF WHAT COMMISSIONER WISE WAS SAYING, OF THE POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M, AS I SEE AN ISSUE AND AS I'M GETTING THE FACTS, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, OKAY, WHO DOES THIS AFFECT? HOW CAN I BEST, YOU KNOW, GET WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BEST OUTCOME HERE? HOW DO I CONVINCE FOLKS? UM, AND SO I THINK THAT TYPICALLY I, I WOULD PROBABLY, MY FIRST INSTINCT WOULD BE TO GO TO THE CARE ETHICS.
I, I'M GONNA SPEAK FOR THE BODY BECAUSE I THINK WE AS A BODY HAVE EVOLVED FROM THE BEGINNING TO PRESENT.
I DON'T THINK WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT ISSUES BACK IN 2019, 2020, WE USED ALL OF THE LENSES.
I THINK WE, WE USED PROBABLY, PROBABLY THE COMMON GOOD.
AND THEN AS TIME EVOLVED AND WE STARTED LISTENING TO MORE INPUT FROM OTHER PEOPLE, I THINK WE STARTED PULLING IN MORE OF THE RIGHTS AND JUSTICE, UTILITARIAN VIRTUE AND CARE ETHICS.
AND I THINK OUR USE OF THE LENSES
[00:40:01]
KIND OF DEPENDS UPON THE, THE ISSUE THAT'S IN FRONT OF US.AND I THINK WE FLEX USING THE VARIOUS LENSES, DEPENDING UPON THE FACTS THAT ARE BEFORE US, THE OUTCOME THAT WE WOULD HOPE TO SEE AND THE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE PUBLIC.
OTHER COMMENTS? WELL, THERE'S NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER FOR THESE QUESTIONS.
IT'S REALLY JUST TO GET YOU THINKING ABOUT, AS I SAY, SORT OF THE DEFAULT OR THE ORGANIZATIONAL DEFAULT, UM, OR THE, OR THE, YOU KNOW, UM, TRADITIONS OVER TIME AS, UM, AS YOU WERE JUST SHARING.
ANN, WE DO HAVE ONE MORE PERSON.
WE HAD ONE MORE PERSON WHO WANTED TO SPEAK.
I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT REALLY ADDS.
I MEAN, JUST MY OWN PERSONAL REFLECTION AND, YOU KNOW, ALSO THINKING OF WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES HAD SAID, UM, I, I WILL BE HONEST, I STILL STRUGGLE WITH THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN RIGHT AND JUSTICE AND ALSO UTILITARIAN AND COMMON GOOD.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO PROVIDE A DISTINCTION ON THOSE.
I JUST STRUGGLE FOR HOW THEY REALLY, UH, I CAN SEE OVERLAP IN BOTH AREAS.
I THINK FROM AN ETHICAL AREA THOUGH, I REALLY FOCUS MOSTLY ON THE RIGHTS AND JUSTICE.
UM, AND I THINK WHEN YOU GET TO UTILITARIAN AND COMMON GOOD, I OFTEN THINK THAT'S WHEN A, UH, THAT'S FOR ME PERSONALLY ON THIS COMMISSION.
BUT YOU GET TO UTILITARIAN, YOU GET TO THE ACTIONS OF, SAY, ELECTED OFFICIALS.
IT'S WHERE THEY NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT RIGHTS AND JUSTICE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE COMMON GOOD AND UTILITARIAN PERSPECTIVE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE MAKING DECISIONS FOR THE ENTIRE BODY OF THE, OF THE CITY.
AND THOSE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS.
SO IN ADDITION TO THESE LENSES, UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW IF, IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU THINK P PEOPLE IN THE CITY ARE USING, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'M THINKING HERE WHEN I SAY CITY, LARGELY OF THE EMPLOYEE BASE, BUT THEY'RE, BUT MAYBE ALSO OF THE PUBLIC, UM, THAT THEY'RE USING OTHER, OTHER WAYS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO BESIDES BEYOND THESE LENSES OR, UM, YOU KNOW, YEAH, SO THAT'S JUST A CURIOSITY QUESTION.
I THINK THAT ONE WOULD BE BEST ANSWERED BY HEATHER, BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY LIMITED INTERACTION WITH THE CITY STAFF, EITHER HEATHER OR JORGE, OR EVEN TYLER.
UM, EVEN ANITA MIGHT HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF, OF HOW, WHAT THIS, THE EMPLOYEES APPLY.
THEY'VE HAD THEIR CHANCE, THEIR, OR THEY'VE GOTTEN THEIR OR IN, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
THEY MAY, BUT I'D, I'D LIKE TO HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS.
WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER MORALES? SO ANNE WAS ASKING WHICH OF THESE LENSES WE BELIEVE THE EMPLOYEES USE AS THEY ARE MAKING DECISIONS.
AND I WAS SAYING THAT I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON THAT THAN WE DO, BECAUSE WE HAVE, I MEAN, THE ONLY EMPLOYEES WE REALLY INTERACT WITH ARE EACH OF YOU.
AND SO WE SEE WHAT LENSES YOU USE.
BUT I THINK FOR THE, THE GENERAL POPULATION OF EMPLOYEES, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HEAR FROM, ESPECIALLY YOU BECAUSE YOU INTERACT WITH MORE OF THEM THROUGH YOUR LUNCHES AND THINGS.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD.
SO I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT GROUP OF EMPLOYEES I AM INTERACTING WITH.
BUT I WOULD SAY THAT JUST BASED HISTORICALLY ON, UM, TRYING TO DO A LOT WITH THE LITTLE, WE'RE USUALLY LOOKING AT UTILITARIAN OR COMMON GOOD.
UM, I THINK AS A CITY, AS A, AS A WHOLE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING, WORKING MORE TOWARDS CARE, ETHICS, VIRTUE, ETHICS, RIGHTS, AND JUSTICE FOR SURE.
UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR SO, WE'RE REALLY, UM, LAYERING IN EQUITY.
UM, SO IT JUST, IT REALLY DEPENDS.
BUT WE ARE BEING THOUGHTFUL IN OUR APPROACH AND THE MATERIALS THAT WE PRODUCE, UH, WORKING WITH EQUITY AND, AND OTHER LEADERSHIP, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL KIND OF CHAMPION THE SAME MESSAGING APPROACH TO MESSAGING THAT.
SO AS WE FINALIZE THIS FRAMEWORK FOR LONG BEACH, IT'LL BE UP TO MYSELF AND JORGE TO, TO WORK WITH EQUITY AND OTHER LEADERS IN THE CITY TO, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS FRAMEWORK IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE AND ISN'T, UM, CONTRADICTING MESSAGING, STUFF LIKE THAT.
[00:45:01]
SO IT'S STILL, WE'RE STILL LEARNING WHAT WORKS BEST.AND I THINK THAT'S JOHN AND ANN'S POINTS IS WHAT WORKS FOR ONE GROUP OF EMPLOYEES ISN'T GOING TO WORK FOR ANOTHER.
YOU ALSO, HEATHER, IN, IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD WITH STAFF THAT HELPED US TO GENERATE THE SORT OF THE CUSTOMIZED, UM, FRAMEWORK, IF YOU WILL, OR SET OF LENSES THAT WOULD APPLY IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE DIVERSITY LENS, WHICH AT IT'S HURT IS REALLY ABOUT IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT? AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ALL REPRESENTED, BUT THAT THERE, THERE'S BEEN SOME SPECIAL EFFORT IN THE CITY, AND THAT'S A QUESTION THAT PEOPLE ASK THEMSELVES THAT ISN'T MAYBE NECESSARILY EXPLICITLY IN THE LENSES IT'S IN, AS I SAY, IT'S IN OTHER PARTS OF THE FRAMEWORK IN THE STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION, BUT THAT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING OTHER THAN, UH, ONE OF THESE MORE TRADITIONAL LENSES THAT IS IMPORTANT IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND GETS ASKED A LOT.
AND PEOPLE ASK, YOU KNOW, IS THERE, ARE WE CONSIDERING DIFFERENT, UH, DIVERSE SET OF PERSPECTIVES, UM, WHEN WE'RE MAKING THIS DECISION? ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO, UNLESS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? AGAIN, I CAN'T SEE ALL OF THE COMMISSION, SO I THINK THAT'S IT.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.
UM, JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE A SENSE OF THE CONTEXT IN WHICH ETHICAL DECISION MAKING HAPPENS.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE TO PROMOTE, UM, CULTURE A MORE ETHICAL CULTURE.
FIRST, I'M JUST GONNA SHARE A LITTLE DEFINITION OF IT.
THIS, UM, UH, THIS VISUAL ON THE RIGHT IS, I FIND IS A USEFUL WAY TO THINK ABOUT CULTURE, UH, THIS ICEBERG BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS ABOVE THE WATERLINE THAT ARE EASY TO IDENTIFY, BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE BELOW THE WATERLINE THAT ARE LESS EASY TO SEE IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, BUT STILL CRITICAL ASPECTS OF IT.
SO, UM, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE EASY TO IDENTIFY ARE THE STRUCTURAL AND THE DECLARATIVE ELEMENTS.
AND STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS ARE THINGS LIKE THE, THE ORGANIZATION'S ORG CHART.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY CAN DRAW OUT FROM THE CITY MANAGER ON DOWN ALL THE WAYS THAT PEOPLE REPORT INTO, UM, DIFFERENT OFFICES.
UM, IT MIGHT INCLUDE, UM, HR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
UM, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE PART OF THE STRUCTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION.
AND DECLARATIVE THINGS ARE WHAT ORGANIZATIONS SAY ABOUT THEMSELVES.
SO THIS COULD BE THE MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES OF THE ORGANIZATION, CERTAIN PLEDGES OR CODES OF CONDUCT.
ALSO JUST MANTRAS, YOU KNOW, UH, SLOGANS THAT PEOPLE USE THAT SAY ALL THE TIME WE'RE, I'M IN SILICON VALLEY, UM, WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF HIGH TECH COMPANIES THAT ARE KNOWN BY THEIR SLOGANS, YOU KNOW, DO NO EVIL IS SORT OF THE WAY GOOGLE TALKED ABOUT ITSELF IN THE EARLY DAYS.
MOVE FAST AND BREAK THINGS WAS A, WAS A FACEBOOK SLOGAN.
SO, UM, THAT'S PART OF A DECLARATIVE ELEMENT OF THAT, OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND BELOW THE WATERLINE ARE THE SYMBOLIC AND THE NORMATIVE ELEMENTS.
SO SYMBOLIC MIGHT BE THINGS LIKE WHAT STORIES GET TOLD IN AN ORGANIZATION OR WHO GETS HELD UP AS AN EXEMPLAR, WHAT PEOPLE WEAR TO WORK, OR EVEN IF THEY COME TO WORK, YOU KNOW, POST COVID, WHETHER YOU'RE REMOTE OR IN THE OFFICE.
THOSE ARE ALL, UH, EXAMPLES OF SYMBOLIC ELEMENTS.
AND THEN THERE ARE THE NORMATIVE ELEMENTS, WHICH ARE THE THINGS THAT ORGANIZATIONS BELIEVE ABOUT THEMSELVES.
THIS INCLUDES THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DO SOMETHING WRONG, OR WHAT ARE CONSIDERED THE THINGS YOU WOULD NEVER DO, UH, JUST TOTAL TABOOS IN THE ORGANIZATION.
UM, SO MORE OF THE IMPLICIT STANDARDS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED IN THE RESEARCH WE'VE DONE AT THE MARCOLA CENTER IS THAT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A HEALTHY MIX OF THESE CULTURES, I MEAN, SORRY, THESE ELEMENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A HEALTHY CULTURE.
SO IF YOU'RE RELYING TOO HEAVILY ON JUST ONE OR TWO, IT'S HARDER FOR YOU TO, UM, HAVE CONDITIONS THAT SUPPORT ETHICAL DECISION MAKING.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE LEARNED WAS THAT THERE ARE A SET OF CONDITIONS THAT WHEN THEY EXIST IN ORGANIZATIONS, MAKE IT MORE LIKELY FOR ETHICS TO ACTUALLY GET USED.
UH, THE FIRST OF THESE IS A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, UH, TO SOCIETY AND ATTENTION TO SOCIAL ISSUES.
A, A, A REALIZATION THAT WHAT YOU DO IN THE ORGANIZATION AFFECTS SOCIETY, AND THAT YOU IN TURN ARE AFFECTED BY SOCIETY.
THE SECOND CONDITION IS ONE OF, UM, A CLIMATE OF MUTUAL TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING THIS LOOKS LIKE DECENTRALIZED DECISION MAKING BECAUSE THERE IS A RUBRIC FOR ETHICAL DECISION MAKING IN THE ORGANIZATION.
SO PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, ALL AROUND THE, THE ORGANIZATION.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO KIND OF UP THE HIERARCHICAL FOOD CHAIN FOR EVERY DECISION TO BE MADE.
AND IT ALSO LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE FEELING COMFORTABLE COMING FORWARD AND EXPRESSING CONCERNS
[00:50:01]
WHEN THEY HAVE THEM.AND THE LAST IS A SET OF ETHICAL DELIBERATION PRACTICES.
SO THIS IS ABOUT THE MECHANICS OF HOW DECISIONS ACTUALLY GET MADE.
AND THESE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE BEING DATA DRIVEN, UM, USING DATA, GETTING THE FACTS AS WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IN THE, IN THE FRAMEWORK FOR ETHICAL DECISION MAKING.
AND AS OPPOSED TO JUST GOING ON GUT INSTINCT INVOLVING THOSE THAT ARE AFFECTED BY A DECISION, UM, BEFORE IT'S MADE, UH, THINKING ABOUT THE DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS OF A DECISION, AND THEN WHATEVER POSSIBLE, SHARING THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE DECISION SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATIONS BEHIND THEM.
AND WHEN THESE THREE CONDITIONS ARE PRESENT, AGAIN, IT'S MORE LIKELY THAT ETHICS WILL GET USED IN AN ORGANIZATION.
SO ONE THING YOU CAN BE REFLECTING ON IS HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT THESE ARE PRESENT IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH? AND, AND YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IT WITHIN, IS THAT TRUE WITHIN THE ETHICS COMMISSION ITSELF, WITHIN THE CITY COUNCIL ITSELF, WITHIN THE EMPLOYEE BASE, UM, ALL AT ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THE, OF THE CITY,
AND FINALLY, THERE'S CERTAIN MOMENTS IN ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE WHERE IT'S, UM, POSSIBLE TO INTRODUCE ETHICS.
AND SO, AGAIN, THIS IS FROM SOME RESEARCH THAT WE DID AT THE MARCOLA CENTER, AND I'VE PUT THE ARTICLE DOWN THERE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT RESEARCH THAT I'VE REFERENCED NOW A COUPLE TIMES.
UM, THERE'S AN ACADEMIC ARTICLE THAT SUPPORTS IT.
AND SO ONE TIME THAT IT MAKES SENSE TO INTRODUCE, UH, TO, TO, UH, INTRODUCE ETHICS TO THE ORGANIZATION IS WHEN THERE'S BEEN SOME CERTAIN, WHAT WE CALL A TURNING POINT.
OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT CALL IT A CRISIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S GONE WRONG OR GOTTEN PEOPLE'S ATTENTION TO A CERTAIN SET OF ISSUES IN A BUSINESS, IT MIGHT BE EXTERNAL MARKET FORCES, UH, LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH THE STOCK MARKET, UM, OR, OR IN ANY ORGANIZATION, IT COULD BE MAYBE THE MISSTEP OF A LEADER, UH, WHO DOES SOMETHING IN A VERY PUBLIC WAY THAT, UM, BRINGS REPUTATIONAL HARM TO THE ORGANIZATION.
AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THAT'S NOT A GOOD TIME TO TALK ABOUT ETHICS.
MAYBE, UH, WE'VE HEARD SOME PEOPLE TELL US, WELL, I'LL JUST LOOK LIKE A HYPOCRITE BECAUSE NOW WE'RE EMPHASIZING ETHICS WHEN SOMETHING'S GONE WRONG.
BUT ACTUALLY THE RESEARCH WOULD INDICATE THAT THAT'S EMPLOYEES ARE VERY OPEN TO HEARING ABOUT, UM, ETHICS IN THOSE MOMENTS AND WANT TO HEAR FROM THE LEADERSHIP ABOUT ETHICS AT THOSE TIMES.
ETHICS CAN BE USED JUST IN THE EVERYDAY DECISION MAKING OF ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THAT'S SORT OF A SECOND OPPORTUNITY AS POLICIES ARE BEING SET, UM, IN A BUSINESS IT MIGHT BE AS A PRODUCT IS COMING TO MARKET, AND THE SERIES OF DECISIONS THAT NEED TO GET MADE ALONG THE WAY, ALL OF WHICH, UM, CAN DRAW ON ETHICAL DECISION MAKING PRACTICES.
AND THE FINAL OPPORTUNITY IS, UH, UH, IS THIS IDEA OF TRANSMITTING CULTURE.
AND THIS IS LARGELY THROUGH THE HR FUNCTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION AS YOU'RE HIRING EMPLOYEES, AS YOU'RE ORIENTING THEM, UH, AND TRAINING THEM AS YOU'RE EVALUATING THEM, AND, UM, DEVELOPING AND MEASURING THEIR ETHICAL SKILLS.
SO THOSE ARE ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO ACTUALLY, UM, BRING ETHICS INTO AN ORGANIZATION AND EMPHASIZE IT.
SO, UM, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THAT BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION MAKING FOR THE CITY? OKAY, SO THIS NEXT PART IS, UM, AN OUTCOME OF A WORKSHOP THAT WE DID WITH THE OFFICE OF, UH, ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY, AND A COUPLE OF PEOPLE FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UM, TO TRY AND IDENTIFY ARE THERE OTHER CUES? IS, IS ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT, THAT WE WANT TO GIVE TO PEOPLE IN THE CITY AS THEY'RE THINKING THROUGH DECISIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING.
AND, UM, THIS IS REALLY A CHANCE FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO DRAW ON THEIR MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES TO EMPHASIZE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN, IN THE ORGANIZATION.
SOME COMPANIES HAVE WELL KNOWN, UM, UH, POLICIES OR CREDOS OR, UM, STATEMENTS OF HOW THEY MAKE DECISIONS.
AGAIN, DRAWING ON SILICON VALLEY HERE IN SILICON VALLEY COMPANY THAT WAS, UH, KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS AS HP OR HEWLETT PACKARD, IT'S SINCE BROKEN INTO TWO COMPANIES, BUT IT HAD SOMETHING CALLED THE HP WAY, WHICH WAS A, A SET OF STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES IN THE ORGANIZATION THAT PEOPLE REALLY USED AND WENT TO WHEN IT WAS TIME TO MAKE A DECISION.
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON HAS ACC CREDO THAT THEY USE, AND WHEN THE TYLENOL SCARE HAPPENED, UH, BACK IN THE EIGHTIES, PEOPLE WERE POISONED.
UH, SOMEBODY TAMPERED WITH, UM, AND POISONED TYLENOL, AND IT ENDED UP RESULTING IN A DEATH.
THEN THEY HAD TO MAKE A DECISION QUICKLY TO PULL ALL OF THEIR, UH, PRODUCT FROM THE SHELF WHEN THEY WERE ASKED, WELL, HOW COULD YOU MAKE SUCH
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A MONUMENTAL DECISION THAT SEEMS SO COUNTER TO A MARKET AND BUSINESS CHOICE? THEY SAID, WELL, IT WAS EASY.YOU KNOW, THERE THERE WERE GUIDELINES AND VALUES THAT WERE IN OUR CREDO THAT WE LEANED ON TO MAKE THAT DECISION, AND IT MADE IT VERY EASY.
SO IT'S JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY AND IDENTIFY THINGS THAT YOU WANNA EMPHASIZE IN ADDITION TO THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE LENSES OF THE FRAMEWORK WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S ETHICAL IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
SO ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH THAT JOHN AND I HAVE REALLY APPRECIATED IN OUR WORK WITH YOU IS THAT YOU HAVE A WELL ESTABLISHED SET OF CORE VALUES.
AND, UH, IN THE INTERVIEWING THAT WE DID, UM, BOTH WITH THE PUBLIC AND WITH, UM, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND PEOPLE IN THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS, PEOPLE CAN CITE THESE VALUES AND THEY KNOW ABOUT THEM.
AND SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU COULD USE AND LEAN ON AS A WAY TO THINK ABOUT THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE IN THE ORGANIZATION.
AND SO WE LOOKED AT THOSE VALUES AND JUST TURNED THEM INTO QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THESE ARE THE KIND OF QUESTIONS THAT FLOW FROM THE CITIES.
UM, UH, STATED VALUES, WHICH OPTION ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTS FOR ONE'S ACTIONS, WHICH OPTION ENSURES EQUITY AND DUE PROCESS? HEATHER'S ALREADY TOUCHED ON THAT AS BEING, UM, IMPORTANT.
WHAT OPTION IS LOYAL TO THE PUBLIC? GOOD.
THAT'S JUST ANOTHER RESTATEMENT OF THE COMMON GOOD, BUT IT'S SPECIFIC TO THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU USE IN YOUR VALUE.
WHAT OPTION EMBRACES HIS HISTORY'S VALUES AND IDEAS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS AND RECOGNIZES THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO IMPROVING THE CITY'S OPERATIONS SERVICES AND PROGRAMS. WHAT OPTION ENSURES THAT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE OPEN TO PUBLIC OBSERVATION AND SCRUTINY, AND WHAT OPTION SUPPORTS THE TRUTH AND ADHERENCE TO THE CITY'S VALUES? SO, UH, AFTER REFLECTING ON THOSE VALUES AND THESE POSSIBLE QUESTIONS, THEN WE HAVE A DISCUSSION IN THE WORKSHOP.
AND HERE, I'LL INVITE HEATHER OR ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT TYLER, OR ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE PART OF THAT ARE FREE TO CHIME IN AND TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, AND THEN WE GENERATED A SET OF, UH, LENSES FOR A CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST ONE PART.
SO THERE'S STILL THE, THE IDENTIFYING THAT YOU HAVE AN ETHICAL ISSUE, GETTING THE FACTS AND IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS, AND THEN THE LENSES, THE SETS OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD ASK YOURSELF RELATIVE TO A CERTAIN SET OF, UM, OF ISSUES.
AND AS WAS POINTED OUT EARLIER, YOU MIGHT USE THESE LENSES EVEN IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS OR GETTING THE FACTS OR IDENTIFYING THE STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF APPLYING THEM, APPLYING THEM.
SO THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE TEASED OUT.
UM, THE EQUITY LENS IS REALLY A VERSION OF FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE, UM, AND YOU HAD YOUR OWN LANGUAGE AROUND IT.
SO, UM, THERE'S NO REASON NOT TO USE THAT.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE IN THE CITY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH AND IDENTIFY WITH.
COMMON GOOD LENS, AGAIN, YOU HAD LANGUAGE IN YOUR, UM, PUBLIC GOOD THAT REALLY IS THE COMMON GOOD LANGUAGE.
SO, UM, WE ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS AGAIN AND THEN ADDED TO THEM WHICH OPTIONS BUILD TRUST, AND ARE WE PRIORITIZING IMPARTIALITY LOYALTY TO THE PUBLIC GOOD? BECAUSE THOSE ARE INHERENT IN THE EXPRESSION OF VALUES IN THE CITY.
THE UTILITARIAN LENS IS ONE THAT COMES STRAIGHT FROM THE FRAMEWORK.
UM, UH, AND THEN THERE'S THE DIVERSITY LENS.
ARE WE CONSIDERING DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND INTERESTS? BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU HAVE A VALUE THAT EX SPECIFICALLY EXPRESSES THAT FOR THE CITY.
THE RIGHTS LENS, UM, IS FROM THE, THE ORIGINAL FRAMEWORK AS IS THE CARE AND VIRTUES LENS.
BUT THESE NEXT THREE COME FROM THE CITY'S VALUES.
HOW WILL BE HOW WILL WE BE ACCOUNTABLE TO AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS OPTION? ARE THE DECISION MAKERS WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE OUTCOMES? THE TRANSPARENCY LENS? WHICH OPTION ENSURES THAT POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND DECISIONS ARE OPEN TO PUBLIC OBSERVATION AND SCRUTINY, AND THE MOTIVATION LENS? CAN WE PROVIDE A CLEAR RATIONALE FOR OUR DECISION? SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT WAS GENERATED IN THE DISCUSSION WITH THE STAFF, AND IT WOULD BE GREAT MAYBE TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THE STAFF IF THEY WANNA SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT DISCUSSION.
AND THEN THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, OF COURSE, FOR THE ETHICS COMMISSION TO RESPOND TO, TO THIS AND PROVIDE THEIR THOUGHTS.
UM, JORGE OR TYLER OR ANITA, NOTHING FROM ME PARTICIPATED IN THE WORKSHOP.
YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE MUCH MORE TO ADD, BUT IT, IT WAS A GREAT, GREAT SESSION.
DEFINITELY SPENT A LOT OF TIME GOING THROUGH
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THE FRAMEWORK TO REALLY KIND OF HONE IN ON REALLY TYING IN, I THINK WHAT WAS ALREADY DEVELOPED BY MARK KULA AND WHAT WE PRIORITIZE AS A CITY.WE TRY TO BRING THOSE TOGETHER WITH WHAT WE DEVELOPED HERE.
SO YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK.
WERE YOU GONNA SAY SOMETHING? NO, I JUST SAID I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD.
UM, LET ME TAKE INPUT FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS BEFORE I, JORGE, WHEN, UH, THIS WAS SHARED BY MARCOLA WITH YOU AND HEATHER AND THE TEAM, HOW MANY, UH, DID YOU BRING IN OTHERS WITHIN THE CITY, OR HOW BIG WAS THAT GROUP THAT IT WAS SHARED WITH? IT WAS EVERYONE FROM OUR OFFICE.
SO JUST PRIMARILY FELLOW INTERNS? YEAH.
UM, I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, UH, THAT THE STRUCTURE OF THE, UH, LET ME SEE WHAT PAGE IT WAS ON.
THE STRUCTURE OF, OH, I DON'T HAVE PAGE NUMBERS.
UM, THE, THE, THE STRUCTURE OF THE PAGE WHERE YOU HAD THE, RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE, GET THE FACTS, EVALUATE, ET CETERA, UM, I REALLY LIKED THAT STRUCTURE.
UM, AND UNDER THE EVALUATE, I, I REALLY LIKE THE LENSES IN THE CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK SO THAT THE QUESTION, SO THAT THE QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FRAMEWORK FOR LONG BEACH DECISION MAKING UNDER THE ETHICS CODE OF CONDUCT AS IT NOW STANDS, AS IT MAY BE REVISED.
AND, AND SO I THINK IN TERMS OF MORE, UH, UH, BROAD USE OF THESE MATERIALS, I THINK WE'VE GOT THE WWW, WE'VE JUST GOTTA MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND.
I THINK THAT GETTING TOO PHILOSOPHICAL, UM, IS NOT AS HELPFUL AS GETTING, AS HAVING THE QUESTIONS HERE THAT ARE REFERENCING THE LANGUAGE THAT PEOPLE IN THE CITY ARE ACCUSTOMED TO.
ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, MOTIVATION, UM, I THINK HAVING THOSE IN THE EVALUATION, UM, SECTION FOR THE TRAINING IS REALLY VERY BENEFICIAL.
I'M, I'M, UH, I, I'M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE END.
UM, HEATHER, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE WORKSHOP THAT YOU GUYS HAD, UM, AND THE LENSES FOR THE CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK.
I THINK, UH, FOLKS HAVE HAD MORE POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY.
UM, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE WORKSHOP AND, AND HOW, AND THE PRODUCT THAT CAME OUT? I, I THINK WE'RE PLEASED.
I MEAN, IT WAS HELPFUL FOR US AS A GROUP TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER, UM, HAVING A SIMILAR TRAINING.
UM, IT JUST KIND OF REINFORCED WHAT OUR MISSION, PART OF OUR MISSION IS.
UM, SO YEAH, I WOULD, I THINK THAT WITH THIS TRAINING AND THE CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK THAT COMES OUT OF IT, UM, WE CAN DEFINITELY USE PARTS OF WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM MARCOLA TO BUILD OUT OUR OWN TRAINING, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO GET INTO THE WEEDS ON THE PHILOSOPHY PART OF THIS OR SOME OF THIS STUFF, BUT I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR THE OET AND AS WE BUILD OUT OUR TRAINING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? YEAH, I JUST HAVE, I HAVE ONE, AND IT GOES BACK TO WHAT I SAID BEFORE.
UM, THE THING I'M NOT EXACTLY SEEING REFLECTED IN HERE IS THE, THE VALUE OF INTEGRITY, WHICH I THINK IS THE CLOSEST WE COME TO TALKING ABOUT GETTING FACTS.
MAYBE IT'S UNDER FAIRNESS ALSO IN THE DUE PROCESS AND STUFF.
UM, AND I'M THINKING MAYBE IT, IT FALLS UNDER THE MOTIVATION LENS AS YOU'RE CALLING IT HERE, BECAUSE IT SAYS, CAN WE PROVIDE A CLEAR RATIONALE FOR OUR DECISION? WELL, I THINK, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WORTH AMENDING THIS, BUT FOR ME IT'S SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WE GOT ALL THE FACTS WE NEEDED, OR THAT WE COULD GET TO, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THIS DECISION.
AND, AND I THINK THAT SHOULD SOMEHOW BE REFLECT, THAT CONCEPT SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN, IN THIS.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY, UM, SUGGESTION I HAVE AS I LOOK AT IT.
AND, AND I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THINGS THAT HAVE ISSUES THAT, THAT, UM, THAT, THAT I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH AT DIFFERENT TIMES THAT I'VE MADE DECISIONS IN THE, IN THE CITY, SO IN
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THIS COMMISSION AND OTHERS AS WELL.SO THAT'S MY CONTRIBUTION TO HOW IT MIGHT BE TWEAKED A LITTLE BIT.
UM, ALSO, WHEN WE DO THE TRAINING FOR A BROADER AUDIENCE, I REALLY WANNA INCORPORATE A STATEMENT THAT, HEY, THE HELPLINE IS THERE FOR YOU TO TALK THROUGH THIS ISSUE.
DO YOU HAVE ALL THE FACTS? AND, AND, AND AT EACH OF THOSE STAGES IN THAT ONE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, UH, FOLKS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO CALL THE HELPLINE.
THAT WAS, UM, ONE OF MY THOUGHTS.
UM, THE INTEGRITY IS THE MOST, IT'S THE HIGHEST CALLING.
IT IS TO ME, THE GLUE OF ALL THE, UH, THE MANY VALUES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I NOTICED FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE PAGE WHERE IT SPEAKS TO, YOU KNOW, HUMAN RESOURCES IS KIND OF THAT FIRST, UM, INSTITUTIONALIZED BREADTH THAT EMPLOYEES, UH, ARE FACED WITH.
THAT'S ALSO SOMETIMES THEIR LAST ONE, BUT NOT ENOUGH.
UH, LINK TO YOUR LEADER, YOUR SUPERVISOR, AND THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UH, GOING BACK TO, UH, WHAT I, I KNOW HEATHER AND HER TEAM WILL DO, AND THAT IS TO BRING IT ALL TOGETHER, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE LONG BEACH, BOTH THE ELECTED AND THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, UM, EXPERIENCE.
UH, THOSE WERE AREAS THAT I, I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD NOT MISS, BUT VERY GOOD.
AND, AND I THINK, I THINK THAT, UH, MARCOLA FOR THEIR WORK, WELL, A GREAT COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, I THINK, AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS IN, IN A DRAFT FORM.
SO, UM, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, WORKING WITH THE COMMISSION AND THE STAFF TO, YOU KNOW, PUT IT IN THE ORDER THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO YOU.
TIGHTEN UP THE LANGUAGE IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S TOO WORDY IN SOME PLACES, OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
TRY AND ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AROUND INTEGRITY.
IS THERE A LANGUAGE THAT CAN BE ADDED TO ONE OF THESE LANG LENSES THAT AMPLIFIES THAT? OR DOES IT NEED ITS OWN SEPARATE LENS? I DO THINK, AND THEY, AND I WANNA REINFORCE WHAT THIS DOES IS, IS JUST, UM, UH, MAKE A LONGER LIST OF THOSE EVALUATION LENSES THAT ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRAMEWORK.
SO THIS STILL WOULD BE SHARED WITH PEOPLE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE FRAMEWORK, THE IDENTIFICATION OF ETHICAL ISSUES, THE, UH, GETTING THE FACTS AND IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS.
THEN THIS LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT WOULD BE ASKED TO EVALUATE THE OUTCOMES, AND THEN MAKING THE DECISION AND ACTING ON IT AND, AND REFLECTING ON IT, AND SEEING WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM IT.
SO IT'S, IT'S PART OF THAT WHOLE, THAT WHOLE FRAMEWORK.
UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE JUST BY ITSELF.
AND SO I, I POINT THAT OUT SO THAT YOU CAN, UM, EMPHASIZE THE, UM, THE GETTING THE FACTS AND THE STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION IF YOU WANT.
AND WE HAVE, WE WORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS WHO SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO PUT THE FRAMEWORK ITSELF, ALL THOSE STEPS INTO THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.
SO IF GETTING THE FACTS IS SO CRITICAL, AND I'M HEARING HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS, YOU MAY WANNA BREAK APART GETTING THE FACTS AND IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS INTO TWO DISCREET STEPS SO THAT YOU'RE REALLY MAKING CLEAR TO PEOPLE, HEY, THERE'S TWO, TWO THINGS THAT NEED TO BE HAPPENING HERE, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY BOTH HAPPEN.
SO YOU'RE NOT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUST USE THE NUMBER OF STEPS THAT, THAT WE HAVE.
OURS IS INTENDED TO BE A STARTING POINT.
I I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION THAT MAYBE IT'S WELL, FOR STAFF OR FOR, FOR MARULA.
I MEAN, I ASSUME WHEN YOU ROLL THIS OUT, SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE TALKING TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT OR SOMEBODY THAT'S ISSUING PERMITS, YOU WOULD TRY TO PRESENT EXAMPLES THAT THEY ARE LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER.
LIKE IF THE APPLICATION'S INCOMPLETE, WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED? OR WHAT WOULD, AND AND I, I DON'T, I CAN'T EVEN, I DON'T EVEN, I IMAGINE, CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT ALL THEY DEAL WITH AT THE, YOU ALWAYS HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT, OH, AND THEN I HAD TO STAND IN LINE OF THE COUNTER AND THEN THIS HAPPENED AND WHATEVER.
WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION OF THE CITY AND WHAT IT'S DOING IS RIGHT IN THAT, IN THAT SPACE, I THINK.
AND, AND SO, UM, HOW PEOPLE ARE TREATED IN THAT SPACE AND, AND HOW THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE COUNTER RESPOND.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE TO HAVE IT LIKE JUST HAPPEN SORT OF NATURALLY AS THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE.
BUT YOU, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU CAN, I ASSUME YOU'LL STRIVE TO BRING IT DOWN, I'LL SAY DOWN TO, BUT BRING IT DOWN TO A PRACTICAL LEVEL MM-HMM
BECAUSE I KNOW THE EXAMPLES THAT WE HAVE, THESE ARE MORE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT, LIKE THE ETHICS COMMISSION OR THE CITY ATTORNEY OR THE PEOPLE ANSWERING THE HELPLINE MIGHT ENCOUNTER DURING ELECTION TIME AND
[01:10:01]
CITY CLERK AND STUFF LIKE THAT.BUT WHEN WE TALK TO OTHER EMPLOYEES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MAKING OTHER KINDS OF, OF VERY DIFFERENT KINDS OF DECISIONS.
AND I THINK THAT WAS MY POINT EARLIER, IS THAT DEPENDING TO COMMISSIONER MORALES'S QUESTION, DEPENDING ON THE GROUP OF EMPLOYEES WE'RE WORKING WITH, THAT WILL DICTATE THE MESSAGING AND HOW THE MESSAGING IS ROLLED OUT, RIGHT? UM, SO YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK REAL LIFE APPLICABILITY IS IMPORTANT, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S 5,500 OF US PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, BUT WE ALL HAVE VERY DIFFERENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
YOU WANNA GIVE THEM THE ARISTOTLE BOOK THAT IS REFERENCED IN THE FOOTNOTES? YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO THAT.
I WOULD JUST ADD, I, I REALLY WANNA AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT I, THAT I'VE JUST HEARD.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MARCOLA CENTER'S, UH, MISSION IS TO TAKE THEORETICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT ETHICS AND, AND, UM, TRANSLATED INTO PRACTICAL AND APPLIED TERMS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE TRY TO DO WITH, WITH THE, THE TRAINING LIKE THIS THAT WE'VE ENGAGED WITH, UM, IN THE, IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AND, UM, I WANNA AGREE ALSO WITH THE, WITH THE NOTION THAT CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT.
AND SO THE CONTEXT OF, UH, UH, BEING A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IS DIFFERENT FROM THE CONTEXT OF BEING IN THE BUILDING, UH, PERMITS DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT'S DIFFERENT FROM BEING ON THE HARBOR COMMISSION.
UH, SO, UM, UM, FURTHER CUSTOMIZING, UH, THE INFORMATION ABOUT A FRAMEWORK FOR ETHICAL DECISION MAKING TO BE RELEVANT TO THE CONTEXT WITHIN PE WITHIN, WITHIN WHICH PEOPLE HAVE TO WORK AND MAKE DECISIONS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, UH, CERTAINLY WOULD BE, WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WOULD ANY ROLLOUT THAT YOU DECIDE TO DO OF THIS, UH, TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UM, I AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID, AND, UM, BUT ALSO, AND I THINK, HEATHER, YOU MAY HAVE MADE THE POINT THAT THERE'S A LOT HERE AND SOME OF IT'S PHILOSOPHICAL.
UM, I DON'T THINK HAVING DONE AND PARTICIPATED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT TRAININGS, I THINK FOR THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE BASE WITHIN THE CITY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GREATLY SIMPLIFY THIS, UM, AND REALLY RELY HEAVILY, YOU KNOW, ONE WITH OUR LENSES, TRY TO, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S 10 LENSES HERE OR FIVE, UM, 'CAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE ON, UM, TWO DIFFERENT PAGES.
BUT, UM, I WOULD TRY TO NARROW THEM DOWN TO DIRECTLY TIE TO EACH OF OUR VALUES.
UM, A LOT OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL THINGS I THINK IS REALLY GOOD FOR YOU AND HEATHER, YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
THE, UH, OETI THINK THAT'S GOING TO FRUSTRATE A LOT OF THE EMPLOYEES, UH, AND THE ELECTEDS.
AND I REALLY BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT WHAT'S MOST VALUABLE IS GETTING EVERYBODY ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION, TYPICALLY WITH, SAY A CASE STUDY OR A FACT PATTERN.
AND THEN HAVING THEM APPLY RULES TO THOSE FACT PATTERNS THAT GETS THEM THINKING AS OPPOSED TO THEM JUST, UM, LISTENING, UH, AND MANY PEOPLE TUNING IT OUT.
I VERY MUCH THINK THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS, UM, MOLD IT INTO SOMETHING THAT I THINK YOU, UH, WITHIN THE CITY COULD USE.
AND THEN I AGREE THAT IT HAS TO BE TAILORED TO, IN ABSOLUTELY AGREE, IT HAS TO BE TAILORED TO INDIVIDUAL GROUPS.
SO YOU MIGHT APPLY A WHOLE DIFFERENT, UH, FACTS, PATTERNS OR CASE SCENARIOS, OR EVEN QUESTIONS TO PERMITS VERSUS ANOTHER GROUP WITHIN THE CITY.
BUT I THINK BEFORE YOU GET TO THAT STAGE, YOU COULD ACTUALLY PULL FROM EACH OF THE GROUPS WITHIN THE CITY, UH, A FOCUS GROUP OR SOMETHING AND REALLY TRY IT OUT AND REALLY TEST IT OUT ON THAT FOCUS GROUP.
UM, AND, UH, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S GONNA REALLY BE A TEACHING OF HOW, HOW IT'S GONNA LEVERAGE WITH ALL EMPLOYEES AND ELECTEDS WITHIN THE CITY.
IF YOU REALLY HAVE WORKED IT WITH A SMALL GROUP WHO ARE WILLING TO GIVE YOU FEEDBACK TO SAY, THIS DOESN'T REALLY WORK, OR THIS, THIS PART DOES REALLY WORK.
BECAUSE MY EXPERIENCE IS YOU GET LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO ENGAGE, UM, BEFORE, UH, PEOPLE WILL JUST TUNE YOU OUT.
WELL, IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU MENTIONED CASES, 'CAUSE WE HAVE A FEW, SO I JUST WANNA, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE SOME TIME HERE AND JOHN HAS A FEW TO WALK THROUGH WHERE YOU CAN APPLY
[01:15:01]
THE LENSES AND SEE HOW EFFECTIVE THEY ARE AT HELPING YOU TO REACH DECISION IN, IN A, IN CERTAIN APPLIED CASES.SO, UM, I JUST, WE CAN GO TO IN A MINUTE, BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANNA RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER AVE HAS A COMMENT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, LENSES FOR THE CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK.
AND AFTER REVIEWING THE 10 OF 'EM, UM, WHEN I THINK OF COMMON GOOD OR DIVERSITY, THE EQUITY LANDS TRANSPARENCY, I THINK OF A VERY STRONG, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PART OF ALL THIS.
UM, I THINK THAT CAN OVERLAP IN MANY OF THESE LENSES, BUT AS YOU KNOW, LONG BEACH IS A EXTREMELY DIVERSE CITY.
UM, AND IT'D BE NICE TO REALLY INTEGRATE SOME OF THOSE FACTS ABOUT THE CITY INTO THESE LENSES OR HAVE ITS OWN LENS.
UM, THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR, THE COMMISSION HELD, UM, A LISTENING SESSION FOR THE LOBBYING ORDINANCE, AND WE MADE A MASSIVE EFFORT TO DO OUTREACH.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, UM, THAT IS ON OUR MIND, HOW TO BRING THE PUBLIC INTO THE CHAMBER HERE AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH US.
I THINK, UM, THE, THE OUTREACH OR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CAN ALSO COME WITH TRAINING ABOUT OUR, UM, COMMISSION AND OET AND TRAINING ON HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT, TRAINING ON HOW TO FILE THROUGH WITH A COMPLAINT AND WHILST, WHILE STILL REACHING OUT TO UNDERREPRESENTED, UM, UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN THE CITY.
AND ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUT OR FEEDBACK.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT MERITS ITS OWN LENS, BUT THOSE ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC, AT LEAST FOR ME, THAN I SEE IN THE SUGGESTED LENSES HERE.
IS THAT, IS THAT A CONVERSATION YOU HAVE HAD? SO WE HAVEN'T HAD EXPLICITLY THE, WHERE I SEE AN AN ELEMENT OF WHAT YOU'RE IDENTIFYING COME UP IS IN THIS ACCOUNTABILITY LENS WHERE IT SPEAKS AT LEAST TO COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPTION.
AND SO YOU COULD SAY MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE OR WHAT COMMITMENTS YOU WANNA BE MAKING HERE, BUT I THINK IT'S A QUESTION FOR THE COMMISSION AND THE STAFF NOW TO WRESTLE WITH WHETHER THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL LENS THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPED.
AND I WILL JUST SAY, UM, I, I LET THE MOMENT PASS BEFORE, BUT I THINK THE IDEA OF USING FOCUS GROUPS TO HONE IN ON WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO ULTIMATELY HAVE AS YOUR SET OF LENSES IS, IS A REALLY POWERFUL IDEA.
UM, I THINK THAT CAN INFORM YOUR, YOUR THINKING ABOUT IT QUITE A BIT.
SOMETHING COMMISSIONER NOVE SAID THAT I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, AND IT WAS, UM, WITH REGARDS TO HOW YOU ROLL THIS OUT OR ROLL ANYTHING OUT, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO PARTNER EXTENSIVELY WITH THE EQUITY GROUP WITHIN THE CITY.
'CAUSE YOU GUYS ARE, UH, GONNA BE TOUCHING ON SIMILAR AREAS.
AND I THINK THAT THEY'RE NOT SIMILAR, BUT THERE, THERE ARE AREAS WHERE THERE'S, THERE CAN BE COMPLIMENTS AND I THINK YOU COULD COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT EQUITY DOESN'T DO THAT.
YOU COMBINE YOUR TRAINING, BUT THERE MAY BE WAYS THAT YOU CAN BE INFORMED BY THEM AND THEY CAN HELP YOU WITH THIS TRAIN OUR TRAINING.
AND, UH, YOU CAN ACTUALLY CO UH, THROUGH THAT CONVERSATION MAY BE ABLE TO COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER WITH YOUR TRAINING, WHICH YOU'RE PROBABLY ALREADY WORKING WITH THEM.
I THINK IT'S BACK TO MARCOLA NOW.
THEN I'LL MOVE ON TO THE CASES AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO JOHN.
UH, IT'S ABOUT, UM, THREE 30 YOUR TIME.
UH, BUT IF, IF WE HAVE TIME TO DO BOTH OF THESE CASES, GREAT.
IF NOT, I'LL, WE'LL TAKE OUR DIRECTION FROM THE CHAIR ON THIS.
SO, UM, THESE ARE HYPOTHETICAL CASES THAT I PUT TOGETHER FOR US TO, TO HAVE THE COMMISSION, UH, THINK ABOUT AND TALK ABOUT FOR A LITTLE BIT.
AND WE'LL TRY TO KIND OF MODERATE THE DISCUSSION AND, UH, PROVIDE SOME, SOME FEEDBACK TO YOUR THINKING.
[01:20:01]
YOU GO TO THE FIRST CASE, HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK? ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS THE CASE ABOUT, UH, THE CITY OF WATER SOUND AND A COMPLAINT ABOUT A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER'S VOTE ON ZONING.YOU GUYS HAVE A QUESTIONS? SO YOU HAVE A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE CITY OF WATER SOUND WHO, UM, AS A, UH, OCCUPATION IS A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER.
SHE CHAIRS THE COUNCIL'S COMMITTEE ON PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE NEED TO GET THESE CASES SHE REGULARLY RECOMMENDS IN COMMITTEE HEARINGS, UH, AND CAST VOTES IN THE CITY COUNCIL TO GRAND ZONING VARIANCES FOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY.
THE COMPLAINT HAS COME IN THAT, UH, TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS REAL ESTATE COMPANY IS BENEFITING FROM MANY OF THE ZONING CHANGES BEING RECOMMENDED AND VOTED IN FAVOR OF BY THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
THE COMPLAINANT REQUESTS THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION LOOK AT THIS COUNCIL MEMBER'S ACTIONS AND DETERMINE IF SHE WOULD BE, IF SHE SHOULD BE ABSTAINING FROM ANY VOTES ON MATTERS RELATED TO ZONING CHANGES THAT COULD BENEFIT HER COMPANY.
SO, UM, THINK ABOUT THIS CASE.
THINK ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THE ETHICAL ISSUES ARE THAT ARE RAISED BY THE COMPLAINT.
UH, HOW SHOULD THE ETHICS COMMISSION PROCEED ON THIS MATTER? AND, UM, HOW MIGHT THE FRAMEWORK FOR ETHICAL DECISION MAKING, UM, PARTICULARLY THE, THE CUSTOMIZED VERSION WITH THE 10 RATHER THAN SIX CURRENT, UH, LENSES FOR CONSIDERATION, UH, BE HELPFUL IN ASSESSING THE ISSUES IN THIS CASE.
AND I'LL RELY AGAIN UPON THE COMMISSIONER COMMISSION MEMBERS TO, UM, JUST SPEAK UP, UH, SINCE I CAN'T SEE CLOSELY ENOUGH, UH, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS AT ON THE DAY IS THERE, COMMISSIONER MORALES.
WELL, FIRST OFF, IF IT WAS US, WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO LOOK INTO ANY OF THIS, BUT BEYOND THAT, UM, AND I THINK, UH, I, SO I THINK WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TRANSPARENCY LENS TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S POLICIES IN PLACE.
IT'S, FROM A MORALITY STANDPOINT, IT, THERE'S A, A NOT FEEL GOOD THAT SOMEBODY WHO IS A DEVELOPER IS RECOMMENDING AND MAKING DECISIONS ON DEVELOPMENTS THAT COULD EVENTUALLY IMPACT HER OWN PROJECTS.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME TRANSPARENCY ISSUES THERE.
AND THE COMMON GOOD AND EQUITY LENS, BECAUSE IS BY PARTICIPATING IN THESE DECISIONS, IS SHE GIVING HER COMPANY, UM, MORE ADVANTAGEOUS OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP THAN OTHER DEVELOPERS WILL HAVE? AND, AND IS THAT A FAIR PLAYING FIELD FOR ALL OF THE DEVELOPERS IN THE COMMUNITY? AND I'LL LET SOMEBODY ELSE GO FROM THERE.
UM, I, I GUESS I'LL, UH, WEIGH IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT, BUT FIRST I HAVE TO REITERATE, WE AS THE ETHICS COMMISSION HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO PROCEED IN THE MATTER.
I WOULD HAVE A TON OF QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF GETTING FACTS.
AND PART OF IT IS THAT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS ROBUST RULES AROUND PERSONAL BENEFIT FROM VOTING ON THE, ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO THERE'S A HUGE COMPLIANCE ISSUE HERE THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REFERRED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO THE, TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OR THE, UH, OR THE STATE AUTHORITIES.
UM, IT, IT'S UN IT IT, IT'S HARD TO PARSE FROM THE CASE BECAUSE OF COURSE, YOU'RE PROFESSORS AND YOU DRAFTED A CASE THAT THAT ISN'T A SLAM DUNK AS TO WHETHER THIS PERSON IS SORT OF GRATUITOUSLY BENEFITING THEIR, THEIR COMPANY IS GRATUITOUSLY BENEFITING BECAUSE THE WHOLE CITY BENEFITS OR IF THERE IS A VIOLATION OF THE RULES IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY'RE DEVELOPING RELATIVE TO THE SPECIFIC LOCATION THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING IN THEIR VOTE.
UM, AND, AND I THINK ALL THAT THIS ETHICS COMMISSION COULD DO IS MAKE SURE THERE'S AN ADEQUATE INVESTIGATION ON COMPLIANCE IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, IF THE INDIVIDUAL'S COMPLETELY COMPLIANT, UH, I'M NOT SURE THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION WOULD HAVE MUCH OPTION TO SAY, BUT GEE, IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A DEVELOPER WHO
[01:25:01]
GRATUITOUSLY BENEFITS FROM THE DECISIONS OF THE BODY ON WHICH SHE'S SITTING? WELL, I WOULD'VE, I WOULD HOPE IN OUR OWN CITY IF THIS CAME UP, THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY WOULD OPINE THAT THAT PERSON WAS INELIGIBLE TO HOLD THAT POSITION OR TO EVEN SERVE ON THAT, THAT COMMITTEE.THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR THOSE, THOSE COMMENTS AND THOUGHTS.
AND, UM, AND THANK YOU, UH, BOBBY, FOR RECOGNIZING THE, THE WAY PROFESSORS FRAME THESE KINDS OF CASES.
AND OF COURSE, HERE WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE SUFFICIENT FACTS ABOUT THAT.
BUT THERE IS A BIGGER QUESTION TO BE THOUGHT ABOUT, I THINK, WHICH IS JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE A DEVELOPER, DOES THAT MEAN YOU CAN'T BE ON, ON THIS COMMITTEE JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE A LONGSHOREMAN? DOES THAT MEAN YOU CAN'T BE ON THE HARBOR COMMISSION? I MEAN, BECAUSE THESE, THESE PEOPLE, THESE DEVELOPERS, THE LANDLORDS, THE TENANTS, THEY ALL HAVE INTERESTS IN THESE ISSUES.
AND DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY TENANTS OR LANDLORDS MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT, I'M JUST SAYING THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF YOU COULD, YOU CAN THINK ABOUT SHOULD THEY NOT DECIDE ABOUT WHAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA DO ABOUT, UM, RENT CONTROL OR NOT DO ABOUT RENT CONTROL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THOSE KINDS OF THINGS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE INTERESTS IN THE, IN THE CITY, BUT THE 700 FORM COURSES IS DESIGNED IN PART TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS DISCLOSE AT LEAST THEIR, THEIR OBVIOUS FINANCIAL INTERESTS IN CERTAIN THINGS IN THE CITY.
SO THERE'S A LOT, THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT ARE, ARE RAISED HERE.
I THINK, UM, I, I WOULD AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER WEISS IN THE SENSE OF ALSO, I MEAN, DO YOU NOT WANT THOSE PERSPECTIVES? AND SOMETIMES THOSE PERSPECTIVES, IT COULD BE A LONGSHOREMAN'S PERSPECTIVE, WOULD REALLY BE VERY VALUABLE ON, IN MAKING THE DECISION.
UH, I'LL GO BACK TO SOMETHING I SAID EARLIER THOUGH, IN TERMS OF THE TRAINING AND HOW IT'S CARRIED OUT, IS I THINK THE VALUE OF THE DISCUSSION AND THE EDUCATION THAT COMES OUT OF THE DISCUSSION IS THE BIGGEST THING.
UH, EVEN WHEN THEY, SOMEBODY DOESN'T NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE DISAGREEMENTS WITHIN THE GROUP ABOUT WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWER IS, BUT I THINK WHAT REALLY THE BENEFIT IS THE VALUE OF THE DISCUSSION AND APPLYING THE FACTS.
THANK YOU TO, TO BOTH OF YOU FOR THAT.
UM, JUST, BUT JOHN, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, I JUST WOULD SAY, YEAH, UM, JUST BACK TO THE POINT ABOUT WANTING TO HAVE A DIVERSITY OF PERSPECTIVE OF THE LONGSHOREMEN OR THE PEOPLE THAT THE LANDLORDS AND THE RENTERS.
UM, SO WITH YOUR CUSTOMIZED SET OF LENSES AND YOUR DIVERSITY LENS, WHICH SPEAKS QUITE CLEARLY TO HAVING THAT, UH, AS MANY, YOU KNOW, AS A DIVERSE SET OF PERSPECTIVES AS POSSIBLE, THAT WOULD POINT YOU IN A DIRECTION AND HELP PEOPLE IN YOUR CITY TO MAKE A DECISION THAT MIGHT, UM, ON THE BALANCE, UM, COME DOWN ON THE SIDE OF INCLUDING THOSE PEOPLE IN THE DECISION, UNLESS THERE'S A DIRECT CONFLICT, BUT GETTING THEIR EXPERTISE AND HAVING THEIR INSIGHTS AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE DECISION.
AND, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THE, THE COMMENTS AND REALLY REFLECT ON THE, YOUR, YOUR, YOU'RE STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING, GETTING THE FACTS AND THEN KNOWING WHETHER YOU HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY AS AN ETHICS COMMISSION IN HELPING TO RESOLVE, UH, THIS COMPLAINT, UH, THAT HAS COME IN.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE WAYS TO AVOID, YOU KNOW, A A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ENDING UP IN THIS KIND OF A SITUATION, UM, OR ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE IN, IN, UH, THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE CITY OR AN OFFICIAL OF THE CITY, IS, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, RAISE THE LEVEL OF ETHICAL AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OPTICS OF SITUATIONS, UH, AND THE, THE HARM THAT THE PERCEPTION OF HAVING AN, AN ETHICAL, UH, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, UH, CAN, UH, UH, CAUSE FOR ANY PUBLIC OFFICIAL OR CITY EMPLOYEE, UM, IF THEY AREN'T AWARE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS, UH, WOULD LOOK AND BE PERCEIVED, UH, BY THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT AS HEATHER AND HER STAFF WORK AT, YOU KNOW, ROLLING OUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF TRAINING THAT YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO THE NEED TO, UH, HELP TO RAISE THAT LEVEL OF ETHICAL AWARENESS.
WE'LL ALL HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING OF ETHICS, AND PROBABLY NOT MANY IN THE CITY WILL HAVE THE SAME
[01:30:01]
LEVEL OF EXPERTISE THAT, UM, EACH OF YOU DO.'CAUSE YOU BRING SO MUCH FROM YOUR OWN PERSONAL BACKGROUNDS INTO YOUR ROLES AS ETHICS COMMISSIONERS.
BUT, UM, ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO RAISE THE GENERAL LEVEL OF ETHICAL AWARENESS WILL BE BENEFICIAL.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT, IF WE HAVE TIME, WE CAN DO ONE MORE, UH, MADAM CHAIR.
UH, LET'S, WHAT, LET'S DO 10 MINUTES ON CASE TWO.
SO THIS IS ABOUT, UH, THE CITY OF PALM TREES AND A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE USE OF CITY RESOURCES IN A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.
UH, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO SERVES AS THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE CITY OF PALM TREES HAS FILED TO RUN FOR MAYOR IN THE NEXT ELECTION.
AN ANONYMOUS REPORT HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN THE ETHICS HELPLINE THAT THE DIRECTORS USING HIS CITY OFFICE AND STAFF TO PROMOTE HIS CANDIDACY, INCLUDING PRODUCING PRESS RELEASES AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE INTENDED TO INFLUENCE VOTERS.
THE DIRECTOR WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE ETHICS OFFICE STAFF DENIED ANY INAPPROPRIATE USE OF CITY RESOURCES FOR CAMPAIGN PURPOSES.
THE ETHICS OFFICE DID FIND COMMUNICATIONS THAT WERE PREPARED BY THE PR STAFF AND WHICH PROMOTED THE DIRECTOR'S CAMPAIGN.
THE ETHICS OFFICE THEREFORE, IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE MATTER BE REVIEWED BY THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
SO AGAIN, HERE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ETHICAL ISSUES THAT ARE RAISED BY THIS CASE? UH, AND HOW MIGHT THE FRAMEWORK, UH, BE HELPFUL IN ASSESSING THE ISSUES? SO AGAIN, IF THIS WERE TO COME TO US, WHICH A SIMILAR SITUATION HAS COME TO US IN PREVIOUS ELECTIONS, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, TO INVESTIGATE IT.
WE HAVE TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO DO THAT.
BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE'VE ALWAYS LOOKED AT IS WHEN THERE'S, THERE ARE OTHER FACTS THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.
LIKE, WHEN WERE THOSE COMMUNICATIONS PREPARED? WERE THOSE STAFF ON THE CITY'S TIME OR WERE THEY ON THEIR OWN TIME? AND IN THE CASES THAT WE'VE HAD, IT'S BEEN AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WHO HAD THEIR STAFF WHOSE JOBS RELIED UPON.
I MEAN, QUITE, IT'S QUITE OFTEN IN THE CITY IF YOU ARE A CITY STAFFER FOR AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU ALSO THEN VOLUNTEER TO WORK IN THEIR CAMPAIGN OUTSIDE OF OFFICE HOURS.
BUT THIS IS A CITY MANAGER WHO HAS THEIR STAFF WORKING ON THEIR CAMPAIGN.
SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANSWERED AS WE GATHER MORE FACTS IS WERE THOSE STAFF REALLY DOING IT OF THEIR FREE VOLITION, OR DID THEY FEEL COERCED INTO DOING IT IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR JOB? SO I THINK THERE'S SOME TRANSPARENCY LENSES, SOME GOOD OF THE COMMON, AND A FEW OF THOSE OTHER LENSES THAT WE COULD USE IN GATHERING MORE INFORMATION TO MAKE A DECISION.
I THINK THAT'S THE INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION.
ANYTHING FROM LONNIE IN, IN CHIEF? I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS AND COMM VICE CHAIR COLEMAN.
UM, NO, I THOUGHT THAT WAS, UH, MARGOT TOOK, UH, COMMISSIONER MORALES TOOK A LOT OF THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH.
I JUST WILL ECHO, UM, I, I AGREE WITH CHIEF THAT COMMISSIONER MORALES'S, UH, DISCUSS, UH, DISCUSSION AROUND IT WAS SPOT ON.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH, UH, WE STRUGGLED WITH, WITH THE ETHICS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE ACT OR ORDINANCE WAS, YOU KNOW, NEEDING TO HAVE A BRIGHT LINE.
AND THIS IS A FAR SIMPLER CASE, UH, BUT NEEDING TO HAVE A BRIGHT LINE TEST AS OPPOSED THAT YOU CAN, BEFORE YOU CAN HOLD SOMEBODY ACCOUNTABLE, WHERE IT SPECIFICALLY HAS BEEN SPELLED OUT, THIS IS NOT ALLOWED.
VERSUS YOU REALLY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER TEST.
I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO GET, I'M ON A SOAPBOX NOW, I REALIZE, BUT I WANT TO GET TO WHERE WE'RE MORE RELYING ON, YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.
YOU'RE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
IT WASN'T NECESSARILY WRITTEN DOWN, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER AND YOU'RE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, I REALIZE IT'S A LOT HARDER IN A SITU, IN A, IN A, IN WITHIN A SITUATION LIKE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH THAN IT IS SAY IN SOME COMPANIES WHERE THE COMPANY HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS WITHOUT HAVING, YOU KNOW, SUCH A BRIGHT LINE TEST.
[01:35:01]
THANK YOU.THAT'S, THAT'S A A GOOD POINT.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD, UH, JUST A APPLAUD AGAIN, THE, THE DESIRE OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO WANT TO GET THE FACTS.
UM, THAT'S SO IMPORTANT IN THE WAY ONE WOULD GO ABOUT, UM, THINKING ABOUT HOW TO APPLY THE FRAMEWORK AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO AS ANN HAS, HAS, UM, UH, CAREFULLY LAID OUT, IT'S IMPORTANT BEFORE YOU GET TO APPLYING THE LENSES THAT YOU'VE GOT ALL THE FACTS THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE STAKEHOLDERS, UM, AND THE ISSUES HERE.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU ALL HAVE A, A DEEP, UH, SENSITIVITY TO THESE MATTERS.
AND, UM, I, I THINK THAT, UH, THE CITY'S WELL SERVED BY MUCH OF, UH, UH, THE WAY YOU'VE DESCRIBED, THE WAY YOU WOULD APPROACH, UM, THESE KINDS OF, OF CASES.
UM, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS CASE? IF NOT, THANK YOU.
UM, ANNE, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU FOR ANY FINAL WRAP UP.
UM, JUST, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID.
I WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU OUR, OUR CONTACT INFORMATION SO THAT YOU HAD IT, BUT, UH, LOOKS LIKE THERE WE GO.
UM, JUST OUR EMAIL ADDRESSES, AND THAT'S THE QR CODE FOR MY LINKEDIN.
UM, CERTAINLY FEEL FREE TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH US.
UM, ALTHOUGH THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF OUR, UH, FORMAL INTERACTION WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH UNDER THIS CONTRACT, UM, WE JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MENTION AGAIN HOW MUCH WE'VE ENJOYED THE WORK AND WORKING WITH THE COMMISSION AND THE STAFF, UM, AND, AND INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, SO, BUT WE'RE ALSO AVAILABLE IF YOU NEED TO REACH OUT TO US, FEEL FREE TO DO SO.
AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS AND ALL THE WORK, UH, AND PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, WITH THE OET AND THE COMMISSION.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T READ ABOUT US IN THE NEWSPAPER, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
SO OUR MOTION IS TO RECOMMEND TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION IF NECESSARY, TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND THEN APPROVE THE CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK FOR THE ETHICAL DECISION ONCE WE APPROVE THE FRAMEWORK.
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THEN? A GOOD QUESTION.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S ANTICIPATED THAT THE, THE OET WILL DO SOME MORE WORK TO CUSTOMIZE THE FRAMEWORK.
SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE APPROVING TODAY IS MARCO'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT, AND THEN STAFF WILL GO BACK AND MASSAGE IT AND EVENTUALLY BRING BACK SOMETHING TO US TO GO TO THE CITY COUNT.
DOES IT HAVE TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL TO BE IMPLEMENTED CITYWIDE? OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT TOM WILL JUST TAKE OUT? YEAH, I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A REQUIRED TRAINING.
LIKE WE HAD THE, EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD TO DO FOR THE CODE OF CONDUCT TRAINING.
IF, IF WE EVER DO MAKE IT A REQUIRED TRAINING, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL AND MEET AND CONFIRM, I BELIEVE.
BUT OVER TIME, BECAUSE YOU'LL BE DOING THE CUSTOMIZED FRAMEWORK OVER THE COURSE OF THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, DEPLOYING IT IN PART AND MAYBE FINE TUNING IT, COULD WE INCORPORATE SOME OF IT INTO THE ANNUAL ETHICS TRAINING? SURE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S FLEXIBLE HOW WE USE THE FRAMEWORK.
I THINK TODAY'S MOTION, YOU EITHER APPROVE IT AS IT IS, WHICH IT, YOU GUYS HAVE PLENTY OF FEEDBACK.
SO YOU'RE NOT APPROVING NECESSARILY THE FRAMEWORK TODAY, BUT MORE ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT YOU WERE SUGGESTING THAT WE'RE APPROVING WHAT MARKA HAS.
YOU'RE APPROVING THE PRESENTATION AND GIVING THE FEEDBACK.
I DON'T HAVE IT OPEN IN FRONT OF ME.
BUT WE'RE NOT APPROVING THE FRAMEWORK THEN.
NOT APPROVING THE FRAMEWORK THAT WILL BE DEPLOYED WITHIN THE CITY TO THE CITY OF WORKFORCE.
LIKE MARCO AND I WILL CONTINUE TO FINALIZE AND THEN I DON'T KNOW THAT MARCOLA WILL BRING IT BACK TO YOU.
PROBABLY NOT, BUT I CAN BRING IT BACK AND WE CAN DECIDE AS A GROUP IF IT'S THE FINAL PRODUCT OR IF WE WANT TO TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO DO, UH, THIS IS WHERE I TAKE INPUT.
IS THERE ANY MORE, UH, INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION ONLY AT SOME POINT? NOT NOW, BUT AS YOU CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS.
BUT I WOULD SEE THIS AS BEING, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER TRAINING YOU
[01:40:01]
HAVE THAT IS BEYOND THE CODE OF CONDUCT TRAINING, BUT ETHICS TRAINING AND GETTING A DISCUSSION WITH EMPLOYEES ABOUT ETHICAL ISSUES IN TRAINING GROUPS.I DO THINK THAT THAT AT SOME POINT SHOULD BE MANDATORY IN ADDITION TO THE CODE OF CONDUCT TRAINING.
ANY MORE INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION HERE? I MAY, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO MARK KULA, UM, AS WELL AS CITY STAFF.
I KNOW THERE WAS, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORT, TIME, AND WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE ARE A DEMANDING GROUP AND I RATHER LIKE THAT ABOUT US.
UM, UH, BUT IT'S BECAUSE WE CARE, UM, AND THAT WE ARE DEEPLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
AND SO JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, BEING HERE.
AND, UM, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM FROM THE PUBLIC? SO IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM TWO, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.
THE MARCOLA CENTER FOR APPLIED ETHICS FOUNDER IS FUNDED BY MIKE MARLA.
MR. MARCOLA WAS AN ELECTED AL ELECTRICAL ENGINEER BUSINESSMAN, HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL INVESTOR, CREDITED FOR THE SUCCESS OF APPLE, THEN WORKED FOR THE ECHELON CORPORATION, A CM AVIATION AND THE SAN JOSE JET CENTER.
HE MADE MILLIONS FROM STOCK OPTIONS AS A MULTI-BILLIONAIRE DONATING MILLIONS TO THE FLORIDA GOP AND CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY.
AND THIS ORGANIZATION SUPPORTS DON'T SAY GAY AND WANTS YOU TO SAY WHAT'S MORALLY CORRECT OR NOT TO READ IN FLORIDA.
SO WHEN YOU VOTE FOR THEM, YOU'RE VOTING FOR THAT.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CURRENTLY DOES NOT HAVE ETHICS AND DECISION MAKING.
GETTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO USE THIS FRAMEWORK FOR ETHICS WILL PROVIDE USEFUL DATA ON THE HOPES OF ONE DAY REPLACING HUMANS WITH AI AND IT'S ON THEIR WEBSITE, OVERSEEING GOVERNMENTAL ISSUES IN FINANCE.
THIS FRAMEWORK OPERATES IN A GRAY AREA, ALLOW ME FOR CORRUPTION AND MALFEASANCE WITH THE, THE SOLUTIONS OFFERED ON NO WAYS TO STOP IT.
IT JUST RAISES AN ISSUE, BUT NO SOLUTIONS.
THE FRAMEWORK HAS FOUR MAJOR FLAWS THAT IT'S PUBLISHED ON OTHER, UM, ENTITIES AND, UM, AND IT'S NOT, DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR LIVED EXPERIENCES.
WHEN A HUMAN LOOKS AT ETHICAL ISSUES INVOLVING RACE DISCRIMINATION WILL BE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT THAN A COMPUTER.
THIS APPLIED ETHICS FRAMEWORK DOES NOT APPLY VALUE LENS TO CHECK THE ISSUES REGARDING RACE AND DISCRIMINATION, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AN AI CANNOT FEEL PAIN, HAVE EMOTIONS WHEN EVALUATING ETHICAL ISSUES.
EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HAS EXPERIENCED PERSONAL TRAUMA OR LOSS SOMETIMES, UM, SHAPING THEIR VIEWS ON VARIOUS ETHICAL ISSUES, DIFFERING FROM HUMAN TO HUMAN.
MY PERSONAL EXAMPLE, I WAS A, I WAS PUT IN JAIL FOR BEING GAY AS A GAY SAILOR IN 1990.
I WAS RAPED, BEATEN, HAD MY JAW BROKEN WATERBOARDED, AND WAS MOLOTOV COCKTAIL THROWN IN MY BEDROOM, CAUSING MY PARTNER TO BURN SEVERE BURNS, WATCHING MY DOG BURN, UM, AND, AND DIE AS I JUMPED OUT THE SECOND FLOOR AND IT WAS ALL SAID, IT WAS LEGAL AND I DESERVED IT 'CAUSE I WAS GAY.
AND THE 1990S THAT THAT'S WHAT THE LAW WAS AT THAT TIME, I WAS TOLD ALSO THAT I DESERVED IT AND THAT THIS ABUSE WAS LEGAL AND I WAS AN ILLEGAL HUMAN BEING LUCKY TO BE ALIVE.
THAT PERSONAL TRAUMA HAS FOREVER CHANGED HOW I LOOK AT CERTAIN ETHICAL DECISIONS INVOLVING RACE LGBT AND EMPLOYMENT AND PERSONAL INJURY ISSUES, EXAMINING GOVERNMENT VALUES AND LOOKING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER THAT SOMETIMES GOVERNMENT GETS IT WRONG AND WE CAN CORRECT IT THROUGH THE ETHICAL VALUE LENS, WHICH THIS ORGANIZATION DOES NOT SUPPORT OR DO.
HOW IS THIS FRAMEWORK EQUITABLE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED MAKING ETHICAL DECISIONS IN LONG BEACH? MARCOLA FRAMEWORK FOR APPLIED ETHICS HAS FOUR FLAWS WHEN LOOKING AT ETHICAL SITUATIONS.
ONE SUBJECTIVITY FRAMEWORK IS THE SUBJECT A SUBJECTIVE.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE MAY INFER AND INTERPRET THE SAME ETHICAL ISSUE DIFFERENTLY, LEADING TO DISAGREEMENTS TWO, COMPLEXITY, ETHICAL DILEMMAS CAN BE COMPLEX.
THIS FRAMEWORK MAY NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE A CLEAR PATH FORWARD.
SOME MAY OVER RELY ON, PLEASE WRAP UP YOUR, ON THIS FRAMEWORK AND NOT CONSIDER OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS OR PERSPECTIVE ON VALUES AND MORAL.
IF THERE IS ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER TWO AND ZOOM, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND FEATURE OR DIAL STAR.
SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC COMMENT CHAIR.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION OF WHAT, BEFORE WE VOTE ON WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON, JUST TO BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, ARE WE RECEIVING WHAT MARCOLA SAID? WE PROVIDED FEEDBACK AND NOW THE DIRECTION
[01:45:01]
IS STAFF IS GOING TO TAKE JUST BEAT YOUR MICROPHONE.STAFF WILL TAKE THE, WHAT MARCO PROVIDED OUR FEEDBACK, THEIR OWN JUDGMENT, AND BE APPLYING THAT IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING SOMETHING THAT WILL THEN COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
WE ARE APPROVING THE REPORT PROVIDED BY MARCOLA, BUT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY APPROVING IT FOR DEPLOYMENT TO THE CITY STAFF.
THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN AT A LATER MEETING AFTER TWEAKING BY, BY THE OET TWEAKING OVER.
DO WE HAVE A VOTE? IS THAT OKAY? COMMISSIONER WEISS? AYE.
COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTE? AYE.
[3. 25-54939 Recommendation to create an Ad Hoc on Public Service Announcements during election cycle. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
RECOMMENDATION TO CREATE, OH, AN AD HOC ON PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS DURING THE ELECTION CYCLE.UH, THIS HAD COME UP AND WAS DISCUSSED.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE.
SUCH IS THAT GOOD? SO WE HAD A MOTION BY, UH, MORALES AND A SECOND BY WEISS.
UH, THIS CAME UP IN A PRIOR MEETING AND WE DISCUSSED IT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY CAME TO A DECISION AS TO WHETHER WE WANT TO HAVE AN AD HOC LOOK AT THE RULES FOR DEPLOYMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS DURING THE ELECTION CYCLE.
SO THE QUESTION IS, DO WE WANT AN AD HOC AT THIS TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT ISSUE AND WHO WANTS TO SERVE ON IT AND WHO WANTS TO SERVE ON IT? YES.
SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO ME.
I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS ALSO TO LOOK AT PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS WE MIGHT PUT OUT ON PUBLIC SERVICE CHANNELS.
UH, NO, ACTUALLY WE ARE PUTTING, WE HAVE PERMISSION AND ARE PUTTING OUT PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UH, IN FACT, UH, THE VICE CHAIR AND I ARE PUTTING OUT A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT VERY SOON ABOUT THE OPENING, THE VACANCIES COMING UP ON THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
AND HOW ABOUT, BUT, BUT ALSO ABOUT ELECTIONS.
AND WE WILL YEAH, ABOUT ELECTION.
THIS WOULD BE JUST A GEN LOOKING GENERICALLY ABOUT PREPARATION OF, OF PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE WHERE WE CONSIDERED A COUPLE OF CASES PREVIOUSLY WHERE, UH, ELECTEDS WERE, UH, PARTICIPATING IN PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS DURING, OR POSSIBLY DURING THE ELECTION CYCLE.
SO LOOKING AT THE CLARITY OF EXISTING POLICIES WITHIN THE CITY ELECTION LAWS.
SO I THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE, THE, THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE, BECAUSE A FEW OF US WON'T BE HERE LONG ENOUGH.
YOU KNOW, TWO MONTHS IS REALLY NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR US TO EVER DO ANY WORK.
SO I THINK IT'S PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM COMMISSIONERS D BENEDICTUS, NOVE, AND THE VICE CHAIR.
I, UM, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE, UH, AD HOC, UH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S OTHERS THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING UP ON THE AGENDA TODAY, POSSIBLY, UM, THAT I'M, I'M A LITTLE MORE INTERESTED IN, BUT, UH, WHERE I'M NEEDED I WILL SERVE.
SO, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE, THE, I'M AWARE OF SOME OF THE HISTORY.
I'M NOT AWARE OF THE FULL HISTORY OF, UH, THE, THE PRIOR, UM, PROBLEMS THAT HAVE AROSE FROM THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, I THINK, SO REALLY QUICKLY, VICE CHAIR IN THE 20, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
REALLY QUICKLY, IN THE 2020 ELECTIONS, THERE WERE ALLEGATIONS THAT, UH, 22, WAS IT? OH YEAH.
THERE WERE ALLEGATIONS THAT CERTAIN SITTING MEMBERS HAD DONE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT, THAT, UM, WERE RELEASED BY THE, THE UNIONS THAT HAD FILMED THEM DURING
[01:50:01]
THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD.AND DURING THAT PERIOD OF, AND IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, THE ELECTEDS MADE STATEMENTS THAT, UM, GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
BUT THE ENTIRE COUNCIL HAD NOT TAKEN ANY, UM, ACTION TO RATIFY THAT POSITION.
AND IT, WHAT WAS EXPLAINED TO US IS THAT THERE WERE EXISTING POLICIES WITHIN THE CITY THAT SAID, THE ELECTEDS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO MAKE PUBLIX A SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND IN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE, THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, UNLESS THE COUNCIL HAS A STATED POSITION.
IT'D BE, IT'D BE LOOKING AT PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, NOT JUST RELATED TO CAMPAIGNS, BUT PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS IN BROADLY BASED SO THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR TO THE ELECTEDS WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO WITHIN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND THEN, ANITA, CAN I ASK, UM, A QUESTION? DOES YOUR OFFICE SEND OUT RULES AROUND CAMPAIGN SEASON? AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN PERHAPS ON COMMIT COMMISSIONER, I BELIEVE IT WAS MORALES SAYS POINT, UM, UH, ON THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AROUND PUBLIC SERVICE AND DEVELOPMENTS NO CITY CLERK DOES.
I THINK THAT MEMOS GET SENT OUT, UM, ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
BUT DURING ELECTION CYCLE, THERE ARE GUIDELINES THAT COME OUT, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY THE LAST TIME, BUT CITY CLERK'S OFFICE MIGHT, UM, ALSO SEND OUT SOME MESSAGING DURING THE ELECTION CYCLES.
COMMISSIONER NOVE, THANK YOU CHAIR.
IF WE ALREADY HAVE THIS INFORMATION, WHAT SPEC, WHAT MORE DOES THE COMMISSION WANT FROM THE AD HOC? IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS INFORMATION, THE ELECTEDS GET, UH, MEMOS OR TRANSMITTALS FROM THE CITY CLERK AND OR THE CITY ATTORNEY.
WHAT ELSE DOES THE AD HOC WANT? I MEAN, WHAT ELSE DOES THE COMMISSION WANT THE AD HOC TO DO? THE RULES WERE UNCLEAR ON THE WHOLE ISSUE OF PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF RULES ABOUT MASS MAILINGS AND A WHOLE COMPLEX OF RULES NONES DEALT SPECIFICALLY WITH THE SUBJECT OF PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UH, IS THIS FOR CITY OF LONG BEACH ONLY THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT? YES.
WHAT WAS INVALUABLE TO ME WAS THAT WE DID HAVE AN, UH, AN OPINION LETTER PROVIDED TO US.
UM, BUT I THINK EVEN ON ITS FACE, THE VIOLATION WAS PRETTY CLEAR.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH ACTIVITY WE CAN ANTICIPATE, UH, BUT I, I DO THINK IF WE NEED TO HAVE A, A SET OF ONE OR TWO EYES PREPARED TO LOOK, IF THEY COME UP AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST WE'LL BE READY.
'CAUSE I REMEMBER WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO RENDER OUR OPINION, BUT WHEN WE SPENT THE TIME ON IT, WE WERE PRETTY QUICK.
WITHIN 30 DAYS, WE WERE ABLE TO DO SO.
BUT IF, IF I COULD MAKE A SUGGESTION, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE ELECTION CYCLE, BECAUSE THE SITUATION THAT CAME TO US PREVIOUSLY WOULD'VE BEEN A SITUATION REGARDLESS OF WHEN THE UNIONS RELEASED THAT.
BECAUSE THE OVERARCHING ISSUE WAS THE FACT THAT THE ELECTED OFFICIALS MADE A STATEMENT THAT THEY WERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
SO I, I THINK IF WE JUST, IF YOU DO, IF WE DO SET UP A, AN AD HOC, IT SHOULD LOOK AT WHAT GUIDELINES ARE PROVIDED TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS REGARDING PARTICIPATING IN PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS FILMED BY UNIONS REPRESENTING THE CITY STAFF, NONPROFIT FOUNDATIONS, ANY ORGANIZATION WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO SPEAK IN THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
AND THEN THAT IT COULD ALSO INCLUDE MAILINGS ALSO BECAUSE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS IS JUST ONE SEGMENT.
I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THAT BROADER, IF THERE'S A WHOLE LITANY OF QUESTIONS THAT THE ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE ABOUT WHAT IS, WHAT THEY CAN VALIDLY DO WITHOUT GETTING THEMSELVES INTO AN ETHICAL QUANDARY.
[01:55:01]
THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION THAT I MADE AND INCLUDE STAFF IN THE NO, I WAS JUST COMMENTING TO JORGE THAT THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD EXAMPLE OF MAYBE SOMETHING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH MARLA THROUGH THE ROADMAP.MAYBE WE SHOULD, RATHER THAN SETTING UP AN AD HOC, WE REFER THIS BACK TO STAFF TO HANDLE FOR US.
SO I'LL ADD THAT INTO MY FRIEND LIAM
I WAS GIVING HER BASEBALL SIGNS THAT
'CAUSE IT, IT WAS A CRYSTAL, IN MY OPINION, A CRYSTAL CLEAR VIOLATION.
SO LET ME JUST UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT AMENDMENT, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IT NEEDS AN AMENDMENT RATHER THAN WE VOTE DOWN THE RECOMMENDATION TO CREATE AN AD HOC AND IN A, BUT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT OET WILL ADD THE QUESTION OF PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT GUIDANCE TO THE ROADMAP.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING? NO, I THINK THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT MARCO WAS RECOMMENDING IN THE ROADMAP AS A, A PROJECT THAT YOU WOULD ASK STAFF TO TAKE AND THEN REPORT BACK.
YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT ANSWERED AROUND PROCESSES IN PLACE, OR GAPS IN PROCESSES.
SO THIS WOULD BE, I THINK, A VERY GOOD REQUEST OF STAFF INSTEAD OF CREATING AN AD HOC TO DO A LOT OF THIS WORK THAT I THINK COLLECTIVELY YOU FEEL OVERBURDENED WITH A LOT OF TIMES.
DO WE NEED A MOTION TO ASK STAFF TO, TO TAKE THAT ON, UM, FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? BECAUSE IT'S TO CREATE AN AD HOC, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE COULD JUST BE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO ASK STAFF TO TAKE ON THIS REQUEST.
BUT TYPICALLY SPEAKING, UM, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION HAS OF STAFF THAT THEY NEED STAFF TO LOOK INTO DURING THE VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR MEETING, IT COULD BE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, ASKED AT THAT TIME OR VIA EMAIL, EVEN BY ANY COMMISSIONER TO THE OET STAFF.
SO THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE, AND I THINK JUST TO PAY BACK ON SOMETHING ANITA JUST SAID, ANITA, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THE PRACTICE THAT STAFF, UH, COMMISSIONERS DON'T GO DIRECTLY TO STAFF.
IT GOES VIA THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR JUST TO FUNNEL IT.
YEAH, I WOULD JUST ADD THAT WHEN, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK I'M THE SECOND, AND IF I AM, I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF WHAT THIS IS, OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO I'LL ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT I THINK WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU DO THAT, I WON'T BE IN THE MEETING WITH THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR.
I SUGGEST THAT, THAT WHAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS YOU NEED TO GO BACK TO WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION AT THAT TIME AND WHAT THE PROBLEMS WERE.
AND MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT IN THE ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN BY THE COMMISSION, WE ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA THAT THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AGAIN AND CLARIFIED.
I PERSONALLY THINK THE SOONER THE BETTER BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ELECTION CYCLE COMING UP.
AND SO THE ELECTEDS COULD PROBABLY, OR, OR ANYBODY RUNNING COULD, COULD BE, IT COULD BE USEFUL TO THEM TO HAVE, HAVE THIS, UM, THIS CLARIFIED FOR THEM IN HOPES THAT THIS, IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
SO, UH, ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION? DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ISSUE? SEEING NONE, UH, IN THE, UH, PUBLIC ZOOM, THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE HAVE THE, UH, MOVER AND THE SECOND, UH, ON BOARD WITH THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
SO I'D LIKE TO TAKE A VOTE ON THE, UH, AGENDA ITEM AS AMENDED.
COMMISSIONER D BENEDICTUS? AYE.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE
[4. 25-54940 Recommendation to receive and file the final report from the Ad Hoc Committee on Commission Responsibilities. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
AND FILE THE FINAL REPORT FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON COMMISSION RESPONSIBILITIES.[02:00:01]
UH, IN TERMS OF THE RE THE AD HOC HAS PROVIDED ITS, UH, REPORT, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO PROVIDE A SHORT SUMMARY OF THAT REPORT ORALLY? WOULD YOU RATHER WE JUST DIVE INTO A DISCUSSION ON THE REPORT? I THINK WE COULD DIVE INTO A DISCUSSION ON THE REPORT.UH, AND I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE AD HOC.
I'LL DO IT AT THE END OF THIS DISCUSSION AS WELL.
UM, THIS WAS A EXCELLENT REPORT.
IT WASN'T WHAT I EXPECTED, WHICH IS GOOD
UM, AND I REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE ALL OF THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO THIS.
SO, WELL, IT WASN'T WHAT WE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE TO YOU INITIALLY, BUT I WANT TO THANK AGAIN, VICE CHAIR COLEMAN FOR HIS COMMENTS, BECAUSE REALLY WHEN WE GAVE YOU KIND OF A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE WERE THINKING OF GOING, HIS COMMENTS REDIRECTED OUR FOCUS.
UM, BECAUSE HE, HE MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE HERE AND IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO OTHER PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE IT ON.
SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE DECIDED THAT BASED ON HIS, HIS INPUT, THAT WE SHOULD MAKE THIS MORE OF A ROADMAP THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
AND I THINK IT REALLY IS, IT, IT, IT'S A THOUGHTFUL APPROACH AND GIVES YOU QUESTIONS OF WHERE TO THINK ABOUT WHERE THE COMMISSION MIGHT HEAD AS YOU'RE WORKING ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I WOULDN'T SAY IT WAS A VERY GOOD COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AMONG, WITH STAFF AMONG THE THREE OF US AS THE AD HOC.
AND I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY VALUED THE INPUT THAT WE GOT FROM, UH, THE OTHER CITIES.
UH, ATLANTA, OAKLAND, SAN DIEGO, UH, SAN CITY AND COUNTY IN SAN FRANCISCO, LA SO, AND LOS ANGELES.
THERE ARE MANY, I DIDN'T COUNT THEM, BUT MANY THINGS FOR US TO LOOK AT.
UH, DID YOU, UH, TALK THROUGH WAYS IN WHICH THE COMMISSION CAN JUMP IN ON ONE TWO? I MEAN, WE'D HAVE TO PRIORITIZE AND JUMP IN.
DID YOU TALK ABOUT PROCESSES? NO, WE, AS A AD HOC DID NOT.
UM, IN TERMS OF, I THINK IT WOULD REALLY VALUE A DISCUSSION AMONG ALL THE COMMISSION TO ACTUALLY DO THAT PRIORITIZATION.
THERE IS A LOT HERE, AND YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE, YOU KNOW, DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND TRY TO TACKLE EVERYTHING? UH, AND MAYBE TAKE SOME, YOU KNOW, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ARGUE COULD ENTAIL A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE CHARTER.
UM, AND ALL THAT, THAT WOULD ENTAIL.
OR DO YOU WANT TAKE A MORE BITE-SIZED APPROACH? AND THEN WHAT IS IN THE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE THINK IS, UH, WE CAN GET WHAT, WHAT CAN GET DONE VERSUS, UH, WHAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO DIFFICULT FOR DO WE GET ACROSS TO GET THROUGH? AGAIN, BASED ON THE, THE INPUT THAT WE GOT FROM VICE CHAIR COLEMAN, WE DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE ANYTHING A HIGHER PRIORITY THAN SOMETHING ELSE.
WE SAW THIS KIND OF AS, UM, A ROADMAP THAT YOU COULD USE TO ORIENTATE THE THREE NEW MEMBERS THAT ARE COMING IN ALSO, SO THAT ONCE THE THREE NEW MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED, THAT, THAT THE SEVEN OF YOU COULD KIND OF GO INTO MAYBE A, A WORK, A WORKING MEETING AND TALK ABOUT WHERE THINGS MIGHT GO IN THE FUTURE.
AND, AND I THINK I WOULD ALSO ADD WITH, UH, RECOMMENDATION, I THINK THREE AND FOUR, RECOMMENDATION THREE WAS EXPLORE ADDING INVESTIGATIONS AND SANCTIONS AUTHORITY, YOU KNOW, WAS ONE RECOMMENDATION.
THE ONE THAT FOLLOWED AT A MINIMUM WAS ESTABLISHING CLARITY ABOUT WHERE THESE THINGS SHOULD BE HANDLED.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE ESTABLISHING CLAR, THAT, THAT, THAT FOURTH BULLET OR THAT FOURTH RECOMMENDATION COULD BE DONE WITHOUT HAVING CHARTER AMENDMENT PROBABLY COULD BE HANDLED WITHOUT NECESSARILY GOING BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, BUT IT IS ONE WHERE I THINK WE, AS A GROUP, AND I WOULD ARGUE THE ENTIRE COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME CONFUSION WITHIN THE CITY.
EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT TO LOBBIED OVER TO US WHERE WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DEAL WITH IT.
BUT OTHERS WITHIN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST SAFI DID OR DIDN'T WANNA DEAL WITH IT THEMSELVES AND GAVE IT TO US.
SO, UM, SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS DON'T NEED ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, ASKING THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY TO COME IN AND MAKE A REPORT AND ASKING THE HEAD OF HR TO COME IN AND MAKE A REPORT.
AND YOU CAN DO THAT BASED ON, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE WHAT COMES OUT OF THE ETHICS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE ORDINANCE,
[02:05:01]
AND THEN WHAT HR DOES WITH, WITH THOSE THAT WHEN THERE'S AN ALLEGATION NECESSARILY AGAINST A CITY, AN EMPLOYEE THAT'S NOT HANDLED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, OR JUST, UH, EVEN ABSENT THAT THE, UH, WHAT THEY'RE DOING WHEN THEY'RE ADDRESSING HARASSMENT MATTERS.I THINK THOSE TYPES OF, WE THINK THOSE TYPES OF MATTERS.
LIKE HARASSMENT MATTERS IS SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMISSION SHOULD BE PRIVY TO BECAUSE IT GOES TO THE ETHICS ACROSS THE WORKFORCE OF THE CITY AND THE ELECTEDS.
AND I KNOW AS TO INVESTIGATIONS.
SO WE DID HAVE AN INVESTIGATIVE PROTOCOL UNDER CONSIDERATION.
THE CITY ATTORNEY MARKED IT UP.
THE CITY AUDITOR MARKED IT UP, HR MARKED IT UP.
UM, IT, IT IS STILL ON THE LIST TO COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, THE OET COULD CERTAINLY WORK WITHIN THE CITY STRUCTURE ON WHO SHOULD CONDUCT CERTAIN TYPES OF VIOLATIONS.
THE INVESTIGATION ON CERTAIN TYPES OF VIOLATIONS.
EVEN, I WOULD EVEN GO SO FAR AS OET COULD WORK WITHIN THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.
EVEN WITH THIS, UH, WITH THE GUIDANCE OF THE COMMISSION.
AND THE COMMISSION COULD PROVIDE ITS GUIDANCE OF WHERE I THINK WHERE THOSE MATTERS SHOULD BE HANDLED WITHIN THE CITY.
SO, WELL, LET ME HEAR FROM OTHER FOLKS FIRST AND THEN I'VE GOT SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW TO BREAK THIS APPLE UP.
I, UM, LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT WE DID NOT HEAR FROM THE MAYOR.
UM, NOT SURE ABOUT THE CITY ATTORNEY 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE SO HEAVILY ENGAGED WITH.
BUT, UH, ANY, UH, FEEDBACK IN PARTICULAR, UH, FROM ALSO FROM CITY CLERK AND CITY MANAGER OFFICE, LITTLE DISAPPOINTED, ESPECIALLY, UH, GIVEN YOUR, UH, YOU GUYS WERE ORIGINAL MEMBERS AND, UH, WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HEARD MORE.
I'M SURE IT SAYS THAT THERE'S A VARIETY OF REASONS.
UH, WILL THERE BE ANY EFFORT TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM THEM OR, OR NOT? I THINK THAT WILL BE UP TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, AGAIN, I, I AGREE WITH, UM, UH, THE CHAIR'S COMMENTS.
UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU CHAIR ON, UH, REFINING THIS IF YOU NEED THE HELP.
UH, 'CAUSE I THINK THERE IS LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
THANKS FOR EMPHASIZING, UH, THAT WE MUST REMAIN APOLITICAL.
UH, AND THAT EVEN THE MEMBERS, FUTURE MEMBERS NEED TO, UM, BE WITHOUT STRONG POLITICAL TIES.
THAT IS, UH, I FIND IT TO BE, IT CONTINUES TO BE DRAG, YOU KNOW, THROUGH TIME.
UH, WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL OF THAT AND BE MINDFUL, UM, THAT WE JUST KEEP THAT, UM, THE DIVERSITY IN OUR THOUGHT, UH, ALIVE AND, UM, NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN IN TERMS OF INVESTIGATION AUTHORITY.
I THINK YOU'RE, I'M IN A COMPLETE AGREEMENT.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO SEIZE.
UM, I LIKE THE EMPHASIS ON EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON THE HR PIECE.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT, UH, I TOLD YOU UH HUH SHE'S FROZEN.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A BRIEF RECESS.
LEMME JUST TAKE, UH, WITH, UH, TECHNOLOGY AND SEE IF WE, IF WE'VE LOST CONNECTION.
HOW LONG'S BRIEF ON OUR, ON OUR SCREEN HERE.
EVERYTHING APPEARS TO BE OKAY.
HEATHER, DO YOU WANT OUR PARKING? YOU GOT MINE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR INCORPORATING THE ROADMAP.
UH, UH, VICE CHAIR COLEMAN, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
UH, WE LOST CONNECTION HERE IN THE CHAMBERS FOR A BRIEF MINUTE.
UM, I BELIEVE, UH, COMMISSIONER DE BE DE BENEDICTUS YOU WERE SPEAKING AND WE, AND WE LOST YOU.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UM, UH, REPEAT YOUR COMMENT AND THEN WE CAN, UH, CONTINUE WITH YOU, YOU WERE AT THE POINT WHERE YOU WERE VOLUNTEERING TO HELP THE CHAIR.
UH, AND THAT, THAT, THAT CLOSES MY STATEMENT.
UH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE ROADMAP.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL I'LL PICK UP.
UH, WE'RE COMM COMMISSIONER DE DE BENEDICTUS LEFT OFF.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT WILL BE IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CHANGING
[02:10:01]
OF HOW THE, WHAT WILL SOON BE THE FORMER CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, UH, WILL LOOK LIKE.I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UM, IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT.
UM, JUST MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ETHICS SURROUNDING THE HIRING DECISIONS, UH, REMAIN, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, PURE.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO THANK THE AD HOC FOR REALLY MAKING THIS A ROADMAP.
I THINK THIS WOULD BE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL, UM, NOT ONLY FOR THE COMMISSIONERS WHO WILL STAY ON, UM, BUT THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WE WILL BRING ON UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE, WHERE, WHERE WE'VE BEEN A BIT, BUT REALLY WHERE WE'RE GOING IN A CLEAR, VERY EASILY DIGESTIBLE MANNER.
UM, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A REALLY EASY READ.
I THOUGHT IT MADE A LOT OF SENSE.
UM, SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT, UM, YOU, YOU ALL AS WELL AS CITY STAFF DID.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, ADDRESSING, UH, SOME OF THESE, THESE, UH, MATTERS AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, BEFORE I ADD MY COMMENTS, UM, CAN I GET CLARIFICATION IF THIS PASSES 10, IF THE COMMISSION PASSES THIS, WHERE DOES IT GO FROM TODAY? NOWHERE.
IT, IT, IT IS A, IT IS A MEMORANDUM PREPARED FOR THE COMMISSION.
UM, YOU COULD GO SOMEPLACE IF THE COMMISSION CHOOSES.
BUT THAT'S NOT PART OF THE MOTION BEFORE US.
UM, I SENT SOME, UM, FORMATTING EDITS TO HEATHER, SO AT SOME POINT, EITHER THE CURRENT AD HOC CAN LOOK AT 'EM OR WE'LL JUST FILE 'EM AND FOR THE NEXT TIME.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO, UM, CONGRATULATE THE AD HOC.
UM, IT, IT WAS A VERY WELL PUT, UM, REPORT, UH, THE INTRO, THE OVERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS, UM, METRICS AND DATA, UM, THE CHALLENGES MOVING FORWARD, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I WOULD SAY THAT, SIMILAR TO WHAT I SUGGESTED TO MARCOLA, UM, IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OR LIKE A COMMUNITY VOICE.
UM, WE DID HAVE A LISTENING SESSION.
WE DID ASK FOR PUBLIC INPUT, UM, NOT JUST TO OUTREACH, BUT ALSO TRANSPARENCY.
UM, AND ALSO SOMEHOW SHOW THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC INPUT THAT WE, THAT, THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION BENEFITED FROM THE PUBLIC INPUT THAT WE HAD.
SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO SEE THAT IN THIS.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO SHARE.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP WORKING ON AND TO INCORPORATE INTO THIS REPORT SHARE.
SO, ARE YOU ASKING US TO TAKE THE REPORT BACK AND MAKE SOME REVISIONS CONSIDERING THE TIME, UM, LEFT? NO, BUT I WOULD JUST MAKE THOSE.
WELL, WE COULD, WE CAN, WE CAN GO BACK AND MAKE REVISIONS BASED ON YOUR COMMENT, BECAUSE HEATHER HAS YOUR COMMENTS.
WE, WE COULD TAKE IT BACK AND COME BACK IN MAY WITH A REVISED.
AND THAT, ALONG THAT LINE, I FAILED TO MENTION THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR ON OUR PART, AND THAT IS THAT, UH, WE HAVE SUMMARIES OF THE CONVERSATIONS JUST WITH THE, UH, CITIES THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT WE NEGLECTED TO PROVIDE IN HERE.
UH, BUT WE WILL BE PROVIDING THOSE TO, UH, THE COMMISSION, THE FULL COMMISSION.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT NEEDS TO COME, IF IT NEEDS TO COME AS FAR OF A FORMAL PACKET, OR IF IT CAN THAT JUST BE MADE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
THIS IS, WELL, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF WHAT I JUST MENTIONED, SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLETE AND THOROUGH AND CONCISE TO HEATHER AND HAVE HER JUST KEEP IT IN THE FILE.
I THINK IT'S A, AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INPUT.
UM, COMMISSIONER VE UH, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HAVE HAD.
CONSIDERING WE WERE SUCH A SMALL LITTLE UNKNOWN COMMISSION, UH, HOW MUCH WE'VE GROWN AND, AND HOW MUCH HEADWAY WE HAVE MADE, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND I WOULD BE INTERESTED, UM, COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL IN ANY TRANSCRIPTS THAT YOU DID GET FROM THOSE, UH, INTERVIEWS.
UH, A SUMMARY, NOT A TRANSCRIPT, BUT YES, THAT'S, AND THEN I WOULD ALSO JUST WITH REGARD TO COMMISSIONER NOVA'S COMMENT ON COMMUNITY INPUT ABS, WE, I THINK WE AS AN AD HOC ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT THE COMMUNITY INPUT WOULD BE, WILL BE APPROPRIATE.
UH, BUT THAT WOULD BE A NEXT STEP WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED AND GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT ON THOSE SPECIFIC ITEMS. WELL, I ALSO THINK WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T PUT IT IN THIS REPORT BECAUSE IT'S IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO IT'S ALREADY PART OF THE FOUNDATIONAL WORK OF THE COMMISSION THAT GOING FORWARD, ANYTHING THAT
[02:15:01]
WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, THAT IS A CHANGE, WE'LL HAVE THAT.WHAT WE WERE ASKED TO DO WAS GO OUT AND LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN, IN THE ETHICS COMMUNITY AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT WHERE THIS COMMISSION COULD GO.
SO, AS YOU SAID, THAT WOULD BE PART, THE COMMI COMMUNITY OUTPUT WOULD BE, OR INPUT WOULD BE SOMETHING AS YOU START WORKING ON EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUAL THINGS.
AND WE DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT IT NEEDED TO BE IN HERE BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH IS GONNA BE PART OF THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING GOING FORWARD.
I JUST DIDN'T WANT US TO NEGLECT THAT COMPONENT.
NO, BECAUSE IT TRULY IS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF BEING ON THIS COMMISSION FOR LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OF BEING ABLE TO TRULY HAVE THIS ROOM FULL OF INDIVIDUALS AND HAVING A SESSION AND OUTREACH AND SURVEYS, THEIR INPUT, THE TRAININGS THAT, AND THAT HEATHER HAS DONE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
THERE ARE, UH, A, A NUMBER, A LIST, A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE ALONG WITH OET THAT SHOULD NOT BE, UH, NEGLECTED AND SHOULD BE SOMEHOW INCORPORATED, WHETHER IT'S TODAY OR WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD.
I, I JUST WANNA ADD, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT, I MEAN, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU ALL DECIDE TO DO, I MEAN, YOU CAN HAVE THE PUBLIC COME IN AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT, THESE, THESE DIFFERENT POINTS.
AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, THERE WILL NEED TO BE DISCUSSION WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE MAYOR, THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE THE CITY CLERK, UM, THE CITY MANAGER.
BUT, BUT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO, TO GET THOSE SET UP DURING THE TIME THAT WE HAD TO, WE HAD TO WORK ON THIS.
SO, UM, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS, THESE ARE OUR SUGGESTIONS.
I, I DO THINK I PERS I CAN JUST ADD, SAY, PERSONALLY, I THINK THE ONE ABOUT INVESTIGATIONS AND ACTUALLY HAVING A CLEAR, A CLEARER PROCESS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF COMPLAINTS AND WHO'S GONNA INVESTIGATE THEM.
AND THEN, THEN WHAT I THINK THERE IS IT, I I THINK THAT, THAT THE, THE ETHICS COMMISSION, THE OFFICE OF OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY COULD TAKE A GREAT BURDEN OFF OF SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, DEPARTMENTS AND THE ELECTEDS IF THEY DID NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE THINGS.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE THIS, THIS OFFICE, THIS COMMISSION HAS SEPARATED ITSELF FROM, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN THE, UM, IN THE, IN THE ELECTION PROCESS.
SO IT, IT'S JUST A, IT'S, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU DON'T, THERE, THERE DILEMMAS, ETHICAL DILEMMAS, LEGAL DILEMMAS, WHATEVER, THAT I THINK PER PERSONS THAT RECEIVE THE COMPLAINTS OR ARE GET THEM MAY HAVE THAT THE COMMISSION DOESN'T, DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE THOSE SAME, UH, IT'S JUST, IT MAY BE IN A, A BETTER POSITION AND CAN TAKE A BURDEN OFF SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S, I, I THINK THAT, AND I THINK IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE, THE AUDIT THAT STARTED THIS, ALL THAT WE USED AS WE, AS WE STARTED TO WORK, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S STILL A HOLE THAT HASN'T BEEN, THAT REALLY HASN'T BEEN A ADDRESSED YET.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S MY, MY PERSONAL VIEW.
BUT DEFINITELY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TALK TO LOTS OF PEOPLE, THE PUBLIC AND, UM, AND, AND LOTS OF PEOPLE IN, IN THE CITY TO REALLY COME TO A CONSENSUS AS YOU MOVE THESE THINGS FORWARD, ANY OF THEM.
SO I DO, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME, DID WE, DID, UH, ARE DID WE ASK THE, THE AD HOC TO MODIFY THE MEMO? OR ARE WE GOING WITH THE MEMO AS IT STANDS THAT WE HAVE THE MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE? I WOULD ARGUE, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT MY CO COMMITTEE MEMBERS WOULD SAY IS, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE THE SUMMARIES THAT WE DID NOT PROVIDE THAT, LET'S JUST TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY, TAKE COMMISSIONER NOVA'S COMMENTS, AND THEN WE'LL PROVIDE IT AGAIN, WILL NOT NECESSARILY, I MEAN, IN, YOU KNOW, HAVING ANOTHER MONTH TO THINK ABOUT IT, UH, COMMISSIONERS MAY HAVE SOME FURTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW THEY'D LIKE TO PROCEED AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UM, SO I, I, IF WE, ASSUMING YES.
SO THEN WE'LL HAVE THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT ON THE, ON THE AGENDA ITEM AND ON THE MOTION.
UM, OR IS IT JUST HELP, WOULD IT BE, WELL, WOULD IT BE A SIGNIFICANT BURDEN TO ASK THAT WITH RESPECT TO THE BULLETED ITEMS, WHICH,
[02:20:01]
UH, THAT WE DIVIDE THEM INTO TWO CATEGORIES.ONE, WHAT IS WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY AND WHAT WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY OR, I, I KNOW WITHIN A CERTAIN BULLET, THERE MAY BE PIECES THAT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY AND PIECES THAT DON'T.
WE COULD TRY, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE PRETTY HARD TO DO BECAUSE I THINK THERE MAY BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS WITHIN THE, THE CITY, AND IT WOULD BE HARD TO DO THAT WITHOUT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF INVOLVEMENT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND UNTIL YOU DECIDE WHICH ONES YOU REALLY WANNA WORK ON, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE THE TIME TO FIGURE OUT I, WHETHER WE SHOULD INVOLVE THEM IN, IN THAT.
I MEAN, WE CAN GIVE YOU AN, GIVE YOU OUR OPINION, I SUPPOSE, BUT, AND I WOULD SAY I WOULD GO SO FAR AS GIVE AN OPINION KIND OF WITHIN THE CHARTER, WHAT WE THINK WE COULD DO, AND WITHOUT, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY IN WHAT WE COULDN'T.
I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, I, I THINK THAT WE CAN ASK, YOU KNOW, THE DIRECTOR OF HR COULD SAY NO, BUT I THINK WE GET ASKED THE DIRECTOR OF HR TO COME IN AND MAKE A PRESENTATION ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
WELL, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT MAKES SENSE, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA PUSH, BECAUSE THERE MAY ALSO BE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU FOLKS DISAGREE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ON WHAT THE AUTHORITY IS.
AND, UH, I'D, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE THE DISAGREEMENT OPEN, IF YOU WILL.
AND, AND I THINK JUST, I MEAN, JUST IN THE TIME THAT THAT, THAT WE HAVE SERVED ON THIS COMMISSION, WE'VE HAD THE TWO DIFFERENT CITY ATTORNEYS, AND I THINK THAT DIFFERENT CITY ATTORNEYS LOOK AT THIS COMMISSION DIFFERENTLY MM-HMM
IN TERMS OF WHAT IT CAN, WHAT IT CAN DO OR SHOULD DO, OR THE, OR THE OFFICE WANTS THIS COMMISSION TO DO.
SO, SO MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO, IF YOU'RE GONNA REVISE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
BUT IF EACH OF THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD INDIVIDUALLY, WHEN WE GET THE REVISED MEMO WITHOUT TAKING A POSITION ON WHAT'S WITHIN OUR EXISTING AUTHORITY, IF EACH OF THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD LOOK AT IT FROM THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVE AND WHETHER THEY BELIEVE IT'S WITHIN, SO THAT WE CAN ADD OUR NEXT MEETING ALSO, WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO I THINK ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS, AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS AN AD HOC, I THINK THIS IS A FULL COMMISSION TASK THAT THE ENTIRE COMMISSION LOOK AT IT AT THE NEXT MEETING AND DECIDE WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES? WHAT DO WE WANT TO WORK ON NOW, WHAT DO WE WANT TO PUT OFF TO A FUTURE DISCUSSION? 'CAUSE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND SOME OF THESE THINGS TO THE POINT WE WERE DISCUSSING EARLIER, SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE PROBABLY ITEMS THAT OET COULD IMPLEMENT ON ITS OWN INITIATIVE WITHOUT, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO GET MORE AUTHORITY AS WELL.
DO, DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT IN MAY? OR DO YOU WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE REPLACEMENTS ARE HERE? YEAH, I THINK WITH THE PRIORITIES, I, I THOUGHT THAT WAS, UM, UH, THE VICE CHAIR'S POINT WAS THAT, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE HERE.
SO WHAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT, I MEAN, WE CAN TELL YOU WHAT, LIKE I JUST TOLD YOU, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK COULD BE VERY USEFUL TO, TO THE CITY, BUT THAT'S JUST MY OPINION.
AND, AND, AND IT MAY BE THAT WHEN, FIRST OF ALL, MAYBE NONE OF YOU WOULD AGREE WITH IT, BUT, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE COMMISSION SEVEN PEOPLE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT, WHAT THEY THINK, UM, THE, THE PRIORITIES, THE PRIORITIES SHOULD BE.
SO, AND I, AND THAT'S WHAT I MEAN, YOU JUST END UP, I THINK IT'D BE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE, VALUE TO IT.
WELL, I THINK I MIGHT DISAGREE IN THE SENSE, I THINK THERE COULD BE SOME VALUE IN THIS COMMISSION AS IT CURRENTLY CONSTITUTED PROVIDING ITS PRIORITIZATION.
AND THEN THAT IS LEFT FOR THE NEW COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, THE EXISTING FOUR COMMISSIONERS AND THE THREE NEW COMMISSIONERS, THE, THE EXISTING FOUR COMMISSIONERS WILL HAVE TIME TO EVEN FURTHER THOUGHT ABOUT IT, CAN THEN ADJUST THE PRIORITIES.
UH, BUT IT, 'CAUSE OTHERWISE YOU HAVE A SET OF NEW, THREE NEW COMMISSIONERS AND THEY'RE GONNA BE COMING ON AND ARGUABLY DRINKING FROM A FIRE HOSE.
A AND, AND I HATE TO BE SORT OF THE SKEPTIC IN THIS CONTEXT, BUT, UM, THE EXISTING COMMISSIONERS SERVE UNTIL REPLACED.
AND I AM NOT, WE'VE ALREADY PUT SOME THINGS OFF UNTIL AFTER YOU'RE REPLACED.
[02:25:01]
I, I'M JUST HESITANT TO PUT TOO MANY THINGS OFF UNTIL YOU'RE REPLACED, UNTIL I ACTUALLY SEE THAT THE REPLACEMENTS I'VE BEEN NAMED AND IT'S, AND, AND, AND, AND IT'S HAPPENING.SO, BUT I, I'LL DEFER IF THERE'S A STRONG FEELING THAT WE SHOULD WAIT.
I DON'T, AND, AND I, I AGREE WITH YOU CHAIR.
I DON'T KNOW IF I NECESSARILY SEE IT AS A, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A LIST OF PRIORITIES.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE WOULD NECESSARILY START GETTING TO THEM WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MEETINGS.
AND THE COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, MUST BE REPLACED SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE QUORUM.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, TO MY EARLIER POINT, THAT, UM, WE CREATE A LIST OF PRIORITIES.
WE GET THREE NEW PEOPLE WHO MIGHT VIEW DIFFERENT PRIORITIES OR COME IN WITH STRONG URGES TO REALLY SEE US GO AFTER SOMETHING.
AND NOW WE HAVE STAFF AND OURSELVES BE WORKING ANOTHER LIST OF PRIORITIES.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD STOP ANY OF OUR OTHER WORK THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE PIPELINE.
UM, I'M, I, I WOULD JUST BE CONCERNED WITH MAKING A LIST OF PRIORITIES, UM, WITH FOLKS WHO MAY NOT, UM, BE AROUND TO, UH, IMPLEMENT AND SEE THE, SEE THOSE PRIORITIES THROUGH.
I WILL ACT, WHILE THAT'S STILL FRESH IN MY MIND, UH, LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER ANOVA, I THINK I'LL PUT TOGETHER, UH, SOME HIGH LEVEL THOUGHTS THAT I THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE OR TO ADD ON THESE, UH, FINE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, I'LL SEND THEM IN AS I THINK HE INTENDED TO DO TO, UH, TO HEATHER, IF THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
AND THEN THEY WILL BE AT THE READY FOR WHEN WE ARE READY TO, UH, TO SIT DOWN.
I THINK I, I LIKE THE FACT THAT THEY DID NOT PRIORITIZE, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO JUST PARSE THROUGH THEM, GIVE THEM ALL EQUAL TIME, AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THOSE SUMMARIES.
AND THEN, SO YOUR THOUGHT IS WE'LL DISCUSS THE ITEMS NEXT TIME, BUT NOT, NOT IDENTIFY THE PRIORITIES UNTIL WE HAVE, UH, RECONSTITUTED COMMISSION.
I'LL, I'LL WORK TO WHATEVER YOU DECIDE, BUT MY THOUGHTS ARE FRESH AND I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND THROW THEM IN, UH, CHAIR, UH, LIKE COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS.
I WOULD ALSO, I WOULD ARGUE THAT IN, UM, THIS IS A LONG LIST OF, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT I WOULD, I PERSONALLY WOULD REQUEST, UH, THE AD HOC TO GIVE US THEIR PRIORITIES.
I, I CERTAINLY WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
UM, THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN HERE FROM THE BEGINNING.
THEY HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH, UH, CITY MANAGEMENT, CITY STAFF.
THEY'VE EXAMINED THESE ISSUES FOR A WHILE NOW.
SO I WOULDN'T MIND IF THEY, IN THEIR LIST, HAD A PREFERRED OR PRIORITY OF THINGS THAT THE COMMISSION AFTER JUNE WOULD LOOK AT.
OF COURSE, IT DOESN'T GUARANTEE THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD DO, ONLY BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE EXPERTISE OF THE INCOMING, UM, COMMISSIONERS.
BUT AT LEAST IN ADDITION TO THE ROADMAP IN GENERAL, WE WOULD HAVE PRIORITIES THAT THIS AD HOC SET OUT MOVING FORWARD.
HOW ABOUT RATHER THAN PRIORITIZING ALL OF THEM, WE TELL YOU WHAT WE, WHAT WE SEE AS THE TOP TWO.
OR THREE, YEAH, OR THREE ONLY TOP THE TOP ONES, TOP TWO TO FIVE.
BUT GOING BACK TO ONE OF THE CHAIR'S, QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT CAN BE DONE VERSUS JUST BE DONE.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE THAT WE MIGHT, UH, THE AD HOC INVITE, UH, COUNCIL ANITA TO A DISCUSSION AND WE MIGHT AGREE ON PRIORITIZING AT LEAST WHAT WE THINK CAN BE DONE BY THE COMMISSION VERSUS NEEDING FURTHER AUTHORITY? YEAH.
WITHOUT SAYING THAT WE LACK THE AUTHORITY TO DO THE OTHER THINGS, BUT THE ONES THAT ARE CLEARLY WITHIN THE COMMISSION'S AUTHORITY, WELL, THE, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL TO HAVE, UM, ANITA SIT IN ON THIS.
FURTHER WORK BY THE, BY THIS COMMITTEE.
BECAUSE IF I RECALL RIGHT, THE CHARTER DOES SAY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN GIVE THE ETHICS COMMISSION FURTHER AUTHORITY.
SO IT ISN'T NECESSARILY, DOESN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE A
[02:30:01]
CHARTER AMENDMENT.JUST REQUIRES THE CITY COUNCIL TO, TO APPROVE IT.
SO IF WE KEEP THAT INVO THERE, WE CAN, WE CAN MAYBE ROUGHLY OUTLINE SOME, SOME, SOME THINGS.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT OBVIOUSLY REQUIRES A CHARTER AMENDMENT, MAYBE WE CAN, WE CAN SAY WHERE THAT'S PROBABLY SO, BUT AGAIN, IT'S GONNA ULTIMATELY DEPEND ON WHAT THE OPINION IS OF THE CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, IF, WHEN THE, WHEN THE PARTICULAR QUESTIONS, UM, GO TO THEM FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, CLARIFICATION OR WHATEVER, OR SOMETHING GETS CHALLENGED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T THINK, SOMEBODY DOESN'T THINK THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION HAD AUTHORITY TO DO WHATEVER IT IS THEY'VE DONE.
ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION? DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
UH, SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO PUBLIC MEMBERS IN THE ZOOM, THAT CON UH, CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM.
I'LL MOVE ON TO A VOTE IF YOU'D LIKE.
SO, SO ARE WE VOTING OR ARE WE CONTINUING IT? WE'RE VOTING.
WE'RE VOTING TO ACCEPT OUR REPORT AND CONTINUE THE ITEM TO NEXT MONTH.
OR ACTUALLY REALLY WE'RE JUST VOTING TO CONTINUE THE ITEM TO NEXT MONTH.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, RECOMMENDATION
[5. 25-54941 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, UPCOMING PROJECTS, AND IF APPROPRIATE, TAKE ACTION TO DISSOLVE, CREATE OR REAUTHORIZE AD HOC COMMITTEES.DO WE HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED? MM-HMM
JUST TO CLARIFY, THAT WAS A, A MOTION BY MORALES AND WAS A SECOND BY ANOR.
UH, WE'RE NOT DISSOLVING THE AD HOC ON COMMISSION RESPONSIBILITIES YET, SO NO.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY AD HOC THEY WANNA ADD OR DELETE? SO DID WE JUST PASS TO CREATE THE ONE ON PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS? NO, WE SENT IT TO STAFF.
UH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO PUBLIC MEMBERS IN THE ZOOM THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM, WE'LL GO TO A VOTE.
COMMISSIONER D BENEDICTUS? AYE.
COMMISSIONER, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER NORBY.
ITEM NUMBER SIX, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE
[6. 25-54942 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Ethics Officer. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
AND FILE A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM THE ETHICS OFFICER.THAT WAS, UM, A MOTION BY WEISS AND SECOND BY BE DE BE.
UH, REALLY QUICKLY, UM, FORM SEVEN HUNDREDS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL ARE ALL AWARE, BUT THE DEADLINE WAS EXTENDED THIS YEAR, ONE TIME ONLY BY THE STATE UNTIL JUNE 1ST.
UH, THIS IS RELATED TO THE WILDFIRES.
SO THAT BEING SAID, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE STILL PUSHING TO GET THE FORM SEVEN HUNDREDS ON TIME, THOUGH IT IS APRIL 9TH.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW ABOUT 86% OF OUR FORM SEVEN HUNDREDS, UH, HAVE BEEN FILED LEAVING ABOUT 14% NOT FILED, OR 125.
OF THAT A HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE SEVEN ARE, UM, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND 55 ARE EMPLOYEES.
UH, THE CITY CLERK WILL DO THEIR NORMAL,
[02:35:01]
UM, REPORT PROBABLY IN JULY, UM, AFTER WE PASS THE, THIS YEAR'S DEADLINE.UM, LUNCH AND LEARNS ARE GOING WELL.
SO WE HAD A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT.
YES, BUT ALL THE ELECTEDS GOT THEIRS IN.
THOSE ARE WHAT MY, OH, SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE ELECTEDS.
DO YOU, DO YOU KNOW, DID ALL THE ELECTEDS GET THEIRS IN? I BELIEVE SO, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE CURRENT, UH, ROSTER IN FRONT OF ME.
WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE YOUR BELIEFS, SO, OKAY.
UH, LUNCH AND LEARNS ARE GOING WELL.
WE HAD A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT FOR OUR STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
UM, APRIL, I'M EXCITED THAT COMMISSIONERS, UH, MORALES, SHOTWELL AND WISE HAVE AGREED TO, UM, BE OUR FOCUS OF THE LUNCH AND LEARN.
SO THAT WILL, UM, FOCUS ON A REFLECTION ON PUBLIC SERVICE FROM THESE THREE, UM, AS ETHICS COMMISSIONERS, BUT MORE JUST THEIR BROADER ROLE IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITIES.
APRIL NEWSLETTER WENT OUT, UM, CONTINUE TO DO THE ROAD SHOW WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO WE'VE MET WITH SEVERAL COMMISSIONS THIS YEAR, WHICH HAS BEEN NICE.
AND THEN JUST CONTINUE TO, TO, TO WORK ON, UM, STRATEGIC ROADMAP RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, WRAPPING UP THE FRAMEWORK WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
AND THAT IS MY QUICK UPDATE THIS MONTH.
DID THE, UM, GOOD GOVERNANCE ORDINANCE OR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ACT GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL? HAS THAT BEEN PASSED ON TO THEM YET? NOT YET.
THAT'S STILL GOING THROUGH CITY MANAGER, UM, REVIEW AND PUTTING THAT MEMO TOGETHER.
SO THAT'LL GO UPSTAIRS PRETTY SOON.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO, UH, PUBLIC MEMBERS IN THE ZOOM THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM.
MOTION CARRIES SEVEN TO ZERO
[7. 25-54943 Recommendation to discuss potential agenda items for future Commission meetings. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.UH, I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO ANOR.
UH, SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY, UH, MORALE AND A SECOND BY ANOR.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? I SEE NOT THERE ARE NO PUBLIC MEMBERS IN THE ZOOM THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM.
COMMISSIONER, UH, MORALES AYE.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY
[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.]
NON AGENDA ITEM? SEE THAT THERE ARE NO PUBLIC MEMBERS IN THE ZOOM? THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.AND, UH, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY
[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
FOR, UH, STARTING AN HOUR EARLY TODAY.I KNOW, UM, IT WAS, UH, OUT OF THE ORDINARY, BUT I WANTED TO BE SURE WE HAD THE TIME WITH THE MARK HULA GROUP.
THEY'D ASKED FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF, UM, AS WELL AS THE REPORT FROM THE COM, THE, UH, THE AD HOC ON COMMISSION RESPONSIBILITY.
NEXT MONTH WE'LL GO BACK TO THE 3:00 PM START.
ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS CHAIR REALLY QUICK? I FORGOT TO ADD, UM, UNDER AB 2 4 4 9, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE ALL KNEW BECAUSE THERE ARE BUGS GOING AROUND AND WE FIND OURSELVES NOT FEELING VERY WELL OFF.
[02:40:01]
UNDER AB 2, 4, 4 9, YOU CAN HAVE A JUST CAUSE REASON TO TELECONFERENCE IN TWICE WITHIN A CALENDAR YEAR.SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL KNOW THAT THAT IS AN OPTION IF YOU ARE EVER CONTAGIOUSLY ILL AND BUT STILL FEEL LIKE YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AND NOT BE ABSENT.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT.
DO YOU GET TWO IN A CALENDAR YEAR?
UM, ANY, ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? UH, I THINK WE ADJOURN.
[ADJOURNMENT]
TIME IS 4 51.