[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
CHAIR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ETHIC REVIEW COMMISSION.
I CALL THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER.
IT IS APRIL 22ND, 2026, AND IT IS 6:06 PM WE ARE AT AUSTIN CITY HALL IN THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM.
THAT'S 1, 1 0 1 AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS.
COMMISSIONER LAWSON PRESENT SO THE MINUTES CAN READ THAT.
COMMISSIONER LAWSON IS, UM, APPEARING VIRTUALLY.
ONE PERSON IS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MCGOVERN ALSO ATTENDING REMOTELY.
YOU THINK HE WHAT? WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MCGIVEN ALSO ATTENDING REMOTELY.
SO WE HAVE TWO, TWO COMMISSIONERS MEETING WITH US VIRTUALLY.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA CAN BE PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
NO SPEAKER HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, THIS IS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF TALKING ABOUT A, A COMPLAINT THAT WAS GOING TO BE ON THE AGENDA, BUT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
UH, TO GO ONE MORE LEVEL OF DETAIL.
IT WAS POSTPONED BY THE VICE CHAIR BRITTANY SHARKEY, BECAUSE I, AS CHAIR HAD RECUSED MYSELF FROM THAT CASE.
IT'LL BE POSTPONED UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
SO THOSE WRITEUPS ONE AND TWO ON THE AGENDA.
[3. Approve the minutes of the Ethics Review Commission Regular Called meeting on March 25, 2025.]
WILL, UH, APPROVE THE MINUTES IF EVERYONE HAS A COPY.COMMISSIONER KING IS JOINING US.
UM, IF EVERYONE COULD REVIEW THE MINUTES, I'LL GIVE YOU MAYBE TWO MINUTES.
AND THEN I'LL ASK IF THERE ARE ANY CORRECTIONS.
UM, I APOLOGIZE TO COMMISSIONERS LAWSON AND MCGIVEN.
IT APPEARS MY EMAIL DIDN'T GO OUT TO THEM FOR THE MINUTES, SO IF WE CAN GIVE THEM A FEW EXTRA MINUTES.
I JUST SENT THEM MINUTES OUT TO THEM.
WE READY FOR A MOTION? COMMISSIONER MCG.
[00:05:18]
HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? OKAY, I WILL.UH, THIS CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THE MINUTES.
I SECOND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SOLIS.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? IF NOT, WE'LL PROCEED WITH THE VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES.
ALL OPPOSED, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
IT IS UNANIMOUS AMONG THE COMMISSIONERS PRESENT.
THE NEXT ITEM SCHEDULED ON THE AGENDA IS A BRIEFING FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AUSTIN AREA, REGARDING THEIR CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM PLANNING.
WE GET, UH, THEY WERE UNABLE TO APPEAR THIS MEETING.
SO THAT ITEM ALSO HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT MONTH.
[5. Change in membership to the Working Group to Review ERC Complaints Process (Commissioners Figueroa, Low and McGiverin).]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE THREE ITEMS RELATED TO WORKING GROUPS AGENDA.ITEM FIVE HAS TO DO WITH THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS AND A POSSIBLE CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP.
COMMISSIONER LOW? UH, YES, I I DID WANNA MENTION THAT, UH, CURRENT COMMISSIONER, UH, SOLI DID MEET WITH US BEFORE SHE WAS QUALIFIED AS A COMMISSIONER.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD HER TO THE, UM, WORKING GROUP.
UH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE INVITATION TO ANY OF OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS, WHICH I GUESS WOULD INCLUDE COMMISSIONER LAWSON THERE.
UM, AND I, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS TO, UM, A STATE OF WHERE WE ARE.
UM, I FOUND SOME OLD NOTES THAT, UH, UH, COMMISSIONERS PRETI AND TER AND I WORKED ON, AND THAT WAS THE WEEKEND OF JULY 4TH, 2025.
SO I HAVE DISTRIBUTED THAT TO THE, UM, TO THE CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DISCUSS THOSE WHEN WE GET TO, TO THAT POINT.
UM, I DO WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW, JUST AS A GENERAL PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, WE ARE NOT WEDDED TO ANYTHING AT ALL.
WE ARE STILL IN THE BRAINSTORMING PHASE, SO, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, UH, IT'S PERFECTLY FAIR FOR THE GROUP TO REJECT WHAT WE'VE DONE.
I JUST WANTED TO CIRCULATE EVERYTHING SO THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE THOSE MATERIALS.
UM, SO DID YOU MOVE THAT WE ADD OH, DOES THAT REQUIRE A MOTION RELEASE? AND ARE WE, WE ARE ASKING COMMISSIONER LAWSON, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN BEING ON THIS PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP? NO PRESSURE.
UH, NOW, MR. CHAIR IS, DOES THIS ACTUALLY REQUIRE A MOTION OR ARE YOU THE ONE WHO APPOINTS? WE JUST, WE JUST SAY WE WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE, I THINK TO BE SAFE.
MAYBE WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND OKAY.
SO SHOULD I DO THEM SEPARATELY OR CAN WE ADD COMMISSIONER SOLIS? WHY DON'T LAWSON AT THE SAME TIME.
SO I MOVE THAT WE ADD COMMISSIONER SOLIS AND COMMISSIONER LAWSON TO THE WORKING GROUP ON THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.
COMMISSIONER LOWE HAS MADE A MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA HAS SECONDED THE MOTION.
SO WE ARE VOTING NOW TO, OH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? WE WILL PROCEED WITH A VOTE ON ADDING COMMISSIONER SOLIS AND COMMISSIONER LAWSON TO THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE ERC COMPLAINTS PROCESS.
ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
IT IS UNANIMOUS AMONG THE, THE COMMISSIONERS PRESENT.
UH, NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA, DID YOU WANNA HAVE ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THE WORKING GROUP OR IS THAT IT? UM, REALLY QUICKLY, CHAIR, JUST TO ADD.
SO THAT IS JUST AN ITEM IN REGARDS TO THE CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP, NOT AN UPDATE.
[6. Change in membership to the Working Group to Review and Revise ERC bylaws (Commissioners Pumfrey, Sharkey and King).]
SIX ON THE AGENDA.A CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP TO THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW AND REVISE ERC BYLAWS AS THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE LAST YEAR, I CAN SAY THAT WE DID OUR WORK AND INDEPENDENT OF OUR WORK, THE BYLAWS WERE AMENDED, UH, BY THE CITY.
[00:10:01]
A USE FOR THAT WORKING GROUP RIGHT NOW, SO, UM, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UH, ELIMINATE THAT WORKING GROUP.I MOVE TO DISSOLVE THE WORKING GROUP.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER LANDREN.
THE, THE DISCUSSION IS, I KNOW THE CITY CHANGED THINGS.
UM, IS IT WORTH, IS THERE ANY BENEFIT TO, TO DISSOLVING IT OR JUST LEAVING IT AND THEN, AND SEE HOW THE, THE NEW, UH, CITY COUNCIL RULES PLAY OUT? UH, MY OBSERVATION WOULD BE THAT WE CAN VERY EASILY RECONSTITUTE THIS WORKING GROUP.
SO, UH, WE'RE SORT OF PUTTING IT ASIDE IN A SENSE.
IT'S EASY TO SET IT UP AGAIN SO THAT ANY MORE DISCUSSION? YES.
UM, SO DISSOLUTION IS THE SAME IN CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP, WHICH IS TO SAY WE ARE ELIMINATING ALL MEMBERS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK,
THAT THAT'S A CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP FROM THERE WAS WHAT, THREE THREE ING IT TO ZERO.
SO DISSOLVING IT AND, AND LIKE CHAIR EY SAID, UM, THEY'RE VERY EASY TO JUST PUT BACK ON THE AGENDA.
IF YOU KNOW AT A LATER DATE, EVEN IF IT'S IN MAY YOU DECIDE OH, MM-HMM
THIS WOULD BE A GOOD WORKING GROUP TO REESTABLISH.
YEAH, THAT WAS JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.
AND JUST TO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, WE DO HAVE NOTES ON WHO THOSE MEMBERS ARE IF AT A LATER DATE, THOSE SAME MEMBERS WOULD STILL LIKE TO BE ON THAT WORKING GROUP AT A LATER TIME.
UH, MEMBERS WERE, UH, THE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER KING AND COMMISSIONER SHARKEY? YES.
UH, SO WE'LL VOTE NOW ON, UH, DISSOLVING THAT WORKING GROUP.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ALL OPPOSED, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
NOW, COMMISSIONER GIBER, DID YOU, WERE YOU VOTING OR NO? I, I RAISED MY RIGHT HAND.
I COULD NOT, I COULD NOT TELL 'CAUSE THE SCREEN WAS FROZEN.
AND COMMISSIONER LAWSON FOR I WASN'T SURE I SHOULD VOTE ON IT SINCE.
UH, SIX TO 1 6 0 1 ON THAT, UH, ON THAT MOTION.
[7. Change in membership to the Working Group to Review and Revise ERC Rules and Regulations (Commissioners Sharkey and Figueroa).]
A CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP TO THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW AND REVISE ERC RULES AND REGULATIONS.WE SET UP THIS WORKING GROUP IN THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR, AND MY MEMORY IS THAT WE ASKED IT TO STAY ON HOLD BECAUSE MS. WEBSTER, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, WAS WORKING ON RULES AND REGULATIONS AND WE PUT IT ON HOLD AND, UH, CAN YOU UPDATE US ON THAT AT ALL? AND NO PRESSURE
BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT COMING FROM HER.
THAT, THAT, UM, THAT IS THE LAST AGENDA ITEM.
UH, DO WE HAVE TO TAKE AN ACTION ON THAT? UH, WE'RE GONNA POSTPONE IT.
DO, DO WE HAVE TO SECOND AN ACTION ON THAT? OH.
UM, JUST TO SAY NOTE, DO ANYTHING, I WANNA TAKE A MOTION TO POSTPONE AGENDA ITEM SEVEN TO A FUTURE MEETING.
WE HAVE A FIRST, I MEAN, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER KING, A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER SOLIS.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ALL OPPOSED, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
CAN WE CONFIRM WHETHER COMMISSIONER MCGIVEN RAISED HIS HAND? IT STILL SHOWS THE SCREEN IS FROZEN.
COMMISSIONER MCGIVEN, COULD YOU TELL US ORALLY WHETHER YOU RAISE, WHICH, WHICH SIDE YOU RAISE YOUR HAND ON? 'CAUSE THE SCREEN IS FROZEN.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, I'LL MENTION ONE BEFORE I, I FORGET IT.AT THE NEXT MEETING WE WILL HAVE ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS AND JUST SO YOU'LL ALL KNOW I AM WILLING TO CONTINUE, I AM HAPPY
[00:15:01]
TO HAND OVER THE GAVELUM, AND ALSO ON THE FUTURE AGENDA, WE'LL HAVE ILLEGAL WOMEN VOTERS.
UM, ANYBODY WANT TO SUGGEST ANYTHING ELSE? HMM, MR. CHAIR.
CAN, ARE WE ALLOWED TO HAVE A STANDING AGENDA ITEM? UH, CAN WE JUST HAVE A REPORT FROM OUR WORKING GROUP, UH, ON THE AGENDA EVERY, EVERY MEETING TO ANSWER THAT IN YOUR WORKING GROUP? UM, SO WITH THE TEMPLATE THAT OUR CLERK'S OFFICE SENT US WAS TO DISPOSE OF STANDING ITEMS. SO WE CAN'T HAVE STANDING ITEMS, BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD AN ITEM TO THE FUTURE AGENDA.
UM, OR JUST NOTIFY US OF WHAT MEETING YOU WOULD LIKE IT ON AS WE DID IN THE PAST.
AND WE CAN JUST KEEP NOTE TO KEEP IT ON.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WANT IT FOR THE UM, JULY AGENDA, WE'LL MAKE NOTE TO HAVE IT ON THERE.
SO WHY DON'T I JUST ASK THAT IT BE ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
ANY OTHER PROPOSALS SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT MEETING'S AGENDA? UH, I'M PREPARED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.