Apr 26, 2023 Ethics Review Commission

SECRETARY STANTON HERE.

COMMISSIONER LEVINS HERE.

LET'S SEE.

COMMISSIONER LOWE HERE.

COMMISSIONER 10 YUKA.

HERE.

COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, PRESENT.

WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

AND WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A QUORUM.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WITH VICE CHAIR KALE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY, IT IS GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE.

IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET OUR NEW COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER LOWE, BE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW YOU.

UM, SO NEXT UP WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

UM, THAT SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES AS IS HOW WE DO THINGS.

MR. DAVID WEINBERG, IF YOU'RE HERE, YOU CAN, ANY ONE OF THOSE SEATS OR MICROPHONES IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP, MR. WEINBERG.

UM, I'M HAPPY TO TIME UP HERE FOR YOUR THREE MINUTES.

WOULD YOU LIKE, UH, COUNTDOWN OR I'LL TRY TO GET IN UNDER THREE? SURE.

SOUNDS GOOD.

AND WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, SIR.

UH, GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS.

UH, MY NAME IS DAVID WEINBERG.

I'M HERE, UH, THIS EVENING REPRESENTING MYSELF.

UM, AND I GUESS MY COMMENTS ARE J JERMAINE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.

UM, BUT I'M NOT GONNA BE SPEAKING TO THE MERITS OF THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO INSTEAD IS TALK GENERALLY ABOUT WHY ETHICS IS SO IMPORTANT TO WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WITH THE ZILKER VISION PLAN.

AND I WANNA MAKE THREE QUICK POINTS ON THAT.

NUMBER ONE, THE SCOPE OF THIS PARKS PLAN, UH, IS ENORMOUS.

IT INCLUDES THREE NEW PARKING GARAGES, A NEW, UH, AMPHITHEATER ON THE GREAT LAWN, AND A NEW LAND BRIDGE OVER BARTON SPRINGS ROAD, A NEW WELCOME CENTER, A NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER LADYBIRD LAKE, A NEW SPORTS COMPLEX, AND SOME OTHER THINGS ADDED TOGETHER.

YOU HAVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN CITY CONTRACTS.

THAT'S, UH, POINT NUMBER ONE.

POINT NUMBER TWO.

THIS PLAN, IF IT IS PASSED BY COUNCIL, IS VERY LIKELY TO HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, BOTH IN TERMS OF FUNDRAISING FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, AS WE'VE SEEN, UM, WITH SOME OTHER PARK DEVELOPMENT RECENTLY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, AND ALSO IN THE OPERATION OF THESE CONTRACTS.

UM, PART IS NOT LIKELY TO BE OPERATING PARKING GARAGES OR A LARGE, UH, ENTERTAINMENT VENUE ON THE GREAT LAWN.

THE THIRD AND FINAL POINT I WANNA MAKE TONIGHT IS, UM, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS ABOUT, UM, PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THIS PROCESS.

I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY CHARTER AND SOME STATE LAW SAYS THAT ESSENTIALLY CITY PARKS BELONG TO THE PEOPLE IN SOME WAY.

THE CITY CANNOT OBJECT, LEE, GIVE AWAY PARKLAND, UH, OR SELL IT OFF WITHOUT HAVING, UH, AN ELECTION.

AND IT, YOU KNOW, THIS PLAN IS, IS PROPOSING SOME MAJOR, MAJOR, UH, CHANGES TO OUR MAIN PUBLIC PARK.

UM, AND IT IS, I THINK, OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROCESS, PROCEED IN A MANNER THAT IS CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT WITH THE PUBLIC, AND IS SOMETHING THAT THE PUBLIC CAN FEEL AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, IF IT DOES MOVE FORWARD, HAS BEEN DONE IN A HIGHLY ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL AND APPROPRIATE WAY.

CHAIR KALE INDICATED, UH, THAT SHE WOULD BE RECUSING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR.

I APPRECIATE IT.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, UH, THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION PORTION OF OUR, UM, AGENDA.

WE CAN MOVE ON TO.

UM, IF IT'S OKAY WITHOUT OBJECTION, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.

VICE

[2. Scheduling of Preliminary Hearings for Complaints filed by Teri Adams against Hanna Cofer and Evan Taniguchi Raising Claimed Violations of City Code Chapter 2-1-24 (Conflict of Interest & Recusal).]

SO BECAUSE TO TRY TO MINIMIZE HER JUMPING ON AND JUMPING OFF OF WEBEX, UM, THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CONSIDERATE TO TAKE THAT UP AT THIS TIME, WHICH IS SIMPLY A JURIS, A REVIEW OF MY JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION THAT THERE WERE,

[00:05:01]

UH, THAT THE COMMISSION DID HAVE JURISDICTION.

UM, OUR RULES SAY THAT ANY TIME A COMPLAINT IS BROUGHT BEFORE THE COMMISSION, I AS CHAIR LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT I THINK WE HAVE JURISDICTION.

AND IT IS, UH, THIS COMMISSION HAS THE CHANCE TO OVERTURN THAT DETERMINATION.

AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, MS. RBY TO EXPLAIN MORE.

WOULD YOU HEAR RSV WITH A LAW DEPARTMENTS? JUST A QUICK CORRECTION ON THE AGENDA.

IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, DISCUSSION.

THE, SO THE REVIEW UNDER THE CODE, THE REVIEW OF THE INITIAL JURISDICTION HAPPENS AT THE PRELIMINARY HEARING.

AH, COMMISSIONERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THEN, THANK YOU TO STATE WHETHER THEY DISAGREED OR WOULD LIKE A MORE ROBUST DISCUSSION ON THAT, UH, THAT DECISION.

UM, THIS AGENDA ITEM IS ABOUT SCHEDULING FOR THE PRELIMINARY HEARING, SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION.

I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.

UM, MM-HMM.

, I SCRAMBLED A FEW THINGS IN MY RUSH TO GET HERE ON TIME.

UM, SO THIS IS A SCHEDULING QUESTION.

AND, UH, WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED WAS THAT, UH, THE RULES HAVE A TIMEFRAME IN WHICH WE CAN HAVE A PRELIMINARY HEARING.

IT'S A, I BELIEVE, 60 DAYS FROM THE FILING OF A COMPLAINT.

SORRY, CAN I JUST INTERRUPT ONE MORE TIME? HOW, IF YOU WANNA LAY OUT THIS NO, NO, NO, NO.

I, I'LL COLLECT MYSELF.

YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING GREAT.

I, UM, IF THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE ITEM THAT COMMISSION, UH, VICE CHAIR KALE RECUSED HERSELF FROM.

AND SO IF WE WANT TO, ONE OPTION IS TO TAKE IT UP AT THE END ONCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE OTHER ITEMS, OR MAYBE HAVE VICE CHAIR KALE, POP OFF THE WEBEX AND THEN HOP BACK ON.

VICE CHAIR KALE, DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO YOU TO POP OFF? THAT'S FINE.

I CAN POP OFF EASILY.

WE'LL, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN, WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THE ITEM AND WE'LL HAVE YOU COME BACK ON.

I'LL KEEP AN EYE ON MY PHONE.

NO PROBLEM.

AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR BEARING WITH ME AS I ORGANIZE MY THOUGHTS.

UM, OKAY.

UH, SO AGAIN, UM, AS, UH, SAYING, UH, WE HAVE A TIME PERIOD IN WHICH WE CAN CONSIDER A PRELIMINARY HEARING BASED ON THE TIME THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED, THESE COMPLAINTS WERE FILED EARLIER LAST WEEK, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

THEY WERE BOTH FILED ON THE 19TH, YES.

OF APRIL.

UM, SO THAT MEANS THAT, UH, PRELIMINARY HEARING TODAY WOULD'VE BEEN A LITTLE TOO QUICK, A PRELIMINARY HEARING.

UM, THEN IN MAY OR MAY MEETING WOULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN CONSIDER AND THEN A SEPARATE MEETING IN THE FOLLOWING MONTH.

UM, THE IDEA IS THAT, UH, WANTED TO HAVE THIS ON THE AGENDA SO WE COULD DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT WE WANTED TO HAVE TWO PRELIMINARY HEARINGS IN ONE MEETING, OR IF WE WOULD LIKE TO SPREAD IT OUT A LITTLE BIT.

UM, IT, I WILL SAY FROM EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PRELIMINARY HEARINGS IN ONE MEETING.

WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN A PRELIMINARY HEARING AND A FINAL HEARING.

UM, THOSE ARE MEETINGS THAT GO LONG, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE.

UM, BUT ALSO I WANT TO BEAR IN MIND THAT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF TURNOVER ON THE COMMISSION AT THE MOMENT, AND MAYBE WE WANT TO SPREAD IT OUT A LITTLE BIT.

UM, SO THAT ONE OF THE HEARINGS HAPPENS ON ONE DATE, ANOTHER HEARING HAPPENS AT A FUTURE MEETING, OR A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.

UM, I ALSO WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF THE PARTIES TO THE COMPLAINTS.

IT MAY BE MORE EFFICIENT FOR THEM TO HAVE BOTH COMPLAINTS HANDLED IN ONE MEETING.

SO THAT IS, THIS AGENDA ITEM IS FOR THE DISCUSSION.

UM, IF, UH, IF COMMISSIONERS HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT HOW TO SCHEDULE THESE PRELIMINARY HEARINGS, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER LEVINS.

SO I MAINLY HAVE A, UH, QUESTION.

THESE ARE THE, THE TWO COMPLAINTS ARE VERY, THEY'RE RELATED.

THEY'RE SAME GENERAL SUB SUBJECT MATTER.

CAN WE, CAN WE SORT OF HAVE BOTH HEARINGS AT THE SAME TIME? OR DO WE HAVE TO START ONE HEARING, CONCLUDE IT, AND THEN START THE NEXT HEARING? EVEN THOUGH IT'S ROUGHLY THE EXACT SAME, NOT THE EXACT SAME, IT'S VERY SIMILAR SUBJECT MATTER.

THAT IS A FANTASTIC QUESTION.

I, I WILL, I THINK I'M GONNA IMMEDIATELY DEFER TO MY WISE COUNSEL.

BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT SETS OF FACTS.

UM, WHILE IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, TAKE EXTRA TIME TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE ONE DISCRETE HEARING, WRAP THAT UP AND THEN FOLLOW THAT UP WITH THE NEXT ONE.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUES WHILE ON PAPER SEEM, WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE DISCUSSION OF THE MERITS, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT SCHEDULING HERE, BUT WHILE, YOU KNOW, THERE, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT SET OF FACTS.

AND SO KEEPING THOSE SEPARATE, I THINK IS THE CLEANEST WAY TO DO IT.

AND, AND DIFFERENT RESPONDENTS AS WELL.

OH, ABSOLUTELY.

THE RESPONDENTS ARE DIFFERENT.

THE COM THE COMPLAINANT IS THE SAME.

SO IT WOULD BE SO GREAT IF WE COULD THOUGH , UM, OTHER, OTHER DISCUSSION.

GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER.

TEKA

[00:10:01]

QUESTION.

ARE THEY FACING ANY TYPE OF DEADLINE BASED ON WHAT WE ARE, OUR DECISION? SO I'M JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BEING TIMELY WITH THEIR, HAVING THINGS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD QUICKLY AND THEY NEED OUR DECISION QUICKER, THEN I'D HATE TO EXTEND IT LONGER AND WOULD PREFER TO DO IT IN ONE MEETING IF THAT WAS THE CASE.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE.

THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, IT'S NOT, I, I AM NOT AWARE IF THE PARTIES ARE FACING EXTERNAL DEADLINES ON CONSIDERATION OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SPECIFIC ITEMS OR PROJECTS THAT ARE AT ISSUE IN THE COMPLAINTS.

UM, I'LL ALSO OFFER THAT AS CHAIR, I'VE, I'VE GOT DISCRETION IN MAKING SCHEDULING DECISIONS.

UM, SO IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS TIME SENSITIVE WHERE DELAYING ONE MEETING WOULD, UH, IMPAIR THE ABILITY OF THE PARTIES TO ACCOMPLISH SOME GOAL OR MEET SOME NEED, UM, THEN WE CAN ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.

BUT THIS IS FOR THE COMMISSION.

IF, IF WE WANT TO MAKE AN INITIAL, UH, DECISION AS A BODY THAT WE SHOULD STAGGER THESE, THEN WE CAN MAKE THAT DECISION NOW.

AND THIS IS KIND OF A COURTESY AS WELL TO THE PARTIES TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THIS IS THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING.

COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, UH, AGAIN, WITH, WITHOUT REALLY GETTING INTO THE EVIDENCE, UM, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT IF THE FACTS ARE KIND OF SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR, HEARING THEM IN ONE CASE AND CLOSING IT OUT AND THEN HEARING THEM AGAIN, OR AT LEAST THE NEXT VERSION OF THE SAME FACTS, MIGHT GIVE ONE OR THE OTHER PARTY AN ADVANTAGE THE SECOND TIME AROUND, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.

UH, AND SO I THINK GENERALLY IN CRIMINAL LAW, WE TRY THEM TOGETHER, UH, FOR BOTH EFFICIENCY PURPOSES AND TO AVOID THESE SORT OF SITUATIONS TO WHERE SOMEONE IS PREPARED SORT OF UNFAIRLY FOR THE QUESTIONING THAT'S GOING TO SUFFICE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

THAT'S, AND THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

SO, AND, AND THEN THAT'S, UH, SUGGESTING THAT WE HAVE THE HEARINGS IN THE SAME MEETING AS OPPOSED TO DIFFERENT MEETINGS ON DIFFERENT DATES.

UH, YEAH.

IF, IF ONLY WE COULD COMBINE CASES LIKE COURTS CAN SOMETIMES, UM, UNFOR UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US.

UM, COMMISSIONER SANKA HAD ASKED, IS THERE A, IS THERE A DEADLINE THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT AFFECTS PROGRESS OR WORK FOR ANY OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE INVOLVED? UM, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE FOR DOING ON THE SAME DAY AS SOON AS WE CAN.

COMMISSIONER LOWE, UH, YES.

THIS IS A QUESTION AS WELL.

UM, IF WE SET THEM FOR THE SAME DATE, BUT ONE OF THE RESPONDENTS CAN MAKE IT AND THE OTHER CANNOT, DO WE HAVE, DO WE HAVE DISCRETION TO MOVE THEM AROUND? OR WOULD WE ASK, ASK THEM BOTH TO TAKE A LATER DATE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I, I ACTUALLY HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS.

UM, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS DOES, IT'S LIKE, IT'S NOT QUITE FAIR.

UM, IF EACH RESPONDENT DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME TO PREPARE, YOU KNOW, OR TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLECT DOCUMENTS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER MIGHT BE NECESSARY.

IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT POINT.

USUALLY WHEN WE SET, UH, WHEN WE SET HEARINGS ON COMPLAINTS, WE DO IT AS COLLABORATIVELY AS WE CAN WITH THE PARTIES.

UM, SOMETIMES, UH, UH, IT HAS BEEN ARGUABLY TOO COLLABORATIVELY WHERE WE HAVE HAD VERY PROLONGED COMPLAINTS AND HEARINGS THAT HAVE GONE ON FOR MONTHS AT A TIME, UH, BECAUSE OF SCHEDULING ERROR ISSUES.

UM, WHEN THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE A PARTY THAT'S REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL, THEIR COUNSEL CAN'T BE AVAILABLE.

AND AS A DEFERENCE AND A COURTESY TO THEM, SOMETIMES WE HAVE SAID, OKAY, WE'RE HAPPY TO SCHEDULE AROUND THAT CONFLICT AS WELL.

SO WE TRY OUR BEST AS A COMMISSION TO BE, UH, ACCOMMODATING TO THE PARTIES.

UM, AND SO IN A CASE LIKE THAT, IT WOULD BE ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER IF, SAY, UM, THE NEXT AVAILABLE HEARING DATE, ONE COMPLAINANT, ONE RESPONDENT IN A COMPLAINT WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THAT DATE.

BUT ANOTHER ONE WAS, UM, AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I WANTED TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION HERE WITH THE COMMISSION TO KIND OF TEASE OUT SOME OF THOSE, UH, INTERESTS AND FIGURE OUT IF WE WANT TO HAVE A PREFERENCE AT THE OUTSET FOR HAVING THEM ON THE SAME DAY OR SCHEDULING THEM ON DIFFERENT DAYS.

AND WHAT, WHAT I'M, I'M, GO AHEAD.

YEAH, SECRETARY STANTON.

OH, OKAY.

I JUST WANNA GIVE MY SUPPORT FOR HAVING THEM BOTH ON THE SAME DAY AND ALSO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

UM, ALSO IF THERE'S A THIRD COMPONENT, WHILE THAT IS OUR, WHILE, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE, WE COMMUNICATE BACK, UH, TO COMPLAIN TO THE COMPLAINANT.

WE ALSO ASK THE QUESTION THAT,

[00:15:01]

I THINK THERE IS THE FRINGE, I GUESS, PERCEPTION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN SOMEONE FILES A COMPLAINT, THEY FEEL BETTER KNOWING THAT IT'S BEING, THAT THERE'S SOME ACTION TAKEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, RATHER THAN KIND OF STRETCHING IT OUT.

AND I THINK THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE, UM, UM, WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY? THE, THE SOFT SKILLS ARE, ARE KIND OF LIKE THE, UM, CONNOTATIONS OF, YOU KNOW, AM I BEING HEARD? AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, UH, TO FACILITATE OR TO, TO, UM, FOR OUR REPUTATION IN THE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND TRUST.

SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF SAME DAY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND ASKING THE COMPLAINANT, ARE THERE DEADLINES THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF.

WELL, THAT'S HELPFUL.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY FORMAL ACTION THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN.

UM, IF, IF COMMISSIONERS ARE MORE COMFORTABLE TAKING A VOTE, EXPRESSING OUR PREFERENCE, WE CAN, UM, BUT I'LL DEFER TO OUR LEGAL COUNSEL.

I DON'T, I DON'T, I THINK IT'S DISCUSSION IMPOSSIBLE ACTION FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM, BUT, RIGHT.

SO THE ONLY FORMAL ACTION THAT WOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN IS IF YOU, IF IF THE DECISION, IF A MOTION WERE MADE TO GO BEYOND THE 60 DAYS, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE MOTION IS, THAT THAT IS ON THE FLOOR RIGHT NOW.

UM, I DO JUST WANNA ADD ONE QUICK CLARIFICATION TO THE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE PIECE.

UM, DUE TO NOTICE REQUIREMENTS, WE GIVE PARTIES 10 WORKING DAYS NOTICE IN ADVANCE OF A HEARING.

SO, UM, THE DATE, THE MAY, UH, E R C MEETING IS ON MAY 24TH.

AND SO, IN ORDER TO GIVE PARTIES ENOUGH TIME TO PREPARE, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT IN THE CODE THAT WE GIVE THEM 10 WORKING DAYS.

UH, THAT'S BASICALLY OUR DEADLINE TO PROVIDE THEM NOTICE AHEAD OF THE PRELIMINARY HEARING, SO THEY HAVE THAT TIME.

APPRECIATE THAT.

WELL, AND, AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE CAN, UH, MOVE ON FROM THE AGENDA ITEM UNLESS COMMISSIONERS HAVE OTHER THOUGHTS.

THE, THE MESSAGE THOUGH IS WELL TAKEN THAT, UM, AT THE NEXT AVAILABLE MEETING WITH DO NOTICE, UM, COMMUNICATING TO THE PARTIES THAT WE WOULD, UH, PREFER TO HAVE THE SAME, HAVE THE BOTH OF THE COMPLAINTS HEARD ON THE SAME DATE.

GOT IT.

AND ALSO CHECKING FOR POSSIBLE EXTERNAL FACTORS ABOUT THEIR TIMING.

UM, SO MESSAGE RECEIVED.

THANK YOU FOR ENTERTAINING THE DISCUSSION.

UM, UH, IF WE CAN SEND A MESSAGE TO VICE CHAIR KALE, UH, THAT WILL RESUMING WILL RESUME OUR NORMAL AGENDA.

TAKE A TWO ONE TO TWO MINUTE RECESS IN THE MEANTIME.

ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

SHE'S HOPPING BACK ON OR NOT, WE ARE BACK OUT OF RECESS.

UM, HELLO, VICE TARA KALE, WELCOME BACK.

UM, OKAY.

SO SINCE WE WENT OUT OF ORDER, UH, WE ARE CAN RETURN TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE

[1. Annual Election of Officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Parliamentarian).]

UM, SO I WILL OPEN THIS AGENDA ITEM JUST WITH AN OBSERVATION THAT I BELIEVE IT WAS NOVEMBER OF 2022 THAT I SAID I WAS NOT LONG FOR THIS COMMISSION.

AND, UM, HERE I AM STILL, UM, I, I'VE, UH, COMMUNICATED AND I WILL TRY TO COMMUNICATE AGAIN TO MY APPOINTING COUNCIL MEMBER OF, UH, YOU KNOW, MY WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT A SUCCESSOR APPOINTEE.

UM, BUT IN ANY EVENT, THE, THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS ON, UH, A CHAIR, UM, AND THE OTHER OFFICERS, AND WE CAN TAKE THIS UP IN ANY ORDER THAT, UH, YOU PREFER.

SO THE, THE OFFICER POSITIONS ARE CURRENTLY PARLIAMENTARIAN, WHICH IS, UH, HELD CURRENTLY BY COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, WHO IS NO LONGER ON THE COMMISSION.

SO THAT IS VACANT.

UM, SECRETARY, WHICH IS CURRENTLY, UH, SECRETARY STANTON, AND THEN VICE CHAIR, WHICH IS CURRENTLY COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR, KALE, AND THEN MYSELF AT CHAIR.

UM, I AM, I, IF WE WANNA START

[00:20:01]

WITH THE PARLIAMENTARIAN POSITION, SINCE IT IS VACANT, WE CAN DO THAT.

THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS ON PARLIAMENTARIAN, AND THE ONLY CAVEAT IS THAT YOU CANNOT HOLD MORE THAN ONE OFFICE UNDER OUR BYLAWS.

I DON'T BELIEVE WE NEED TO HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN.

UM, BUT IT IS A POSITION THAT WE HAD, UH, I AM HERE, I'M NOT HEARING EAGER NOMINATIONS.

YES, GO AHEAD.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

, UM, HOW IS, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE MS. RISBY HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM, IS IT JUST SO THAT MS. RBE COULD FOCUS MORE ON OTHER THINGS? AND SO WE HAVE A DEDICATED COMMISSIONER, UM, ROLE FOR PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE QUESTIONS? YEAH, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK GENERALLY MS. RBE IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER SOME PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS IF WE HAVE THEM ABOUT WHEN IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO MAKE A MOTION, HOW DO I AMEND THIS MOTION? UM, THE, I THINK THE ROLE OF THE PARLIAMENTARIAN WHEN WE HAD ESTABLISHED IT WAS SORT OF TO BE THE ACTIVE, UH, ENFORCER.

I WILL TURN ON MY MIC AND INTERJECT BECAUSE I SIT ON THE COMMISSION KIND OF ROLE.

UM, BUT, UH, I, I CAN SAY THAT PRIOR TO THERE BEING A PARLIAMENTARIAN POSITION, WHICH I THINK WAS THE LAST YEAR INVENTION, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK WE DID THAT LAST YEAR.

UH, IT WAS, IT WAS THE EXECUTIVE LIAISON, UM, FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD HELP US ON PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS IF WE GOT KIND OF TONGUE TIED ON, RIGHT.

AM I ON THIS MOTION? DO I NEED TO DO SOMETHING HERE? UM, AND, AND WE COULD CERTAINLY RETURN TO THAT PRACTICE AS WELL.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE AMENABLE TO YOU, MS. BRISBY? IS THAT TAKING YOU ADDED BURDEN ON YOU? I, WHILE I APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATION, I DON'T THINK I GET A SAY SINCE I'M NOT A COMMISSIONER , UH, BUT THE LAW DEPARTMENT IS HERE TO SUPPORT, UH, IN WHATEVER WAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A REQUIRED POSITION.

SO YOU ALL ARE FREE TO, UM, DECIDE HOW TO PROCEED WHICHEVER WAY YOU WANT.

BUT THANK YOU FOR THE CONSIDERATION.

COMMISSIONER, DID I HEAR AN OPTION THAT IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE ONE? THAT'S CORRECT.

I'M OKAY WITH IT.

I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH RIGHT NOW TO DO ANYTHING EXTRA, SO I'M NOT SURE.

FAIR ENOUGH.

I, I THINK, UM, JUST AS WE CREATED THE PARLIAMENTARIAN POSITION WHEN WE THOUGHT WE NEEDED IT, UM, IF THE NEED ARISES IN THE FUTURE, I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING IN OUR RULE STOPS US FROM PICKING ONE OF US AND SAYING, WE'RE GONNA BE THE GAVEL PERSON.

UM, SO PERFECTLY FINE.

UH, MOVING ON THEN TO THE POSITION OF SECRETARY.

UM, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE NOMINATIONS FOR THE POSITION OF SECRETARY.

I NOMINATE THE REELECTION OF SECRETARY STANTON.

SH SHOULD SHE ACCEPT THE NOMINATION? SURE.

I WILL SECOND THAT NOMINATION.

I THINK IT WAS SECONDED BY A NUMBER OF US.

UM, I'M HONORED AND I I WILL CONTINUE.

LET'S TAKE A, A VERY QUICK VOICE VOTE.

UM, SO I'LL JUST CALL THE ROLL FROM THE TOP DOWN.

SO, VICE CHAIR KALE ON THE, ON THE REELECTION OF, UH, SECRETARY STANTON TO THE POSITION OF SECRETARY.

SECRETARY STANTON, DO YOU VOTE FOR YOURSELF? NO, I COULD.

COMMISSIONER LOWE, UH, OLIVE STAYING ON ALL OF THE ELECTIONS.

COMMISSIONER LEVINS? YES.

CHAIR SORAN.

COMMISSIONER 10 YUCA.

AND COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS? YES.

CAN'T MAKE A, A MEETING, UH, CHAIR SOBER ON OR SOMETHING COMES UP AND THEY NEED ME TO SORT OF STEP IN AND APPROVE AN AGENDA, THAT KIND OF THING.

CONGRATULATIONS.

WELCOME BACK.

UM, SO NOW, UH, FOR THE POSITION OF VICE CHAIR, UM, I, I WILL, UH, SEAT THE FLOOR CURRENTLY TO VICE CHAIR KALE TO ASK IF SHE HAS PLANS OF LEAVING THIS COMMISSION ANYTIME SOON.

UM, AND WHAT, WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS YOUR ROLE ON THE COMMISSION? UH, I DON'T HAVE PLANS TO LEAVE THE COMMISSION ANYTIME SOON.

AND IF SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE, THAT'S FINE BY ME, BUT, BUT IF NOT, I'M HAPPY TO DO IT AS WELL.

IT'S NOT TIME CONSUMING.

MOSTLY I'M, I'M NEEDED WHEN, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU

[00:25:01]

SO IT'S NOT TIME INTENSIVE.

OCCASIONALLY I'M ASKED TO RUN A MEETING, UH, AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO DO IT, BUT IF SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO GAIN THAT EXPERIENCE, I'M HAPPY FOR THAT AS WELL.

COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. YEAH.

SO FLOOR IS OPEN COMMISSIONERS? YES.

CAN I HAVE SOME DISCUSSION WITH THIS? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

YOU'RE LEAVING, RIGHT? UM, I AM STA I AM STAYING HERE AS SOON AS, UH, UH, UNTIL I HAVE A, UH, SOMEONE ELSE APPOINTED BY MY COUNCIL MEMBER, WHICH I DON'T HAVE.

I HAVE NO INDICATION AS TO WHEN THAT'S GONNA BE, SO I, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.

SO WHAT, HOW, ONLY REAL QUESTION IS, IS COULD YOU TURN YOUR MIC ON, PLEASE? MY ONLY REAL QUESTION IS, ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO BE REELECTED AS CHAIR, OR, UH, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO EMBRACE THAT POSITION, I THINK WE'D ALL LIKE TO KNOW.

I AM HAPPY TO CONTINUE SERVING AS CHAIR.

UM, ONE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS WHETHER, UH, A DEPARTURE MIDTERM, UH, MEANS A NEW ELECTION? I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT I DON'T YES, THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD RESULT IN A MIDTERM ELECTION, ESSENTIALLY FOR, FOR THE VACANCY.

UM, AND I, I'M HAPPY TO SERVE, UH, A I'M HAPPY TO SERVE A PARTIAL TERM.

I'M HAPPY TO ALSO SIT BACK AND NOT CHAIR, UH, SINCE MY DEPARTURE IS, UH, INEVITABLE IF INDETERMINATE.

BUT, UM, APOLOGIES.

UM, BUT I, I, AGAIN, UH, I, IF THERE IS A DESIRE FROM SOMEONE ELSE ON THIS COMMISSION TO TAKE THE ROLE, I'M HAPPY TO, HAPPY TO SEAT THE POSITION ADVICE CHAIR KALE WANTS TO SERVE, UH, THE TERM AS CHAIR.

I'M HAPPY TO, UH, LET HER TAKE THAT ROLE AS WELL.

YES, GO AHEAD.

UH, JUST A QUESTION FOR A CLARIFICATION.

SO YOU WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND WILLING TO CONTINUE SERVING WITH THE CAVEAT THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT YOU WOULD BE LEAVING VACATING THAT ROLE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.

AND WHEN THAT POINT COMES, WE WOULD HAVE TO RE WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD ANOTHER ELECTION JUST FOR THAT VACANCY, CORRECT.

JUST FOR THE CHAIR.

AND WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF A MIDTERM ELECTION? JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, IS THERE A BURDEN? IS IT A BURDENSOME PROCESS? IS THERE, UM, DOES IT CREATE SOME KIND OF HARDSHIP ON THE COMMISSION, OR, OR MAYBE THERE'S NO REAL IMPACT, IT'S JUST TIMING AND HAVING TO FIND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE ELSE STEPPING UP TO THAT ROLE.

VICE-CHAIR, UH, KALE CONTINUE.

SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, ANYTIME THE CHAIR IS UNAVAILABLE, AND I THINK A VACANCY WOULD COUNT TOWARDS THAT, A VICE CHAIR WOULD ASSUME THE ROLE.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ANYTIME A CHAIR HAS TO RECUSE ON AN ISSUE, UM, IT IS A VICE CHAIR OR THE NEXT OFFICER.

IF THE VICE CHAIR'S NOT AVAILABLE, THAT ASSUMES THE DUTIES OF THE CHAIR.

UM, SO I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S THE, THE ONLY POSSIBLE BURDENS ARE HOW, UH, DISRUPTIVE AN EXIT WAS.

IN OTHER WORDS, IF I, IF I GHOSTED THE COMMISSION AND GAVE NO NOTICE THAT I WAS LEAVING, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF A COMPLAINT, THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY PROBLEMATIC.

UM, I, I WOULD NOT DO THAT.

UM, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY, IF COMMISSIONERS DON'T WANT TO CHANCE IT AND SOMEONE ELSE WANTS IT, WANTS A SHOT AT RUNNING A MEETING.

BUT WE ARE ALSO TECHNICALLY ON THE VICE-CHAIR NOMINATION.

I NOMINATE THAT.

UH, THE, SO ONCE THERE IS A NOMINATION, IF THERE ARE OTHER NOMINATIONS, WE CAN TALK ABOUT OTHER NOMINATIONS.

ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS OKAY.

FOR THAT, FOR THAT SPECIFIC ROLE.

READING THE ROOM, IT WAS LIKE SECRETARY STANTON IS THE NOMINEE.

UH, YOU CAN, UH, WE KIND OF

[00:30:01]

UM, BUT YEAH.

SO, OKAY.

COMMISSIONER LEVINS? YES.

SO, UH, VICE CHAIR, KALE, WOULD YOU ACCEPT THAT NOMINATION BEFORE WE GO THROUGH THE ROLL CALL? I DO.

I DO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE IN ME.

WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE ROLL CALL.

UM, VICE CHAIR KALE? UH, YES.

CHAIR SOBER ON? YES.

COMMISSIONER 10 YUKA.

COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. YES.

CONGRATULATIONS, AND WELCOME BACK, VICE CHAIR KALE.

UM, MOVING ON TO THE CHAIR POSITION.

THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE POSITION OF CHAIR.

AGAIN, I THINK, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO REHASH.

UM, I'M HAPPY TO SERVE AGAIN.

UH, FOR AS LONG AS I'M HERE, I'M HAPPY TO LET SOMEONE ELSE TAKE THE REINS.

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

I WANTED TO ASK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER LEVINS, IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN THAT, IN THAT ROLE? UM, IF CHAIR SOBER ON DOESN'T WANNA SERVE, I'D BE WILLING TO SERVE.

I HAD JUST HIT MY BUTTON TO NO NEED CHAIR SOBER ON .

UM, UH, SO MY VIEW IS IT, I'M NOT UNWILLING TO SERVE, BUT I THINK ESPECIALLY WITH A LOT OF TURNOVER, UM, THE CONTINUITY OF HAVING THE CHAIR REMAIN UNTIL HE ABANDONS US SO MALICIOUSLY .

UM, I, I THINK PERSONALLY, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.

UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S MY VIEW.

FAIR.

MAY I CONTINUE WITH QUESTIONS? YES, GO AHEAD.

SO, A COUPLE OF OPTIONS.

UH, THANK YOU.

I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD SAY THAT, UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT DURING THIS TRANSITION TIME, MAYBE IT'S A GOOD TIME FOR, UM, KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND KIND OF GETTING, UM, COMMISSIONER LEVINS UP TO SPEED, MAYBE DURING THIS KIND OF S SLOW TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, OR WOULD IT BE BETTER, UH, OR COULD WE MAKE THE MOTION THAT ONCE YOU VACATE THE ROLE, THEN IT WOULD GO TO COMMISSIONER LEVINS THAN HE WOULD? I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT, I DON'T IF'S VALID.

IT'S CONTEMPLATED IN OUR BYLAWS.

UM, AND I ACTUALLY HAD THE THOUGHT OF AGEN FOR A FUTURE MEETING, A CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR BYLAWS TO TALK ABOUT, UH, HOW WE DO ELECTIONS.

BECAUSE EARLIER TODAY, WHEN I HAD THE BANDWIDTH, I WAS THINKING, HMM, UH, INTERESTING QUESTIONS ABOUT VACANCIES AND TURNOVER.

, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AVAILABLE, BUT, UM, I, I DO, I AM MORE THAN HAPPY, UH, IF SOMEONE IS INTERESTED, UM, IF NOT TONIGHT AT A FUTURE, UH, YOU KNOW, DATE, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN BECOMING CHAIR, I'M HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND TALK THROUGH THE INTERESTING EXPERIENCE THAT I'VE HAD AS CHAIR.

UM, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. UM, I DIDN'T WANT, I DON'T WANNA REIN ON ANYONE'S PARADE, BUT ARE WE SURE THAT THE NEWLY ELECTED VICE CHAIR DOESN'T WANT TO SERVE AS CHAIR AT SOME POINT IN TIME IN THE FUTURE? SO, UH, RECOGNIZE VICE CHAIR KALE TO EXPLAIN HER EXPERIENCE.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

RIGHT NOW, I DON'T HAVE THE, UM, BANDWIDTH.

UM, SO, UM, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.

AND, UM, SO I, I'M NOT READY TO COMMIT TO THAT.

THOUGH.

I COULD JUST CLARIFY, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE BYLAWS ONLY CONTEMPLATE AN EMERGENCY ELECTION IF SOMEONE WHO'S CURRENTLY IN THE POSITION HAS TO VACATE FOR WHATEVER REASON, WHETHER THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, NO LONGER SERVING ON THE COMMISSION OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

SO, UM, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING IN THERE THAT CONTEMPLATES, AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED, A SORT OF BIFURCATED APPROACH OR A DOUBLE, YOU KNOW, TWO VOTING, TWO PEOPLE IN, UM, ONE POSITION, EVEN IF YOU SEPARATED OUT TEMPORARILY.

UM, SO YEAH, JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON THAT PIECE.

WHAT WOULD BE BEST FOR YOU PERSONALLY, UM, CHAIR SOBER ON, AND THEN ALSO, SECONDARILY, WHAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO COMMISSIONER LEVENS AS FAR AS, UM, UH, THE GROOMING OR THE, THE TRAINING, THE, ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, IF YOU WILL.

I'M, I THINK EITHER WAY I CONSIDER IT A BIG WIN FOR US, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, YOU STAY ON LONGER AND THEN COMMISSIONER LEVENS TAKES OVER, OR COMMISSIONER LEVENS TAKES OVER.

NOW IT'S, IT'S A WIN.

UM, I'M AT THIS POINT CONSIDERING

[00:35:01]

SO, WORKING IN TANDEM, MAYBE OFFICIALLY COMMISSIONER LEVENS WOULD TAKE ON THAT ROLE AND WITH YOU UNTIL YOU, UNTIL YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE COMMISSION.

IS THAT A, IS THAT WHAT'S IN THE FUTURE, LEAVING THE COMMISSION OR JUST VACATING THE ROLE? UH, I GENERALLY LEAVING THE COMMISSION.

UM, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.

SO UNTIL THEN MM-HMM.

, YOU, YOU WOULD BE BASICALLY, I MEAN, HE'D BE UNDER YOUR TRAINING.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M SUGGESTING? I, I POSSIBLY.

UH, AND I'LL RESTATE IT, OR IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE SUGGESTING A NOMINATION OF, UH, COMMISSIONER LNS FOR THE ROLE AND WHILE I'M HERE ON THE COMMISSION OFFERING MY ADVICE AND SUPPORT, RIGHT.

AND, AND THE EX OFFICIO CHAIR.

YES, YES.

TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS UNTIL MY THIRD CHILD COMES.

BUT THAT IS ONLY, THAT IS ONLY IF, CUZ I, I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD HELP YOU PERSONALLY WITH BANDWIDTH AND JUST WORK LIFE BALANCE.

BUT MAYBE I'M PRESUMING TOO MUCH SO PEOPLE ARE NOT PRESUMING TOO MUCH ABOUT MY CURRENT WORK.

YOU'RE A NEW FATHER.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

SO, UM, I TAKE IT AS YOU KNOW, YOU ARE, UM, YOU'VE BEEN VERY NOBLE AND YOUR INTEGRITY WITH CONTINUING ON WHEN YOU'VE BEEN NEEDING TO BE OFF THE COMMISSION FOR SOME TIME NOW.

AND SO I, I WANNA TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, AND I HAVE THE UTMOST CONFIDENCE IN COMMISSIONER LEVINS IN, IN TAKING ON THAT ROLE.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'M LEANING TOWARDS IS LET'S GET COMMISSIONER LEVINS IN THAT ROLE HELP EASE YOU THIS TRANSITION, EASE YOU OUT WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, GIVING HIM THE SUPPORT, THE DIRECT SUPPORT, WHILE YOU'RE STILL ON THE COMMISSION FOR, TO ENSURE HIS CONTINUED SUCCESS AND ESPECIALLY HIS SUCCESS IN, IN THE NEW ROLE.

THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M, I'M LEANING, BUT I WANTED TO ASK YOU, UM, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT, IF I WAS READING THAT CORRECTLY.

SO, I APPRECIATE THOSE THOUGHTS AND I APPRECIATE THE KIND WORDS.

UM, I WILL SAY ALSO, MY, MY GROWING FAMILY ALSO APPRECIATES, UH, THE KIND WORDS.

UM, AND, AND I, I AGREE.

I THINK COMMISSIONER LOVENS, UM, HAS DISPLAYED, UH, EXCEPTIONAL TEMPERATE JUDGMENT IN, IN ALL OF OUR PROCEEDINGS.

AND I ALWAYS VALUE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR DISCUSSIONS, AND I THINK HE WOULD MAKE A FINE CHAIR.

UM, SO I, FOR, IF YOU'RE ASKING HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT THINGS, I FEEL GREAT , I FEEL FINE.

UM, AND, AND HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A NOMINATION, IF THAT'S THE CASE, BE HAPPY TO, UNLESS SOMEBODY ELSE WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER LEVINS TO FILL THE ROLE OF CHAIR.

ALSO, I'LL SECOND THAT NOMINATION DISCUSSION.

UH, OTHER NOMINATIONS, BECAUSE YES, GO AHEAD.

COMMISSIONER TEKA, I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING COMMISSIONER LEVINS, BUT I STILL LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING YOU HERE A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

UM, AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE SOME TIME TO MAKE THAT DECISION.

AND I ALSO FEEL LIKE WE HAVE SOME NEW COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE GONNA BE JOINING US THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THE ROLE, TOO.

SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE NICE TO HAVE, UM, THAT ELECTION AT ANOTHER TIME TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED.

BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T GET THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU DIDN'T WANNA BE ON THE COMMISSION ANYMORE, OR ON THAT ROLE IN THE ROLE ANYMORE.

AND IT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE YOU WERE OKAY WITH IT.

BUT IF YOU'RE NOT, THEN SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE.

I, I AM, I, IT IS HARD TO PASSIONATE DIS PASSIONATELY DISPLAY IMPARTIALITY AND PASSIONATELY DISPLAY, UM, AMBIVALENCE IS THE WRONG WORD, UM, BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT THE COMMISSION AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE COMMISSION, BUT WHETHER OR NOT I SERVE AS CHAIR, TO ME, TRULY DOES NOT MAKE MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE.

UM, AND I AM HAPPY TO BE IN THIS ROLE IF IT IS HELPFUL TO THE COMMISSION, IF IT IS HELPFUL TO NEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AS THEY COME ON, UM, AS THE VACANCIES START TO GET FILLED.

AND AS COMMISSIONERS, MCCORMICK, DANBURG AND LARRY, UM, HAVE THEIR REPLACEMENTS COME IN, HAPPY

[00:40:01]

UM, UH, YES, UM, UH, IF THAT IS HELPFUL TO THE COMMISSION, BUT I'M ALSO HAPPY TO CONTINUE SERVING ON THE COMMISSION AS A COMMISSIONER WITH SOMEONE ELSE SITTING IN THE CHAIR FOR THE YEAR UNTIL WE HAVE OUR NEXT ELECTIONS.

UM, AND PROVIDE, SINCE I AM, ODDLY ENOUGH, THE SENIOR, UH, MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION NOW WHO'S BEEN HERE THE LONGEST, I'M HAPPY TO ALWAYS OFFER MY 2 CENTS AND MY, UM, THE, HARD TO SAY THIS, MY HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED ON THE COMMISSION.

SO I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE CONSIDERATION AND THE GESTURE, BUT MY, MY STRONG INDIFFERENCE IS STILL THERE.

IF I MAY ASK A, A QUESTION OF, OF YOU.

UM, I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE, UM, IMPARTIAL AS TO THE, THE DESIRE TO HOLD ONTO THE POSITION.

WITHOUT, YEAH.

DOES IT MAKE YOUR PERSONAL LIFE EASIER , TO SERVE IN AN ADVISORY ROLE TO THE NEWLY ELECTED CHAIRMAN? IT MAY, IT MAY A LITTLE BIT.

UM, THE, THE DEMANDS TIME, THE, THE TIME, UH, DEMANDS THAT ARE PLACED ON THE CHAIR ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, UH, IN THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE, UH, MORE REGULAR COMMUNICATION.

WORKING IN AND AROUND THE LEGISLATURE MEANS THAT COMMUNICATION'S HARD, SOMETIMES AN ODD NUMBERED YEARS, BUT HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE FREQUENT COMMUNICATION WITH CITY STAFF ABOUT COMPLAINTS IF THEY'RE COMING UP ABOUT WHAT TO PUT ON THE AGENDA ABOUT ANCILLARY ISSUES THAT HAPPEN.

UM, SO, UH, BUT IT, IT IS NOT, UM, IT IS, IT IS HARD TO CALL IT BURDENSOME BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT MUCH TIME, NOT MUCH MORE TIME THAN A NORMAL COMMISSIONER SPENDS.

SO, SO I MEAN, ON BALANCE, SURE.

IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER.

UM, BUT YEAH.

NOT A BUT IT'S NOT GONNA, IT'S NOT, AND I, I'VE NEVER SERVED AS CHAIR, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXTRA BURDEN IS.

LIKE, IT'S NOT, UH, THE TYPE OF THING WHERE NOT BEING CHAIR, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BIG WIPE OF YOUR BROW AND SAY, HUH, FINALLY I CAN GET AN EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP EVERY NIGHT.

UM, MY, WE'RE WE'RE BOTH KIND OF DOING THIS.

WELL, I, I'LL SERVE, BUT I'M HAPPY IF YOU SIR .

UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S GENUINELY, I MEAN, YOU'VE, THE WHOLE TIME I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, YOU'VE BEEN THE CHAIRMAN AND I'VE, I'VE NEVER HAD A SINGLE REASON TO OBJECT TO YOU BEING CHAIRMAN OR THINK, OH, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GET THAT GUY OUT OF THAT CHAIR.

UM, WITH, WITH ME HAVING BEEN NOMINATED, I, I'M NOT GONNA BE PRESUMPTUOUS IF, IF WE REELECT YOU TONIGHT, I'M NOT PRESUMPTUOUS THAT ONCE YOU LEAVE, I WOULD AGAIN BE NOMINATED.

BUT LET'S ASSUME THAT I WERE, CUZ WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD IN THAT WAY.

IN ANY EVENT, I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER .

YOU DO.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, IF IF, IF I WERE TO SERVE AND YOU'RE HERE AS A COMMISSIONER, THAT'S HELPFUL, CUZ I CAN CALL YOU UP AND SAY, I, I CAN PROBABLY DISCUSS THINGS MAYBE A LITTLE MORE FREELY.

I'M NOT SURE.

UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT CHANGES MUCH IF YOU'RE NOT ON THE COMMISSION.

BUT YOU WERE THE CHAIRMAN LAST MONTH, I CAN STILL CALL YOU AND SAY, HEY, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE QUESTION IS.

ALL ELSE EQUAL CONTINUITY'S A GOOD THING.

SO, UM, I'M, I'M, AGAIN, I'M GETTING BACK TO I, I'M FINE EITHER WAY.

UM, AND, UH, I, LIKE I SAID, I WAS ABOUT TO NOMINATE YOU EARLIER.

UM, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, THE, THE SPLIT, IF WE HAVE TWO NOMINEES, THE SPLIT IN THE VOTE'S GONNA, WITH OUR NUMBER IS GONNA BE .

I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GONNA GO.

I'D RATHER US SORT OF SURE.

GET A, GET A READ OF THE ROOM AND SAY, UH, LET'S GO THAT WAY.

I AM, I, LIKE I SAID, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE DISCUSSION, I THINK THE CONTINUITY, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH NEW MEMBERS COMING IN, IS BENEFICIAL.

UM, IF THE REST OF THE BOARD DISAGREES, I'M NOT, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD EITHER WAY.

I DON'T THINK WE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF IF WE HAVE A NEW CHAIRMAN, WHILE WE HAVE SOME NEW MEMBERS, I, I THINK WE'LL GET THROUGH IT.

BUT, UM,

[00:45:01]

THAT'S FAIR.

UM, YES, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, I AGAIN WOULD POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE A VICE-CHAIR WHO HAS ALMOST AS MUCH EXPERIENCE AND IS CAPABLE YEAH.

ASSISTING SURE.

FOR WHATEVER THAT'S WORTH.

AND VICE CHAIR CAROL HAS BEEN, UH, AN AMAZING CO-PILOT ON A NUMBER OF VACATIONS, SO THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I'M HAPPY TO FILL IN OR SHARE ANY POINTERS, THAT SORT OF THING.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S, UM, DONE THIS YET, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFICIALLY NOMINATE CHAIR SOONE TO CONTINUE ON UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO DEPARTURE.

AND THEN ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THEN WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER ELECTION THEN.

UH, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M THINKING I WOULD LIKE TO DO.

PLEASE.

IT'S A NOMINATION.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'M CONVINCED.

SO I'LL SECOND.

SECONDED.

SO WE DO HAVE A NOMINATION AND A SECOND FOR, UH, COMMISSIONER LEVINS THAT'S CURRENTLY YES.

OUT THERE.

JUST WANNA REMIND CAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSION SINCE.

SO THAT IS STILL WAITING FOR A VOTE.

BEFORE, BEFORE WE DO VOTE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO WITHDRAW MY NAME FROM CONSIDERATION.

MAKE THIS, UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S ALL THAT HARD ANYWAY, BUT SURE.

UM, MAKE IT GO SMOOTHLY AND THEN, UH, WHEN THE TIME COMES, WE CAN ELECT SOMEBODY ELSE, WHOEVER THAT, ME OR SOMEONE ELSE.

UM, SO, UM, I'M WITHDRAWING MY NAME FROM CONSIDERATION.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING A NOMINEE, UM, .

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE NOMINATION.

IN A SECOND WE CAN GO THROUGH THE ROLL CALL.

I APOLOGIZE THAT I WAS NOT DECISIVE.

I WANTED TO BE, UH, CLEAR ABOUT WHAT I'M DOING, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH ME, AND WHAT MY LACK OF PREFERENCES WERE.

AND I APPRECIATE IT.

AND, UH, SERVING THIS COMMISSION IS ONE OF THE MORE FUN THINGS THAT I HAVE DONE EXTRACURRICULARLY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.

UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO DO IT A LITTLE WHILE LONGER.

SO GO THROUGH THE ROLL CALL VICE CHAIR KALE? YES.

OH, GREAT.

THANKS.

UH, SECRETARY STANTON.

PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE.

COMMISSIONER LOWE.

I NEED TO ABSTAIN, BUT I DO WANNA SAY, I THINK THE PLAN SOUNDS GREAT.

UM, COMMISSIONER LEVINS.

UH, COMMISSIONER 10 YUCA.

COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. YES.

COMMISSIONER, NOT COMMISSIONER, COUNCIL.

COMMISSIONERS.

UM, THANK YOU.

WE HAVE MORE AGENDA TO GET THROUGH.

UM, YES.

COUNCIL, WE'LL TAKE THAT AS AN ASSESSMENT OF HOW MUCH I'VE BEEN BUTTING IN.

UH, I THINK IT MIGHT HELP TO KEEP THE RECORD CLEANER, TO HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, IN A VOTE ON NOT HAVING A PARLIAMENTARIAN MM-HMM.

, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING EVERYTHING CLEAN FOR THE MINUTES.

UM, THEN I WILL MOVE THAT WE, UH, OH, GO AHEAD.

COMMISSIONER UCA.

I WAS JUST GONNA ASK COMMISSIONER LEVINS, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE MEANTIME? BECAUSE IF, IF WHEN THE POSITION DOES COME AVAILABLE, UM, AND YOU DO DEPARTURE, WOULD HE BE ABLE TO SWITCH FROM PARLIAMENTARIAN TO CHAIR IF HE WANTED TO? I BELIEVE IF IT WAS VOTED, YEAH, WELL, IBEL IT, I THINK IT WOULD BE AN ELECTION NONETHELESS.

UM, BUT, UH, THERE, THERE WOULD BE NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING THAT OFFICER POSITION BE FILLED BY COMMISSIONER LEVINS IN THE CURRENT MOMENT.

AND I THINK A CHANGE UP HALFWAY THROUGH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE COUNSEL.

I THINK THE WAY THAT WOULD WORK IS IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, COMMISSIONER LOVINS WOULD VACATE THE PARLIAMENTARIAN POSITION AND THERE WOULD, IT WOULD JUST BE A PART OF THE EMERGENCY ELECTION, UM, TO MAKE THAT CHANGE.

IT JUST WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE TO HOLD TWO POSITIONS AT THE SAME TIME IF YOU WERE SO INCLINED.

, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN? SURE.

UH, I'M, I'LL HAVE TO DO A LITTLE MORE READING ON ROBERT'S RULES , BUT THAT WOULDN'T HURT ME.

SO YES, I'D BE, I'D BE HAPPY TO BE THE PARLIAMENTARIAN.

YOU MUCH MORE PAIN THAN THE TEXAS RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE.

I'LL NOMINATE COMMISSIONER LEVINS FOR PARLIAMENTARIAN NAME.

I'LL SECOND THAT NOMINATION AND I WILL ASSURE

[00:50:01]

UM, ALRIGHT.

SO NOMINATION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.

UM, AND THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.

CAN MARCH THROUGH THE ROLL CALL? SO, VICE CHAIR KALE? YES.

SECRETARIES TO STANTON.

COMMISSIONER LOWE ABSTAIN.

BUT I THINK THAT PLAN SOUNDS GREAT TOO.

APPRECIATE IT.

COMMISSIONER LEVINS? YES.

CHAIR SORAN.

COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. YES.

COMMISSIONER TEKA? YES.

CONGRATULATIONS MR. PARLIAMENTARY.

UM, OKAY.

NOW, UH, OFFICIALLY ONTO THE OTHER ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA, UH, WE HAVE, UH, TWO AGENDA ITEMS THAT WERE ACTUALLY SUGGESTED BY COMMISSIONER LOWE.

UM, AND THE FIRST ONE OF THOSE IS AGENDA

[3. Discussion of documentation of ERC activities for public access.]

ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION OF DOCUMENTATION OF E R C ACTIVITIES FOR PUBLIC ACCESS.

UM, I'M HAPPY TO TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO THE YOU AND, UH, DISCUSS WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO, WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.

YEAH, I JUST HAVE A SHORT COMMENT.

I NOTICED THAT ON THE WEBSITE WE HAVE, UH, AN ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH IS FROM 2019, 2020.

SO IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE NOTHING'S BEEN DONE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.

SO, UM, I JUST, I MEAN, I FEEL THAT'S ALL THE PUBLIC HAS TO SEE.

SO, UM, I THOUGHT WE SHOULD EITHER DECIDE WHETHER TO DO ONE , I MEAN, JUST START ONE OR YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, OR, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WE SHOULD BE PRESENTING IT ON THE WEBSITE AS A PUBLIC STATEMENT.

THAT'S A GREAT, THAT'S A GREAT OBSERVATION.

UM, SO THERE IS, UH, THERE'S A PRACTICE OF HAVING AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT IT REPRESENTS, UH, MORE OR LESS A RECITATION OF OUR MEETING MINUTES, UM, WITH OCCASIONALLY, UH, A BLURB AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAIR EXPRESSING SOME GOAL OR VISION ABOUT MAYBE WHAT THE NEXT YEAR MIGHT BRING.

UM, AND LIKE YOU SAID, THE LAST TIME THAT HAPPENED WAS IN 2019.

UM, YOU MAY RECALL WHAT HAPPENED IN THE YEAR 2020, UH, AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS.

UM, SO, UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE PICKED BACK UP AS A PRACTICE.

UM, I THINK IT IS A FINE, IT'S A PERFECTLY FINE THING TO DO.

I KNOW CITY, IT'S MOSTLY A JOB THAT IS UNDERTAKEN BY CITY STAFF AND COMPILING THAT MATERIAL.

UM, BUT, UH, TO, TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST, THERE, THERE'S NO, UH, CONCRETE REASON WHY WE STOPPED DOING AN ANNUAL REPORT OTHER THAN, UM, IT WAS A TURBULENT TIME WHERE WE WERE NAVIGATING HOW TO DO ZOOM PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, AMONG OTHER THINGS.

SO, BUT TO, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

AND I THINK, UM, IF, IF, IF THERE'S A DESIRE ON THE PART OF THE COMMISSION TO RESTART THAT PRACTICE, HAPPY TO TALK WITH CITY STAFF ABOUT, UH, POTENTIALLY COMPILING THE 2022 REPORT, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD OF US.

UM, UH, BUT YEAH, GO AHEAD.

WELL, I JUST THOUGHT IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING TO POST, WE SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE A STATEMENT SAYING, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED, THIS IS WHY WE'RE NOT POSTING IT.

OR THIS IS THE OTHER, THESE ARE THE OTHER SOURCES YOU CAN CONSULT IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN 2020 THROUGH PRESENT.

UM, I JUST, I I JUST REALLY FEEL WHEN THE PUBLIC LOOKS AT IT, IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, SUCH A DEARTH OF INFORMATION.

THAT'S FAIR.

, THAT'S FAIR.

UM, I THINK, UH, WHAT, WHAT I'M HAPPY TO DO AND, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GENED TO TAKE ACTION ON IT.

SO THIS IS, THIS IS TAKING ME AT MY WORD, UH, IS I'M HAPPY TO TALK WITH CITY STAFF ABOUT BEGINNING WORK ON A 2022 REPORT THAT DISCUSSES WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS IN A SUMMARY FORM.

SO THAT, UH, I, CUZ I KNOW IT IS, IT'S GONNA BE WORK GENERALLY TO COMPILE THE 2022 REPORT.

IT'S SUMMARIZING THE MINUTES, ESSENTIALLY FROM ALL THE MEETINGS WE HAD OVER THE PAST CALENDAR YEAR.

AND AS OPPOSED TO, UH, ASKING THEM TO DO THAT FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.

UM, FINDING A WAY TO HAVE A MORE CONCISE SUMMARY AT THE OUTSET OF WHAT THE COMMISSION DID OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST FEW YEARS.

UM, MAYBE A DESCRIPT, MAYBE THE NAMES OF THE CASES THAT WERE HEARD.

[00:55:01]

UH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO IT'S NOT AS DETAILED AS AN ANNUAL REPORT USUALLY IS IN EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE PRIOR CALENDAR YEARS, BUT SOMETHING TO ACCOUNT FOR THE GAP IN TIME.

WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT BE FINE? NO, I THINK THAT SOUNDS FINE.

I THINK MOST MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC DON'T WANT ANYTHING REALLY DETAILED TO READ ANYWAY.

YOU KNOW, JUST A ONE PAGE OUTLINE I THINK WOULD BE USEFUL.

WELL, I I'M MORE THAN HAPPY.

OH YEAH, GO AHEAD SECRETARY.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

UM, I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT AND TO YOUR POINT CHAIR, THAT IT IS AN EFFORT TO COMPILE THAT.

I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE HAVE AN INTERIM STATEMENT MORE GENERIC THAT WOULD, UM, ADDRESS WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER, I'M SORRY, LOWELL.

LOWELL, UM, SAID, WHICH IS FOR RIGHT NOW, WHAT CAN WE, WHAT CAN WE PUT THERE JUST A ONE OR TWO SENTENCE STATEMENT AS TO THIS WAS THE LAST, THE LAST ONE WE DID.

UM, CUZ EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES, THE COMMISSION IS WORKING ON DRAFTING A, UH, A SUMMARY OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON, WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SINCE 2019, JUST SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO THAT, AGAIN, WHEN THE PUBLIC SEES IT, IT'S NOT LIKE, AH, THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING, BUT IT'S LIKE, OH, OKAY.

IT KNOWING SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOT, NOT KNOWING, BECAUSE WHEN THEY, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, THEY PUT, THEY FILL IT IN WITH NEGATIVE STUFF, SURE.

THAT'S, THAT'S VALID.

AND I THINK THAT'S A FAIR POINT.

UM, GO AHEAD, COUNSEL.

JUST HAD ONE, UH, CLARIFICATION IN TERMS OF YOUR, UH, QUESTION ABOUT AN INTERIM STATEMENT.

UH, SO ABOVE THE LINK TO THE 2019 ANNUAL REPORT, THERE, UH, IS A LINK TO ALL OF THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE LAST THREE YEARS AS WELL AS VIDEOS.

SO THERE, JUST TO KIND OF HELP TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, THERE ARE RESOURCES OUT THERE THAT INDICATE AND SHOW SORT OF WHAT, WHAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN WORKING ON.

UM, BUT WE'RE ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE CHAIR ON PUTTING TOGETHER THE ANNUAL REPORT AS WELL.

YEAH, I'M, I'M JUST THINKING JUST ONE THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

I'M JUST THINKING THEN VERY, THEN IT'S EVEN EASIER.

WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, THE LAST ANNUAL, BASICALLY WE RECOGNIZE THE LAST ANNUAL REPORT WAS BACK FROM 2019 DURING COVID.

YOU KNOW, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO, UM, UH, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONDUCT, UH, ANOTHER, PROVIDE ANOTHER, UH, MORE RECENT ANNUAL REPORT HERE, HERE ARE, UH, MINUTES FROM OUR PRE FROM MEETINGS WE'VE HAD SINCE THEN.

JUST SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT ACKNOWLEDGES PEOPLE.

WE THINK THAT JUST PROVIDING THE INFORMATION, AND I, I'M, I'M GUILTY OF THIS TOO.

I THINK THAT PROVIDING THE INFORMATION, IT'S OBVIOUS, BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO COME OUT AND SAY THAT EXPLICITLY FOR PEOPLE AND NOT RELY ON THEM MAKING THAT CONNECTION.

OH, OKAY.

LAST ANNUAL REPORT WAS 2019, BUT THEY'VE DONE STUFF BECAUSE THERE ARE MINUTES WE HAVE TO JUST COME OUT AND SAY IT.

WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER, THIS IS THE MOST RECENT ONE, BUT WE'VE MET AND HERE ARE THE MINUTES.

THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING.

UH, AND I THINK THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.

UH, LIKE AN INTERIM STATEMENT BEFORE THE NEXT ANNUAL REPORT WHEN, WHEN THAT'S PREPARED AND RELEASED, HAPPY, HAPPY TO WORK WITH CITY STAFF ON MAKING THAT HAPPEN.

NEXT ONE THAT COMMISSIONER LOWE PROPOSED IT'S AGENDA ITEM FOUR OF ACTIVE WORKING GROUPS IN THE ORGANIZATION OF WORKING GROUPS GOING FORWARD.

UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS ON THIS SPECIFIC TOPIC? BECAUSE THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE

[4. Discussion of active working groups and the organization of working groups going forward.]

SO, GO AHEAD.

YEAH, THIS JUST CAME UP BECAUSE I WATCHED THE FEBRUARY VIDEO AND THERE WAS A STATEMENT BY MANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS ABOUT CONTINUING THE WORKING GROUPS EXCEPT THEY WERE ALL LEAVING THE COMMISSION.

SO IT APPEARS TO ME THERE ARE WORKING GROUPS THAT NO LONGER EXIST OR THERE ARE WORKING GROUPS THAT HAVE ONLY ONE OR TWO PEOPLE.

AND, AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, SEE HOW WE COULD ORGANIZE.

UM, I REALIZED THERE MAY BE SOME NEW COMMISSIONERS IN THE NEXT ONE OR TWO MEETINGS, SO, UM, I JUST KIND OF WANNA SPUR ON THIS DISCUSSION.

UM, BUT WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO, UM, ACTUALLY FORM THE WORKING GROUPS OR EVEN NAME ALL THE WORKING GROUPS.

I JUST THOUGHT WE SHOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WANNA HAVE

[01:00:01]

AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SERVE ON ONE OR TWO WORKING GROUPS, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHO IS DOING WHAT AT THIS POINT.

SO I WILL GIVE THE, UH, HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW HISTORY OF WORKING GROUPS ON THIS COMMISSION.

UM, AS I, FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, AND I'LL, UH, START BY JUST SAYING THERE I THINK IS TECHNICALLY ONE ACTIVE WORKING GROUP, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS A WORKING GROUP THAT I CREATED AND INVITED COMMISSION, UH, PARLIAMENTARIAN COMMISSIONER LEVINS TO, UH, JOIN ME ON TO DISCUSS, UM, THE, UH, PROCEDURES FOR INITIATING COMPLAINTS BECAUSE THERE'S A PROVISION OF OUR CODE THAT IS, UM, UNEXPLAINED AND, UH, POSSIBLY PROBLEMATIC ABOUT HOW THE COMMISSION ITSELF CAN DO COMPLAINTS, BUT THERE ARE NO RULES OF PROCEDURE, NOTHING ELSE OUTLINED IN CODE AS TO HOW THAT HAPPENS.

WHAT NO GUARDRAILS REALLY.

UM, AND THAT WAS, UH, TO ME, A, A, A PROSPECT THAT WAS CONCERNING AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT MY NEXT VENTURE, I WAS LIKE, MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE A WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS THIS WITH SOMEONE ABOUT PROPOSALS WE COULD MAKE TO PUT SOME GUARDRAILS ON WHAT THE COMMISSION CAN DO BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A NOTABLE AMOUNT OF AUTHORITY THAT'S GRANTED IN THE ORDINANCE WITH NO DIRECTION OR GUARDRAILS AS TO HOW THAT AUTHORITY'S USED.

UM, THAT IS STILL TECHNICALLY A WORKING GROUP AND I AM STILL INTERESTED IN WORKING ON IT.

UM, IF YOU ARE, YEAH, ACTUALLY I, YES, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD PICK IT UP AND FIGURE SOME STUFF OUT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.

YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT.

SO THAT I THINK THOUGH IS, IS THE WORKING GROUP.

THERE MAY BE OTHERS OR I REMEMBER THERE WAS A KITCHEN SINK WORKING GROUP AT ONE POINT, WE JUST CALLED IT THE KITCHEN SINK BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY TOPICS THAT WE ASSIGNED TO THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE.

IT BECAME THE KITCHEN SINK WORKING GROUP.

AND THERE WERE SOME IDEAS, UH, TOPICS THAT WERE LEFT TO BE EXPLORED BY THAT WORKING GROUP THAT WERE, THERE WAS A DESIRE THAT WAS EXPRESSED TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THESE KINDS OF TOPICS.

UM, I'M GONNA PAUSE HERE.

AM I FORGETTING SOMETHING ABOUT OUR VERY RECENT HISTORY OF WORKING GROUPS? I SEE.

GO AHEAD, SECRETARY STAN .

THANK YOU AGAIN, COMMISSIONER LOWE FOR BRINGING THIS UP.

I, I'M REALIZING THAT I, I MYSELF AM CONFUSED ON WHERE WE ARE WITH WORKING GROUPS AND I'M NOT CLEAR ON WHERE WE STAND, WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT THE STATUS IS.

AND I RE I THOUGHT THAT I, I REMEMBER AT ONE TIME I HAD ASKED, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT I'D ASKED, ANTICIPATING THIS VERY PROBLEM, WHICH IS NOT KNOWING WHAT THE WORKING GROUPS ARE.

I THOUGHT I'D ASKED ABOUT HAVING A STANDING AGENDA ITEM, LISTING THE WORKING GROUPS OR HAVING THEM.

AT ONE POINT THEY WERE, UM, THEY WERE ON THE AGENDA FOR WORKING GROUP UPDATES.

AND THAT GAVE US, AND THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, REMINDED US, OH, HERE ARE THE WORKING GROUPS.

AND SO I, I'M CONFUSED RIGHT NOW WHERE WE STAND ON WHAT ARE THE WORKING GROUPS AND, AND CAN WE GET BACK TO HAVING A STANDING AGENDA ITEM WHERE IT'S WORK GROUP UPDATES AND, AND IF WE DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE, IF THE UPDATE IS JUST SIMPLY, WE DIDN'T MEET THIS PAST MONTH AND WE'LL TRY AGAIN NEXT MONTH, I THINK THAT'S STILL AN UPDATE, BUT WE'RE LOSING, WE'RE LOSING VISIBILITY ON THE WORKING GROUPS.

AND THIS COMMISSIONER LOWE HAS BROUGHT THAT, UM, TO OUR ATTENTION.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, AND THOSE WORKING GROUPS WENT OFF AND THOUGHT ABOUT THINGS INDEFINITELY.

AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT TOO.

AND I THINK, SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO CONSIDER.

ONE IS THAT, UM, WE'RE, UH, I THINK WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED BY THE CITY CLERK TO FOLLOW A FORM ON OUR AGENDA AND TO NOT HAVE A KIND OF OPEN ENDED, UH, INDEFINITE RECURRING AGENDA ITEMS. THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WAS RAISED.

UM, A SEPARATE CONCERN WAS ON THE PRACTICE OF WORKING GROUPS GENERALLY TO NOT HAVE, UH, AMBIGUOUS STANDING WORKING GROUPS, BUT TO HAVE, UH, WORKING GROUPS WITH SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS.

UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A WORKING GROUP.

UM, WE'VE HAD, THIS IS A, THERE'S A STORIED HISTORY OF WORKING GROUPS IN THIS COMMISSION.

UM, AT ONE POINT WE HAD, UH, WE WE'RE BECOMING FRUSTRATED AFTER HEARING A SERIES OF COMPLAINTS THAT WERE, UM, BRINGING ATTENTION TO SOME POSSIBLE DEFICIENCIES IN OUR CODE.

THERE WERE LIKE CAMPAIGN FINANCE, OR NOT CAMPAIGN FINANCE, BUT ELECTION RELATED COMPLAINTS.

WE WERE HEARING IT WAS LIKE, WELL, THIS IS A STRANGE PROVISION OF CODE.

WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

WE'RE ALSO A POLICY MAKING BODY, NOT JUST A COMPLAINT HEARING BODY.

AND SO WE SET UP A WORKING GROUP TO CONSIDER THOSE ISSUES UNDER THAT PART OF CODE.

AND THEN WE'RE LIKE, WELL, WHAT ABOUT THE ETHICS COMPLAINTS WE HEAR? AND WE SET UP A SEPARATE WORKING GROUP GROUP TO CONSIDER THOSE THINGS.

[01:05:01]

UM, BUT IT WAS VERY VAGUE IN WHAT THEY WERE ASKED TO DO.

IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A WORKING GROUP THAT WAS TO THINK ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, LIKE THE POWERS DUTIES AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION AND ALSO THIS WHOLE CHAPTER OF CITY CODE, UM, IS VERY OPEN-ENDED AND VERY BROAD.

AND, UH, AT A CERTAIN POINT, UM, THOSE TWO WORKING GROUPS HAD CONTINUED ON FOR TWO YEARS WITHOUT REAL IDENTIFIABLE RESULTS.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS WE AT ONE POINT CONSOLIDATED THE WORKING GROUPS TO SAY, LET'S JUST HAVE A WORKING GROUP HANDLE ALL OF THESE INTERESTING TOPICS WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT AND TALK ABOUT.

UM, THAT ALSO BECAME KIND OF UNWIELDY WHERE WE HAD THIS LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO SPEND TIME ON.

BUT EACH TOPIC IS A, YOU KNOW, DAY LONG DISCUSSION.

SO, UH, EVENTUALLY, AND WITH THE ADVICE OF THE CITY CLERK ON HOW TO MANAGE WORKING GROUPS AND WHAT WORKING GROUPS ARE FOR, WE CAME TO A MORE SELECTIVE PRACTICE WHERE FOR A SPECIFIC ISSUE, UH, A WORKING GROUP HAS A DEFINED TASK TO COME UP WITH POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS THING AS SPECIFIC AS WE CAN BE.

UM, AND THEN ONCE THAT WORKING GROUP HAS THOUGHT ABOUT THAT THING AND COME TO A RECOMMENDATION OR NO RECOMMENDATION THAT THE WORKING GROUP WAS DONE AND DISSOLVED.

SO YES.

COMMISSIONER 10.

I WAS GONNA SAY COMMISSIONER KEMAN HAVING OUR HAND UP.

I'M SO SORRY.

VICE STUART KALE.

UM, I'M GONNA THROW A LITTLE WRENCH IN HERE TOO.

I WAS ON A WORKING GROUP FOR A LONG TIME WHERE WE CAME UP WITH A STATEMENT OF WHAT WE DO AND IT WAS TO GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WE APPROVED IT, WE VOTED ON IT, WE FINALLY AGEN IT AND VOTED ON IT.

WE VOTED ON THE LANGUAGE WE LIKE.

UM, BUT THERE'S, UM, BEEN SOME OTHER SORT OF OBSTACLES TO GETTING IT PUBLISHED.

SO THAT'S A WORKING, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A WORKING GROUP THAT WE HAVE TO RESUME OR IF THAT'S JUST AN AGENDA ITEM FOR NEXT TIME.

AND I'LL CONTACT, UM, MS. UM, RBE ABOUT THAT AND MAKE SURE IT GETS ON THE AGENDA.

BUT, UH, SO AND I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT ONCE WE DO VOTE ON CERTAIN THINGS AS A COMMISSION, THERE IS A PROCESS AFTERWARDS WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO.

IF IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE RECOMMENDED, THEY HAVE TO GO BEFORE CITY COUNCIL, AND THAT'S AN ENTIRELY NOTHER HURDLE.

SO, UM, I'M JUST, I'M JUST, UM, PUTTING SOME CONTEXT IN THERE AS WELL THAT WE CAN DO CERTAIN THINGS, BUT THERE'S A, IT CAN SOMETIMES TAKE QUITE LONG TO ENACT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ENACT.

NO, I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I KNOW THAT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S AN ELEMENT OF OUR WORK THAT SOMETIMES WE'VE NEGLECTED WHERE, UH, SOMETHING'S BEEN VOTED ON, A RECOMMENDATION'S BEEN MADE, SOMETHING FINALLY COMES FROM THE WORK GROUP TO THE COMMISSION.

THE COMMISSION THEN SENDS OFF TO COUNCIL, AND WE HAVEN'T, HAVEN'T ALWAYS FOLLOWED UP WITH COUNCIL OR WITH THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE THAT IT GOES TO ON COUNCIL.

SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, COMMISSIONER STANTON.

SO HOW, HOW DO WE ANSWER THE SIMPLE BASIC QUESTION? WHERE DO WE FIND INFORMATION ABOUT WORKING GROUPS FOR THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION? I THINK THE SIMPLEST ANSWER IS IN OUR MINUTES, BUT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR OTHER EXECUTIVE LIAISON.

UH, LIZ BENITA HERE.

STAFF LIAISON.

SO IN THE MINUTES, UM, MINUTES FROM LAST YEAR, 2022, THERE IS NOTABLE RECOMMENDATIONS OF APPROVAL OF WORKING GROUPS.

AND I KNOW YOU SAID EARLIER YOU WEREN'T SURE WHAT WORKING GROUP THAT WAS IN THE JULY MEETING MINUTES.

UM, IT WAS APPROVAL OF CREATION OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR PREPARATION OF CALENDAR AND COMMISSION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES COMPOSED OF YOURSELF AND COMMISSIONER 10 YUKA.

OH, YES.

COMMISSION RIGHT NOW? SOMEONE CAN'T GET THAT INFORMATION EASILY AND QUICKLY.

LET ME CLARIFY.

IF I WERE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, HOW DO I KNOW WHAT WORKING GROUPS EASILY, RIGHT? WE, WE DO A GREAT JOB OF HAVING A WEBPAGE FOR EACH COMMISSION, AND IT LISTS, YOU KNOW, WHO'S ON THE COMMISSION AND THE MEETING DATES AND THE AGENDA AND THE MINUTES.

I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO, LIKE, I, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T KNOW AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MINUTES TO FIND OUT WHAT THE WORKING GROUPS ARE.

I WOULDN'T KNOW WHICH MEETING MINUTES TO GO TO, RIGHT? SO IT'S SIMPLE QUESTION OF, OH, WHAT ARE THE WORKING GROUPS ON? LIKE IF I'M, LEMME JUST THROW OUT THIS SCENARIO.

I'M INTERESTED IN SERVING ON A COMMISSION, I'M GONNA READ UP ABOUT THAT COMMISSION, AND I KNOW, OR MAYBE I WILL COME TO KNOW THAT AT SOME POINT I'M GONNA BE ASKED TO SERVE ON A WORKING GROUP ON, ON THAT COMMISSION.

I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT ARE THE WORKING GROUPS ON THAT

[01:10:01]

I GUESS THAT, THAT IS MY POINT ABOUT WORKING GROUPS.

I APPRECIATE IT.

SA SAME, SAME LOGIC AS, UM, FOR THE, UM, ANNUAL REPORT, RIGHT? YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S LIKE, GOSH, THEY HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING SINCE 2019.

WELL, OKAY, WELL, I GUESS LOOKING AT THE MEETINGS, THEY HAVE DONE SOMETHING, BUT ANNUAL REPORT IS A PRETTY IMPORTANT SUMMARY EVERY YEAR OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

WHY, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THINGS SINCE 2019, RIGHT? MM-HMM.

, WHAT ARE THE WORKING GROUPS? HOW DO, HOW DO I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE? YEAH.

SO I GUESS BACK TO THE, CAN WE LIST IT SOMEWHERE ON THAT SAME WEBPAGE? HERE'S WHAT THE WORKING GROUP IS AND WHO, WHO ARE THE MEMBERS AND WHAT IT'S INTENDED FOR.

UH, MS. BENITA, GO AHEAD.

I CAN CERTAINLY DRAFT UP A LIST AND WE CAN THEN UPLOAD IT INTO, UM, THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION WEBPAGE AS BACKUP, AND IT WILL BE LISTED WITH THE NOTE.

THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO SEARCHING THROUGH THE MINUTES.

YOU CAN EASILY SEE IN REFERENCE TO APRIL'S 2023 MEETING THAT IT'S UPLOADED AS BACKUP.

THAT IS FANTASTIC SOLUTION.

APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS UP AS WELL BECAUSE I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, REMINDING ME ON OCCASION OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE , THE WORKING GROUPS, I AM ALLEGEDLY A PART OF .

IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP US ON TASK.

I APPRECIATE IT.

I I DO WANNA SAY ONE MORE THING.

I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO MAKE MORE WORK FOR ANYBODY.

I JUST THINK IT'S MORE, UH, LINKING, YOU KNOW, TO THE EASIEST SORT OF DOCUMENT OR, YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE SAYING EARLIER, JUST LIKE A ONE PARAGRAPH SYNOPSIS THAT MIGHT, THAT MIGHT BE WHAT PEOPLE NEED AND FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE.

YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD JUST, WOULD BE SO MUCH BETTER THAN HAVING A 2019 ANNUAL REPORT POSTED.

COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. SO I TOOK MY, UM, BOARD EDUCATION, SORRY, I TOOK MY CONTINUING BOARD EDUCATION TODAY AND THEY POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE COMMITTEES AND WORK GROUPS, UM, AND THAT THERE'S A DISTINCTION FOR EACH.

AND I'M NOT SO SURE THAT OTHER COMMISSIONS WOULD BE PUTTING THE WORK GROUPS ON THE WEBPAGE.

AND I THINK THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE WORK GROUPS, OR AT LEAST WHAT THEY'RE ASKING US TO DO, IS TO MAKE THEM VERY SPECIFIC SO AS TO HAVE A BEGINNING AND ENDING POINT SO THAT THE NEED TO HAVE THIS ROLLING LOG DOESN'T EXIST.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO, AND AGAIN, I DON'T, I'M NOT, I WAS COMING OUTTA COURT, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW TO THAT DISTINCTION, BUT, UM, I GUESS COUNSEL FOR THE, THE, SURE.

A ROSTER OF, HERE HERE'S THE ACTIVE WORKING GROUP, AND ONCE IT'S DISBAND, LIKE IT DROPS OFF.

SO WHO DO YOU THINK COULD SPEAK TO THAT? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT DISTINCTION.

UH, BY, UNDER THE BYLAWS, THE E R C HAS NO WORKING, UH, SORRY, HAS NO COMMITTEES.

UH, AND SO IF THAT WERE A CHANGE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD WANNA MAKE, THAT WOULD REQUIRE A CHANGE IN THE BYLAWS.

THE E R C HAS ONLY ALLOWED WORKING GROUPS.

UH, BUT THE REASON THAT THERE IS THAT SORT OF DISTINCT AND FINITE, UM, SET OF ISSUES THAT A WORKING GROUP CAN WORK ON IS BECAUSE WORKING GROUPS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO OPEN MEETINGS.

AND IT IS MADE UP OF LESS THAN A QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION.

AND SO IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, AN ISSUE OF, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC HAVING A RIGHT TO KNOW.

AND SO IF YOU HAVE A WORKING GROUP THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, SAY A WHOLE HOST OF A PLETHORA OF, YOU KNOW, ISSUES TO WORK ON, THEN THE PUBLIC DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.

AND SO, UM, THE OTHER THING I JUST WANNA ADD ON WORKING GROUPS IS THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, UH, TRADITIONALLY THE STAFF HAS SUPPORTED IN TERMS OF, UM, THE WORK OF THE WORKING GROUPS IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE STAFF SUPPORTS THE WORK OF, OF THE GREATER COMMISSION.

AND SO WE'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE UPDATES THAT THE WORKING GROUPS PROVIDE DURING MEETINGS OF THIS BODY.

AND SO IF A DOCUMENT LIKE THAT WERE TO BE CREATED AND KEPT UP TO DATE, IT WOULD REALLY RELY ON THE COMMISSIONERS TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING WITHIN YOUR SPECIFIC WORK GROUPS.

UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WHEN A RECOMMENDATION IS MADE, THEN IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY DISSOLVE UNDER THE CITY CODE.

OH, YES.

I WANNA CLA THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I WANNA CLARIFY, I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE MAINTAIN A LIST OF HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT THE WORKING GROUPS HAVE DONE AND WHAT NO, IT IS JUST

[01:15:01]

AND, AND HERE, HERE ARE THE CURRENT COMMISSIONERS.

NOW YOU, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT IF WE LIST IT SO IT'S NOT WORKING, GROUP MEETINGS ARE NOT OPEN.

CORRECT.

THE APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY 22ND MINUTES.

THEN I WOULD SAY THAT'S OPENING UP A, A CAN OF WORMS. WE PUT THAT ON THERE.

I I WOULD, I WOULD INTERPRET ANYTHING THAT'S ON THAT WEBPAGE.

PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE IS GONNA BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

AND I THINK THAT THAT, SO WHAT, WHAT IS ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF OUR WORKING GROUPS WITHOUT HAVING TO RELYING ON HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE AND I COULDN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE WORKING GROUPS ARE.

WHAT'S ANOTHER WAY, WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE STICKY SITUATION OF SURE.

UH, I WANT TO, UH, VERY QUICKLY, UH, I SEE VICE CHAIR KALE, AND THEN I WAS GONNA LET, UM, MS. BENITA JUMP IN.

SO VICE DREW KALE, GO AHEAD.

I THINK IT'S UP TO THE INITIATIVE OF THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS TO SEE THAT WORK THROUGH, TO DO THE TASK, UH, DO WHAT THEY NEED, BRING IT BEFORE THE COMMISSION, AND BASICALLY SEAL THE DEAL IN THAT WAY.

THE WORKING GROUP DISSOLVES.

AND I THINK THAT WE'VE HAD, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TURNOVER IN THE RE IN RECENT MONTHS, RECENT YEAR OR SO, THAT'S MADE SOME OF THOSE WORKING GROUPS SORT OF ENTER THE, SORT OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE OF WHO'S IN THE WORKING GROUP AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING.

AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA THAT COMMISSIONER LOWE CAME UP WITH TO TRY TO SORT OF CLOSE OUT THE ONES THAT DON'T HAVE A PURPOSE ANYMORE, RENEW THE ONES LIKE YOU WERE, YOU WERE MENTIONING COMMISSIONER SOONE AND COMMISSIONER LOVINS ABOUT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO WORK ON AND JUST SORT OF, UM, UH, CLEAN UP THIS PROCESS.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE IN THE MINUTES.

UM, BUT I ALSO WELCOME ANY IDEAS TO MAKE THAT, THAT MORE ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION.

BUT, BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT PUBLIC MEETINGS.

I'VE BEEN ON A WORKING GROUP AND YOU MIGHT HAVE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE AND YOU JUST MEET WHEN YOU CAN TO, TO WORK ON IT.

SO, YEAH.

UH, MS. BENITA, YOU WERE GONNA, UH, OFFER SOMETHING.

I CAN STILL DRAFT UP THAT LIST RATHER THAN UPLOADING IT TO, UM, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION.

I CAN JUST HAVE IT PRINTED FOR YOU GUYS AND EMAIL IT SO THAT YOU'RE ALL AWARE AND IT'S IN CORRESPONDENCE IN CASE YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT.

ANOTHER FANTASTIC, GOOD IDEAS, ANOTHER FANTASTIC SOLUTION.

I THINK THAT SOUNDS GREAT.

UM, A, A LIST OF, UH, ANY, LET'S SAY POTENTIALLY ACTIVE WORKING GROUPS, UM, UH, A LIST OF THOSE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED WITH, UM, THE MEMBERSHIP AND, UH, BARELY A ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, UM, WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON WORKING GROUPS? OKAY, WELL, WITH THAT, WE HAVE OUR LAST AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS

[5. Approve the minutes of the Ethics Review Commission Regular Meeting on February 22, 2023]

UM, SECRETARY STANTON, THIS IS USUALLY, UH, UH, YOUR, YOUR FORTE, SO I'LL LET YOU TELL YES, THINK ABOUT THAT.

AND WITH ELIZABETH, MS. BENNETT, UH, BENITA'S HELP, I WAS ABLE TO STAY ON TOP OF IT AND GET IT DONE AND REVIEWED.

SO THIS WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU, UM, HAS ALREADY, UM, PASSED THROUGH MY EYES AND IT IS GOOD TO GO.

I WOULD, UM, MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 22ND MEETING.

I'LL SECOND THAT.

THAT IS A MOTION THAT'S BEEN SECONDED.

DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION.

THEN ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

ALL OPPOSED SAY NAY AND ALL ABSTAINING.

I ABSTAIN.

AGENDA ITEMS OR, UM, ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? UM, I, I SEE NONE.

I SEE.

SO THAT IS AYE, AROUND WITH AN ABSTENTION FROM COMMISSIONER LOWE.

SO THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

THANK YOU SECRETARY STANDIN FOR REVIEWING AND MS. BENITA FOR HELPING PREPARE THEM.

UM, THAT CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA COMMISSIONERS.

UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME FOR BEING HERE.

WELCOME, UH, COMMISSIONER LOWE, WE HAVE, UH, TIME FOR, UM, FUTURE

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

I FEEL LIKE I, UH, ALREADY MADE MY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.

, UM, GO AHEAD.

FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. MM-HMM.

, WE CAN'T ASSUME THAT THE DISCUSSION ITEMS TODAY WILL MOVE FORWARD, RIGHT? DO WE HAVE TO EXPLICITLY REQUEST THAT? SO FOR

[01:20:01]

EXAMPLE, THE, UM, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE DOCUMENTATION OF ERC, THE, THE ANNUAL REPORT STATEMENT MM-HMM.

, AND THEN THE, UM, JUST FOLLOW UP ON THE, UM, WORKING GROUP INFORMATION.

IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, I AM HAPPY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON PROGRESS ON ANNUAL REPORT AND DOCUMENTATION.

I THINK THAT'S A PERFECTLY FINE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO KIND OF HAVE AN UPDATE ON WHERE THINGS STAND.

UM, SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE AMBITIOUS TO THINK THAT WE'LL HAVE A, A TURNAROUND TIME OF ONE MONTH ON A FULL ANNUAL REPORT.

UM, OH YEAH.

NO, NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

BUT A BUT A PROGRESS REPORT AND BEING A GENED TO DISCUSS, HOW ARE WE DOING PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE? OKAY.

UM, ON, ON THE WORKING GROUPS, UH, I THINK, UM, IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING SPECIFIC, UM, THEN I, THEN I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THAT.

UH, BUT OTHERWISE I FEEL LIKE GETTING A COPY OF OUR CURRENT ACTIVE WORKING GROUPS IS, UH, GONNA SUFFICE.

AND THEN IF THAT PROMPTS IDEAS FOR OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, YOU'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO, UH, CONTACT ME THROUGH CITY STAFF AND SAY, THIS IS AN AGENDA ITEM THAT I'D LIKE.

AND THEN USUALLY, UH, IF, IF YOU TALK TO ONE FRIEND, NOT A QUORUMS WORTH OF FRIENDS, BUT, UH, UH, JUST SO YOU KNOW.

AND THEN IF YOU'VE SERVED ON OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, SAME WAY I THINK THAT, UM, TWO MEMBERS CAN YEAH, UH, HAVE SOMETHING PUT ON THE AGENDA OR THE CHAIR CAN PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA THEMSELVES.

SO THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC ABOUT WORKING GROUPS.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.

BUT OTHERWISE, I THINK PLANNING A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM ON DOCUMENTATION AND WHERE THAT STANDS MAKES PERFECT SENSE.

ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THEN? THEN THE ONLY OTHER, UH, REMINDER IS THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING WE MAY HAVE SOME PRELIMINARY HEARINGS, UM, AND WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED AS TO THE TIMING AND SCHEDULING OF THOSE HEARINGS AT THAT MEETING.

UM, OTHERWISE, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE.

CITY STAFF, THANK YOU FOR OUR UH, A T X N UH, BROADCASTER.

AND THANK YOU MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.

THE TIME IS 7:32 PM AND THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION IS ADJOURNED.