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[CALL TO ORDER ]
AM ROSS BUMPY, CHAIR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION.I CALL THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER.
IT IS OCTOBER 28TH, 2026, AND IT IS 6:10 PM WE ARE AT AUSTIN CITY HALL IN THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION ROOM.
1, 1 0 1 AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I WILL NOW CALL THE ROLE JEFFREY.
WE HAVE A QUORUM AND WE HAVE, AM I CORRECT THAT WE HAVE FOUR PEOPLE ATTENDING? NO.
THREE PEOPLE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
AND THE PEOPLE ATTENDING, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY ARE, UH, COMMISSIONER FIGUERA, COMMISSIONER KEEL, AND COMMISSIONER LAWSON.
UH, FIRST WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE PEOPLE SIGNED UP? NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP FOR THAT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
ITEM ONE ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE, OF THE, UH, REVIEW COMMISSION REGULAR CALL MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 23RD.UH, I'LL GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO READ THE MINUTES AND THEN, UH, JUST LOOK UP WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED AND I'LL KNOW WHEN TO PROCEED.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
UH, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY VICE CHAIR SHARKEY AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KING THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 23RD.
UM, TOP OF THE PAGE TWO, COMMISSIONER LOWE'S.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES APPROVED WAS SECONDED.
WERE THE SECOND APPROVED IS, UM, NOT NECESSARY.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE COMMISSIONER LOWE'S MOTION.
THERE'S A LITTLE THING TO APPROVE.
ANY OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES, SAY AYE.
UH, ALL OPPOSED, ALL ABSTENTIONS.
THE MOTION PASSED, I THINK, ON A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
[2. Briefing from the Austin City Auditor’s Office regarding its duties and procedures and potential role in providing investigation assistance to the Ethics Review Commission. ]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A BRIEFING FROM THE AUSTIN CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE REGARDING ITS DUTIES AND PROCEDURES AND POTENTIAL ROLE IN PROVIDING INVESTIGATION ASSISTANCE TO THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION.SO YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
AND I'M BRIAN MALLOY, CHIEF OF INVESTIGATIONS AT THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR COMING, UH, TO OUR COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, COMMISSIONER LOWE, I BELIEVE YOU AS THE CHAIR OF A WORKING GROUP, UH, CAN LEAD THE DISCUSSION HERE.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR, UH, ATTENDING THIS EVENING.
UM, WE'VE SEEN MR. MALLOY BEFORE, I BELIEVE, UM, ON SOME INVESTIGATIONS.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE A WORKING GROUP.
I WANNA GIVE YOU KIND OF A MILD HIGH, UM, EXPLANATION.
WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP THAT IS LOOKING INTO THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.
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OF THE WORKING GROUP, UM, COMMISSIONER SOLIS, WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY, AND I ARE WORKING ON COMMISSION INITIATED COMPLAINTS, WHICH THE CITY CODE CLEARLY GIVES US AUTHORITY TO DO, TO INITIATE COMPLAINTS.WE HAVE NEVER DONE SO BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PROCESS AND WE DON'T HAVE RESOURCES TO DO SO.
AND THAT IS PRIMARILY WHY WE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH YOU WHAT POSSIBLE RESOURCES THERE MAY BE.
THE, UM, OTHER PART OF THE, UM, WORKING GROUP IS LED BY COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA, WHOSE FACE I NO LONGER SEE.
UM, I THINK HE'S PRESENT THOUGH MM-HMM
UM, AND, UH, THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, EXPEDITING THE, UM,
IN OTHER WORDS, IF 18 CANDIDATES MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WE COULD TAKE CARE OF ALL 18 AT THE SAME TIME, AND THAT WOULD REQUIRE SOME RESOURCES FROM THE AUDITOR AS WELL, PROBABLY.
SO THAT'S, THIS IS THE BIG PICTURE HERE.
SO, UM, MY FIRST QUESTION AS TO THE COMPLAINTS AND, UM, COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA CAN ADDRESS THE OTHER PART.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE, UH, A SECTION OF CITY CODE TWO DASH SEVEN DASH FOUR 1D, WHICH, UM, AUTHORIZES US ON THE SWORN COMPLAINT OF ANY PERSON FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK OR THE COMMISSION'S OWN INITIATIVE.
THE COMMISSION SHALL CONSIDER POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE ONLY TAKEN COMPLAINTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE FILED, AND THE PEOPLE WHO FILE THE COMPLAINTS, I MEAN, THE COMPLAINTS ARE THE ONES WHO PRODUCE ALL THE EVIDENCE.
THEY GIVE US SPREADSHEETS OR WHATEVER OTHER DOCUMENTATION THEY HAVE.
SO IT'S THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION, THEIR OWN WAY.
THEY COLLECT FACTS, UM, IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN THE COMPLAINT THEY HAVE.
UM, WE HAVE NEVER, UH, IN THEIR HISTORY SO FAR AS I KNOW, UM, TAKEN ACTION TO FIND EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ANY OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT THERE MAY BE.
UM, SO UNDER SECTION TWO DASH SEVEN DASH FOUR SIX, UM, WHICH IS THE PROCESS JUST BEFORE A FINAL HEARING, UM, TWO DASH SEVEN DASH FOUR SIX A SAYS, UH, THAT THIS COMMISSION MAY SUBPOENA WITNESSES TO TESTIFY REQUEST PRODUCTION OF EVIDENCE NEEDED FOR PERFORMANCE OF ITS DUTIES AND EXERCISE OF ITS POWERS, INCLUDING DUTIES ON POWERS OF INVESTIGATION.
AND THEN SUBSECTION G SAYS, THE COMMISSION MAY REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM THE CITY AUDITOR WITH THE INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGATIONS IN A COMPLAINT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY MAY REQUEST ASSISTANCE IS NOT MANDATING THE CITY AUDITOR TO DO ANYTHING, BUT IT GIVES US THE RIGHT TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE.
AND THEN THE SUBSECTION AFTER THAT.
H AS IT'S A GOLF AND HOTEL, THE COMMISSION MAY CONSIDER THE CITY AUDITOR'S INVESTIGATION AT A FINAL HEARING ON A COMPLAINT.
SO IF THE CITY AUDITOR WERE TO DO SOME INVESTIGATION, WE ARE AUTHORIZED TO USE THAT IN WHATEVER WAY WE SEE FIT BASED ON OUR DISCRETION IN ANY, ANY PART OF THE COMPLAINT PROCESS WHEN IT, WHEN IT'S AT THIS HEARING STAGE.
SO, UM, I GUESS THE FIRST QUESTION IS, IF WE WERE TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE, UM, WHAT WOULD THE AUDITOR, UM, FEEL IT SHOULD DO? AND, UM, HOW WOULD THOSE RESOURCES BE ALLOCATED OR HOW WOULD A DECISION BE MADE AS TO ALLOCATING RESOURCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING US WITH INVESTIGATION? SURE.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT, THAT GO THROUGH MY MIND WHEN ASKING, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
I THINK, UM, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO DECIDE WHICH ONE IS THE PRIORITY.
SO I'LL JUST, UH, GO OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HERE.
BUT THE, THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND WOULD BE THE TYPE OF INVESTIGATION THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FOR.
MY, MY OFFICE CONDUCTS INVESTIGATIONS OF FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE.
THAT'S PRETTY CLEARLY LAID OUT IN SECTION TWO THREE OF CITY CODE, UH, FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE ARE DEFINED, UH, TIES VERY CLOSELY TO THE CODE OF ETHICS IN TWO SEVEN.
UM, BUT THERE'S SOME DEFINITIONS IN TWO THREE, I THINK.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CANDIDATES, AND SO I'M ASSUMING THAT SOME OF THE REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE MAY RELATE TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATIONS, WHICH I WOULD SAY IS NOT AN AREA OF EXPERTISE FOR MY OFFICE, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ARE, ARE SKILLED IN OR AN AREA THAT WE'VE EVER CONDUCTED.
[00:10:01]
INVESTIGATION, UH, I GOT HERE IN 2005, AND AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, WE'VE NEVER DONE AN INVESTIGATION IN THAT AREA.UM, PRIOR TO 2005, I CAN'T, I CAN'T SAY.
UM, SO THE, THE TYPE OF INVESTIGATION THAT YOU MIGHT BE REQUESTING ASSISTANCE WITH WOULD, UH, WOULD BE A, A MAJOR DECISION POINT IF IT WAS CAMPAIGN FINANCE.
IF, IF, TO GIVE YOU A PARALLEL, IF THAT WAS AN ALLEGATION THAT WAS BROUGHT INTO, UH, TO OUR FRAUD HOTLINE, WHICH WE, WHICH WE MANAGE ACCORDING TO CITY CODE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR A REFERRAL.
SO WE RUN THE, WHO DO YOU REFER THAT TO? WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS ONE.
UM, IRONICALLY I THINK WE WOULD BE REFERRING TO YOU, WE WOULD BE CONNECTING WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT IF WE HAD A PERSON ON THE PHONE.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT BRIAN AND HIS TEAM COULD TALK THROUGH, UH, HOW THAT PERSON COULD FILE A COMPLAINT DIRECTLY WITH YOU.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN A CYCLE ALREADY.
UM, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE ALSO WITHIN YOUR PURVIEW THAT AREN'T RELATED TO, TO CAMPAIGN VIOLATIONS, UM, SOMETHING RELATED TO THE CODE OF ETHICS, MY, MY ABILITY TO ACCESS OR ALLOCATE RESOURCES, UM, WOULD START WITH A CONVERSATION WITH BRIAN.
AND, AND I'LL SAY THAT I, I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, BUT HOW BUSY ARE WE? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS ALMOST ALWAYS EXTREMELY.
UM, BRIAN CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STATS.
I I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A TEAM OF FIVE INVESTIGATORS PLUS BRIAN.
AND, UH, THEY'VE GOT MORE, MORE WORK THAN, THAN THEY CAN, UM, HANDLE AN AT ANY MOMENT.
THERE'S JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF ALLEGATIONS THAT COME THROUGH THE FRAUD HOTLINE.
UM, I THINK THAT THE, THE OTHER CONSIDERATION TIED TO WORKLOAD WOULD BE THE, THE TIMELINESS OF, OF INVESTIGATIVE SUPPORT.
I, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE DEALT WITH AN ERC COMPLAINT DIRECTLY.
UH, SO I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THE TIMELINES, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE, I, I THINK CITY CODE OUTLINES HOW SOON YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HEARING AFTER A COMPLAINT IS FILED.
AND IF YOU MAKE A DECISION AT A PRELIMINARY HEARING, HOW SOON A FINAL HEARING IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE.
AND MY CONCERN WOULD BE WHETHER OR NOT WE COULD, WE, WE COULD FACILITATE SUPPORT TO MEET THOSE, THOSE TIMELINES BECAUSE, UH, THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOW IS, TAKES QUITE A BIT OF TIME.
UM, MAYBE YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF ALLEGATIONS WE'RE GETTING, THE CASES WE DO PER YEAR, AND ROUGHLY HOW LONG THE CASES ARE TAKING.
UH, FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, UH, FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR THAT COMPLETED, WE HAD 404 ALLEGATIONS COME INTO MY TEAM.
UH, ROUGHLY 130 WERE WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION.
SO THAT WE GOT TO INVESTIGATE.
AND WE HANDLED THAT, UM, FOR MOST LAST YEAR WITH A TEAM OF FOUR INVESTIGATORS.
SO, UH, EACH INVESTIGATOR IS COMPLETING ROUGHLY 30 INVESTIGATIONS A YEAR.
ABOUT 15 OF THOSE TURNED INTO MATERIAL VIOLATIONS OF CITY CODE.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE OTHER 30 WERE EASY TO, EASY TO DO 'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T TURN INTO A FINAL REPORT.
IT MEANT WE DID ALL THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK.
WE JUST COULDN'T GET TO NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SHOW A MATERIAL VIOLATION OF CITY CODE OCCURRED.
THAT PRETTY MUCH MAXES OUT MY STAFF'S TIME RUNNING THE HOTLINE, TRIAGING THOSE ALLEGATIONS, AND THEN GETTING TO THE 15, UH, VIOLATIONS OF CITY CODE.
IF THERE IS ANY LULL IN THE WORK.
IT'S HARD TO PREDICT WHEN THAT'LL BE, AND THAT'S WHEN WE TRY TO DO DETECTION WORK.
SO RATHER THAN WAIT FOR THINGS TO COME IN, WE'LL SAY, HEY, WE, WE LEARNED ABOUT HOW THIS GUY WAS, UH, UM, COMMITTING FRAUD WITH THE CITY PRO CARD AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PRO CARDS IN THE CITY.
WHAT TESTS CAN WE RUN ON THE PRO CARD DATA TO SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE IS DOING A SIMILAR SCHEME? SO WHEN WE FIND SOME TIME, WE TRY TO FILL IT VERY QUICKLY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DETECTION WORK.
UM, SO
THE AVERAGE INVESTIGATION THAT THAT GOES TO A REPORT TAKES ABOUT A YEAR.
UM, OF, THERE, THERE'S A FEW OUTLIERS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FORENSIC RECORD PRODUCES SOME PRETTY LIKE SMOKING GUN, UH, EVIDENCE, AND WE CAN EXPEDITE TO GET TO A SUBJECT INTERVIEW.
AND THOSE INVESTIGATIONS CAN, CAN TAKE A COUPLE MONTHS.
UM, BUT USUALLY IF WE'RE FINDING A MATERIAL VIOLATION CITY CODE, THAT THAT'S A YEAR PROCESS.
AND THAT, WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? NO.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST CONSIDERATION, UM, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN DISCUSS, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THIS ONE IS AS CLEAR CUT, BUT WOULD BE, UH, THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION FOR, FOR OBJECTIVITY.
SO IF WE HAVE TO BRING CERTAIN COMPLAINTS TO YOU, IF WE HAVE, UH, IF WE HAVE AN ALLEGATION OF FRAUD, WASTE, OR ABUSE AGAINST A MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL OR THEIR STAFF, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ISSUE A REPORT ON.
WE HAVE TO, THAT CULMINATES WITH, UH, A REPORT, UM, I'M SORRY, A SWORN COMPLAINT
[00:15:01]
TO, TO THIS BODY.AND NOT THAT THIS WOULD EVER HAPPEN IN THE SAME MEETING, BUT IF WE ARE COMING TO YOU WITH A COMPLAINT AND WE ARE ALSO OFFERING THIS BODY INVESTIGATIVE SUPPORT, MY CONCERN WOULD BE WHETHER THE SUBJECT OF OUR COMPLAINT COULD FEEL OR PERCEIVE THAT WE'RE NOT OBJECTIVE BECAUSE WE'RE PART OF YOUR PROCESS, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO BRINGING A COMPLAINT TO THEM AND ASKING FOR YOUR DECISION TO SUPPORT OUR COMPLAINT.
UM, AGAIN, I HOPE THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
I HOPE THAT I DON'T HAVE TO INVESTIGATE CITY COUNCIL EVER, BUT, UH, GIVEN THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES, THAT WOULD BE, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
CAN I FOLLOW UP ON ALL OF THOSE? YEAH.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, AND PERHAPS COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA WOULD WANNA FOLLOW UP AS WELL.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF MEDIA REPORTS, AND ALSO WE JUST KNOW THIS, UH, THAT THERE ARE DOZENS OF CANDIDATES WHO HAVE NOT FILED THEIR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS FOR THE, UM, EIGHT DAY, WHICH WAS DUE TWO DAYS AGO, AND THE 30 DAY, WHICH WAS DUE OCTOBER 5TH.
IN ADDITION, THERE HAVE BEEN MEDIA REPORTS ABOUT THE CANDIDATES WHO DID NOT FILE THEIR STATEMENT OF, UM, FINANCIAL INTEREST MM-HMM
SO WE KNOW THE LIST OF THOSE PEOPLE, AT LEAST AS IT'S BEEN REPORTED, WE OURSELVES CANNOT DO INVESTIGATION.
BUT COULD THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE JUST GIVE US A LIST? AND IT'S AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION, UM, IT WOULD NOT TAKE A LOT OF TIME, CERTAINLY NOT ONE YEAR TO DO THAT TYPE OF INVESTIGATION.
YOU JUST, JUST LOOK AND SEE WHO IT IS.
THEN WE HAVE AN OFFICIAL, UM, REPORT FACT FINDING THAT'S GIVEN TO US, AND THEN WE CAN TAKE SOME ACTION, UM, WHICH WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO OTHERWISE.
SOMEONE HAS TO GIVE US THAT, UH, LIST.
UM, SO I MEAN, I GUESS THE QUESTION THEN IS, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU SAID TYPE OF INVESTIGATION, UM, IT WOULD BE CAMPAIGN FINANCE, BUT IT'S, UM, AND, AND I KNOW YOU SAID YOU'RE NOT SKILLED IN THE AREA, BUT IT WOULD BE, UM, CAMPAIGN FINANCE, BUT IT WOULD BE AN EASIER TYPE OF, OF INVESTIGATION.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO, IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S, UM, IT'S A, IT'S THE TYPE OF INVESTIGATION WE OURSELVES CANNOT DO, BUT WHICH MIGHT NOT TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND WHICH WOULD SERVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT PURPOSE BECAUSE IF THERE ARE 20 VIOLATORS, UM, WE CAN THEN ADDRESS IT ALL AT ONCE.
AND THAT ADDRESSES, I, I KNOW YOU WERE RAISING THE ISSUE OF OBJECTIVITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FAIRNESS BASICALLY.
AND WE'VE BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT OURSELVES.
UM, SO THAT, THAT IS THE WAY WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT IT.
IF WE CAN JUST KIND OF ADDRESS IT GLOBALLY, THEN IT WILL APPEAR TO BE FAIR RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, TWO PEOPLE HAVING A COMPLAINT IN THE OTHER 18, NO FACTS, NOTHING, EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THEY HAVEN'T FILED.
MY CONCERN WITH UHHUH TIMELINESS I DON'T THINK WOULD APPLY IN THIS SITUATION.
I WOULD BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE AREA OF THE ALLEGED VIOLATION, NOT NECESSARILY FROM A COMPLEXITY STANDPOINT, BUT JUST FROM A, MORE, FROM A JURISDICTION STANDPOINT.
SO THERE'S, TO GIVE YOU A PARALLEL, THERE'S TIMES WHERE WE RECEIVE ALLEGATIONS OF HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION, OR RETALIATION.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD VERY EASILY OBSERVE, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S NOT WITHIN OUR MANDATE WITHIN CITY CODE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REFER TO, TO HUMAN RESOURCES.
NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT'S JUST NOT WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING HERE.
I THINK THE OTHER, UH, THE, THE LAST CONSIDERATION THAT I MENTIONED APPLIES HERE.
UM, I PRESUME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR COUNCIL OFFICES, AND SO SOMEONE'S GOING TO, I DON'T KNOW WHO, WHO HASN'T FILED FORMS, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PROHIBITED FROM INVESTIGATING MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL AND THEIR OFFICES.
AND WHILE THAT'S NOT CLEARLY LAID OUT TO EXTEND TO CANDIDATES FOR COUNCIL OFFICE, I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PERCEPTION OF US AND OFFERING INVESTIGATIVE SUPPORT RELATED TO COMPLAINTS AGAINST POTENTIAL FUTURE MEMBERS OF, OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD GIVE ME SERIOUS PAUSE, UH, JUST GIVEN THE NATURE OF, OF WHAT'S BEING ALLEGED.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION? UM, WE MAY BE SORT OF WRAPPED UP HERE OR, OR BOGGED DOWN BY DEF DEFINING AN INVESTIGATION.
IF I THINK THIS IS MAYBE WHAT WE'RE ASKING.
IF ALL WE'RE ASKING IS AN OFFICIAL REPORT ON PEOPLE MISSING DEADLINES AND THAT'S IT, RIGHT? COMMISSIONER LOW? OH, YEAH.
I MEAN, UH, THAT WOULD BE A FACTUAL BASIS THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE.
[00:20:01]
THAT THE, THE, THE PORTION OF CITY CODE THAT IN RELATED TO THE ERC THAT CONNECTS TO MY OFFICE SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT INVESTIGATION.SO I'M, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE WOULD BE THE RIGHT PARTY.
I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR SOME KIND OF ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR THAT, BUT I WOULD, UH, AND I WOULD, UM, I'M, I'M THINKING ON THE FLY HERE, BUT I, UM, EVEN IF WE DON'T CALL IT AN INVESTIGATION, I WOULD SAY EVALUATING FACTS RELATED TO A COMPLAINT TO THE ERC WOULD FEEL VERY MUCH LIKE AN INVESTIGATION, UH, EVEN IF THE TERM DOESN'T APPEAR THERE.
UH, CHAIR, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. HASLET.
SO, IS THIS WHEN THEY, WHEN CANDIDATES FILE THEIR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS, THAT'S SENT TO THE CITY CLERK, CORRECT? CORRECT.
CURRENTLY, I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR CODE THAT DIRECTS THE CLERK TO WORK WITH US OR ANYTHING, BUT WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED ON OUR END TO DIRECT THE CITY CLERK JUST TO SEND US AT EVERY SEND TO THE ERC AT EVERY FILING DEADLINE, THEN JUST A DOCUMENT SAYING, HERE'S WHO'S FILED HERE.
HASN'T, I ASSUME THEY HAVE THAT DOCUMENTATION READILY AVAILABLE BASED ON, BASED ON OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS THAT WE SEE IN NEWS MEDIA.
SO I WAS LIKE, OR WE MAY BE BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE WITH THE AUDITOR ON THIS ONE.
THE, THE CITY CLERK DOES HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION, AND I'M NOT POSITIVE IT'S ON THEIR WEBSITE, BUT IT'S VERY EASILY AVAILABLE TO THEM WHERE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PULL, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS, WHO HASN'T AS FAR AS CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS, UH, FILED.
SO THAT WOULD VERY EASILY BE EITHER, IT COULD BE REQUESTED IN A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS, YOU KNOW, UH, THE CHAIR REACHING OUT TO THE CITY CLERK AND ASKING FOR A LIST.
UM, WHETHER THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AFTER EVERY FILING DEADLINE OR JUST IT'S INITIATED BY THE COMMISSION AFTER EARLY FI, EVERY FILING DEADLINE.
THAT WOULD SORT OF JUST BE A PROCEDURAL ISSUE THAT WE COULD WORK OUT LATER.
BUT THAT STUFF WOULD COME FROM THE CLERK.
AND JUST TO CONFIRM, COMMISSIONERS, THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE WEBPAGE.
WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A FORMAL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, IT'S JUST THERE FOR ANYBODY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
I KNOW IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, BUT TO MAKE A DETERMINATION THAT SOMEONE HAS NOT FILED, I DON'T THINK WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT, JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE WEBSITE.
SO WE WOULD NEED SOME KIND OF OFFICIAL FACT FINDING.
WELL, AREN'T THEY GONNA JUST LOOK AT THE WEBSITE? I MEAN, I AREN, AREN'T THEY GONNA ASK THE CITY CLERK THE SAME THING THAT THEY PUT ON THE WEBSITE? TO BE CLEAR, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S AN APPROPRIATE ROLE FOR US TO BE ASKING THAT.
BUT, BUT, BUT IF IT WAS YOUR RULE, I'M SAYING, WOULDN'T YOU JUST ASK THE CLERK, IS THIS INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE? CORRECT.
UM, HYPOTHETICALLY I WOULD, UM, I MEAN, I WOULD WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CRITERIA OF WHAT WAS REQUIRED TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE POSSIBLE, ALL THE POSSIBILITIES FOR WHY THE INFORMATION IS NOT PRESENT.
AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE FOLLOW UP WITH THE, WITH THE CITY CLERK.
WELL, I THINK EVERYONE GETS MY POINT ON THAT.
MAYBE COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA, UM, I KNOW WHO HAS BEEN STUDYING THIS MORE.
UH, I'D LOVE TO, YEAH, JUST, JUST CLARIFY AND, AND MAKE SURE I'M, AND I'M SENSITIVE TO THE ISSUE OF, UM, TIME CONSTRAINTS AND RESOURCES IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND UNDERSTAND, UM, THE NUMBERS.
UH, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING, AND I GUESS I'M KIND OF SURPRISED TO HEAR THIS, UM, AFTER WE'VE LEARNED THAT THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OFFICIAL JURISDICTION TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS YOU ALL FEEL THAT THERE IS NOT, THAT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO DO ANY INVESTIGATION FOR ANYBODY RUNNING FOR A CITY COUNCIL OR CITYWIDE POSITION.
UH, 'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY BROAD INTERPRETATION OF, UM, OF, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH LIMITS, UH, ANY PERSON WHO POTENTIALLY IS RUNNING FOR, FOR CITY COUNCIL TO SAY THAT WE COULDN'T DO ANY INVESTIGATION ON THAT PER, OR THE AUDITORS GONNA DO ANY INVESTIGATION ON THAT PERSON BECAUSE THEY COULD BE A 1.8 CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
DOES, WAS THAT, DID I MISUNDERSTAND YOUR TESTIMONY THERE? WELL, I WOULDN'T SAY ANYONE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY RUN.
I WOULD SAY THAT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE RUNNING AND MAY END UP ON COUNCIL, GIVEN MY PROHIBITION OF INVESTIGATING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEIR STAFF, AND THERE'S, THERE'S A PORTION OF CODE, I CAN'T REMEMBER, IT'S IN TWO THREE.
IF WE GET A COMPLAINT AGAINST A COUNCIL MEMBER OR A MEMBER OF THEIR STAFF, WE'RE REQUIRED TO OUTSOURCE THAT TO AN INDEPENDENT PARTY.
WE CANNOT CONDUCT THAT INVESTIGATION ON OUR OWN.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, IF THERE'S AN ALLEGATION RELATED TO A CANDIDATE FOR COUNCIL
[00:25:01]
OFFICE, IT DOESN'T FEEL, IT DOESN'T FEEL FAR ENOUGH REMOVED FROM WHERE THEY, THEY, THEY COULD VERY EASILY END UP IN OFFICE.AND I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE OPTICS OF US HAVING INVESTIGATED THEM WHEN THEY WERE A CANDIDATE FOR THE POSITION THAT WE'RE PROHIBITED FROM INVESTIGATING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THAT'S ALL BESIDE THE FACT THAT I STILL DON'T KNOW THAT CAMPAIGN FINANCE IS AN AREA WHERE, WHERE MY OFFICE SHOULD BE, SHOULD WE HAVE NO TRAINING IN THAT AREA.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT ALL OF THE INVESTIGATIONS OR WHAT COULD POSSIBLY COME UP ARE COMPLEX IN NATURE, BUT THAT IS NOT AN AREA OF EXPERTISE THAT MY, THAT MY OFFICE, UH, HAS DEVELOPED.
SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TRAINED ON ANY ELECTION LAW OR ANY OF THOSE ISSUES RELATED TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW.
SO YOU'RE ALREADY CONCERNED THAT WE MAY NOT, YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE EXPERTISE FOR THAT.
IN ADDITION, YOU'RE SAYING THAT ANYBODY WHO IS RUNNING FOR OFFICE, YOU'D FEEL, UH, CONFLICTED OUT.
AND THEN YOU'RE ALSO SAYING THAT YOU ALSO DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO IT.
IS IS, I, I'M, I'M BASICALLY HEARING THAT IT'S PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE TO PROVIDE ANY TYPE OF RESOURCES TO THE AUSTIN, UH, ETHICS COMMISSION.
IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR TESTIMONY.
I, I WOULD SAY FOR THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE RELATED ALLEGATIONS, YES.
IF YOU HAD AN ALLEGATION THAT WAS RELATED TO A CODE OF ETHICS VIOLATION BY A CITY OFFICIAL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, WE COULD, WE COULD ALLOCATE RESOURCES TO INVESTIGATE.
MY CONCERN THERE WOULD BE THE TIMELINESS, GIVEN THE, THE TIMELINES BUILT INTO THE ERC SECTION OF CITY CODE.
MY, MY OFFICE IS NOT REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THOSE, UM, THOSE SAME TIMELINES.
SO WE COULD DO AN INVESTIGATION IF, LET'S JUST SAY, HYPOTHETICALLY, YOU HAD AN ALLEGATION THAT YOU CAME BY, NOT FROM A SWORN COMPLAINT, BUT YOU SAID THIS CITY OFFICIAL MAY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST OR MAY HAVE MISUSED CITY RESOURCES.
THOSE ARE THE EXACT TYPES OF, OF ALLEGATIONS THAT MY OFFICE INVESTIGATES.
AND WE COULD TAKE THAT AS AN ALLEGATION AND PROCESS IT LIKE WE DO EVERYTHING ELSE.
THAT TIMELINE FOR THAT ALLEGATION WOULD NOT MIRROR WHAT YOUR PROCESS FOLLOWS.
IT WOULD FOLLOW THE SAME PROCESS OR THE SAME TIMELINE THAT THE REST OF OUR, OUR ALLEGATIONS PROCESS, IT'S NOT GONNA JUST JUMP TO THE TOP OF THE QUEUE.
THERE'S LOTS OF IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, YOU MENTIONED THE ABILITY TO REFER OUT, UM, SOME INVESTIGATIONS.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS IS IF THAT IS AN OPTION OR A PROCESS THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE, TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION? I, I AM SORRY.
IS THAT, IS THE REFERRAL PROCESS SOMETHING THAT'S AN OPTION FOR, FOR YOUR COMMISSION, FOR YOUR BODY? YEAH, WE, WE ASKED FOR, UM, ASSISTANCE FROM THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND, AND WE HAD A VERY SHORT TIMELINE.
YOU HAD MENTIONED ALSO THAT IF THERE'S A CONFLICT, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU ALL DON'T DO INVESTIGATIONS RELATED TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OR PEOPLE RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL.
AND IN THAT SITUATION, YOU WOULD REFER THAT OUT TO AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S AN ALSO AN OPTION, UM, FOR, FOR REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE AS WELL, OR IF THAT'S, UH, NOT, NOT AN AVAILABLE RESOURCE.
UM, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE AN INVESTIGATOR ON, UM, ON A LONG-TERM CONTRACT.
I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT CONTRACT.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE FOCUSED ON FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE.
I DON'T KNOW THE FULL SCOPE OF THOSE POTENTIAL INVESTIGATIONS.
UM, CHIEF OF INVESTIGATIONS, BRIANY, UM, SO IT'S NOT THE, JUST FOR, UH, CLARIFICATION.
THERE'S, WE REFER OUT ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OUR JURISDICTION, ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER STAFF.
UM, HA ARE, WE ARE, ARE WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION, BUT WE'RE PROHIBITED FROM INVESTIGATING BECAUSE OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST BECAUSE THE CITY AUDITOR, WHO I, MY TEAM AND I REPORT UP TO IS APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
SO WHAT, UH, SECTION TWO THREE OF CITY CODE REQUIRES IS THAT ONCE WE THINK THERE'S A, UH, MATERIAL CHANCE THAT THE ALLEGATION IS TRUE, WE HAVE TO HIRE A THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATOR.
SO WE HAVE A, UM, MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATOR.
SO ONCE THAT ALLEGATION COMES IN ABOUT A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR THEIR STAFF, WE CAN TAKE SOME INITIAL DUE DILIGENCE.
AND THEN WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE, HEY, THERE'S A CHANCE THERE'S SOMETHING TO THIS, WE HAVE TO OFFICIALLY STOP OUR INVESTIGATION, HIRE THE, OR CONTACT THE THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY HIRED AND THEN HAND OFF THE INVESTIGATION TO HIM.
AND SO THAT'S, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER LOWE, YOU REMEMBER ME FROM WALKING UP AND SAYING, I'M BRIAN MALLOY.
HERE'S WEAVER, THE OUTSIDE INVESTIGATOR.
I, BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO DO THE INVESTIGATION.
I'VE JUST HIRED WEAVER TO DO IT, AND THEN I HAVE TO STEP BACK.
UM, IN THOSE SITUATIONS, IT'S DIFFERENT FROM REFERRALS.
REFERRALS ARE THINGS WE'RE NEVER GONNA LOOK INTO OR MM-HMM
WE'RE NOT GONNA LOOK INTO BECAUSE THEY WERE OUTSIDE OF JURISDICTION OR, AND, AND THIS IS GETTING WAY INTO THE WEEDS.
IF, UH, OF THOSE 130 BROADWAYS FROM ABUSE ALLEGATIONS, THE ONES THAT DON'T TURN
[00:30:01]
INTO MATERIAL VIOLATIONS, UH, OF CITY CODE, WE DON'T JUST WANT THOSE TO DIE.SO I ALSO DO SEND A, WHAT'S CALLED A REFERRAL EMAIL TO THE RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR OR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE SAYING, CONCERN X CAME IN.
WE TOOK, UH, STEPS 1, 2, 3, 4 LEARNED THESE THINGS.
AND BECAUSE OF WHAT WE LEARNED, WE DON'T THINK IT'S A VIOLATION OF CITY CODE, BUT WE WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF WHAT CAME IN AND, AND WHAT STEPS WE TOOK.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY THINGS GET REFERRED, BUT TECHNICALLY WE DID ALL THE WORK ON THOSE AND WE'RE JUST INFORMING PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
YEAH, COMMISSIONER, I HAVE A WHO, WHO ELSE IS TALKING? CAN I FOLLOW UP ON, UM, COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA? YEAH.
I YIELD BASED ON WHAT, WITH REGARD TO
COMMISSIONER LAWSON, WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE HEARING YOU.
IT'S CUTTING OUT AND WE ARE UNABLE TO SEE YOUR VIDEO.
I'M GONE, SO YOU CAN'T SEE ME OR HEAR ME.
WE CAN SEE YOU AND WE CAN HEAR YOU BETTER NOW.
OH, SO, UM, SO TO CLARIFY, BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR SPECIFIC, UM, SCENARIO WITH REGARD TO CAMPAIGN FINANCES AND YOUR INABILITY TO, UM, INVESTIGATE THOSE, OR BECAUSE OF, UM, EXPERIENCE, WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON HOW WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD IN THIS ARENA? I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S AN APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR ME TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I WOULD, UH, IF THIS QUESTION HAD COME INTO US, I WOULD'VE MET WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT TO SEEK SOME COUNSEL ON WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET YOU SOME SUPPORT RESOURCES.
UM, SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER THAT TO, TO MAKE A, A RECOMMENDATION.
VICTORIA JALO, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, THE, THE CITY CLERK, IF YOU WANTED TO CONNECT WITH THE CITY CLERK, THEY HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UH, THEY, WE TALKED WITH THEM TODAY, UH, ABOUT CANDIDATES POST-ELECTION, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE, UM, CAMPAIGN FA FINANCE FUND.
AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALL THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO CONFIRM COMPLIANCE IN ORDER TO, UM, ENSURE THAT THE CANDIDATES THAT COMPLY RECEIVE, UM, FUNDS POST-ELECTION.
THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE TO CONNECT WITH THEM.
IF THE CONCERN IS THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS LIKE THE SFI, WELL, WELL, THAT WOULD BE COMPLETE INFORMATION BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WANT, UH, MATCHING FUNDS.
NO, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE, BUT THE POINT IS THEY DO HAVE THOSE, THEY DO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I'M JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT MM-HMM
TODAY, WE TALKED ABOUT THEM HAVING THAT INFORMATION THAT IS EASIER FOR THEM TO GET THAN MM-HMM
PROBABLY ANY OTHER, UH, DEPARTMENT.
UM, I DID WANNA FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA SAID.
UM, AS TO THE, UM, TIMELINES, FIRST OF ALL, THERE ARE WAYS WE CAN MOVE OUR TIMELINES.
I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE PARTIES AGREE TO A LONGER TIMELINE, WE COULD DO THAT.
UH, I MEAN, THERE ARE, THERE ARE WAYS WE CAN, UM, USE INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES, EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, PRECISELY WITHIN THE TIME LIMITS THAT ARE ENUMERATED IN THE STATUTE.
SO, UM, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT IS, UM, IT MAY BE A DETERRENT
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY IS I JUST TO SEPARATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE FROM CODE OF ETHICS.
I MEAN, I KNOW THE LAST TIME WE SAW MR. MALLOY, IT WAS A CODE OF ETHICS KIND OF VIOLATION, AND HE DID A VERY, VERY COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.
UM, AND I KNOW IT WAS OVER A YEAR
SO WE WOULD STILL NEED THAT KIND OF HELP SOME OF THE TIME, I THINK.
UM, AND, AND I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON WHAT COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA SAID ABOUT, UM, REFERRING, UM, BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE A PROBLEM WITH OPTICS.
IF EVERYONE WHO FALLS INTO THIS CATEGORY IS BUCKET AND MEETS WHATEVER CRITERIA, THEY WOULD ALL BE TREATED THE SAME WAY.
PERHAPS THEY WOULD ALL HAVE TO BE REFERRED OUT TO A THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATOR.
[00:35:01]
THAT HOW YOU SEE IT LEGALLY? OR DO YOU THINK WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE TO AVOID, UM, ANY PERCEPTIONS OF A LACK OF OBJECTIVITY? I'M NOT SURE I FOLLOWED THE QUESTION, BUT I WILL SAY THAT YOU SAID LEGALLY I'M NOT IN A POSITION.I CANNOT ANSWER ANYTHING LEGALLY THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO LOOK TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT FOR A LEGAL OPINION.
UM, BUT I CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION FROM AN INVESTIGATIVE STANDPOINT, FROM AN OBJECTIVITY STANDPOINT, IF MM-HMM
NO, I, I JUST, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE NOT CAMPAIGN FINANCE, WHICH YOU HAVE INDICATED YOU DON'T FEEL YOU HAVE APPROPRIATE SKILLS IN, IF WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE CODE OF ETHICS VIOLATIONS, OKAY.
THERE IS A SET OF CODE OF ETHICS VIOLATIONS, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND SO FORTH, THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO REFER TO A THIRD PARTY, RIGHT.
THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? YES.
SO FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU THINK MAY SHOW A LACK OF OBJECTIVITY, OR AT LEAST AN APPEARANCE OF SOME KIND OF IMPROPRIETY THERE, WHICH WOULD BE CANDIDATES WHO MAY POTENTIALLY BECOME CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE SOMETHING PREVENTING YOU FROM REFERRING THOSE OUT TO A THIRD PARTY AS WELL? WELL, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE SITUATION YOU DESCRIBED COULD OCCUR, BECAUSE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL, THEN THE CODE OF ETHICS DOESN'T APPLY TO THEM.
I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS, BUT NO, THE CODE OF ETHICS WOULD ONLY APPLY TO AN EXISTING CITY OFFICIAL, NOT A CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL TO AN EMPLOYEE WHO'S RUNNING OH, AN EMPLOYEE WHO'S RUNNING FOR COUNCIL, IS THAT THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD LOOK UHHUH
UM, IF THERE WAS AN EMPLOYEE RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL AND WE HAD A CODE OF ETHICS VIOLATION, I WOULD NOT BE INVESTIGATING THEM IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THEIR COUNSEL OR POTENTIAL COUNSEL ROLE.
I WOULD BE LOOKING AT THEM AS A CITY EMPLOYEE, SO THEN WE COULD CONDUCT THAT INVESTIGATION.
BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME BEFORE THE ERC.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD, I WOULD ISSUE A REPORT ON ANY VIOLATIONS DIRECTLY BECAUSE THEY'RE IN AN EMPLOYEE STATUS.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IT WOULD BE COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO THAT PERSON AS A CANDIDATE? YES.
EVEN IF THE ALLEGATION HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE PERSON BEING A CANDIDATE AS WELL AS AN EMPLOYEE, AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER.
I THINK THERE'S COMP, WE NEED TO KNOW THE FACT PATTERN, I THINK.
WELL, CERTAIN THINGS THEY DID, UH, THAT COULD VIOLATE CITY CODE MIGHT BE JUST FROM THEIR TIED MORE TO THEIR STATUS AS A CITY EMPLOYEE.
BUT IF IT'S THEIR CITY EMPLOYEE AND THEY'RE RUNNING FOR COUNCIL, AND THEN THEY DO SOMETHING LIKE THEY FAIL TO PROPERLY DISCLOSE THEIR DONATIONS, OR THEY DON'T COMPLETE THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE ON TIME THINGS THAT THEY'RE ONLY REQUIRED TO DO BECAUSE THEY'RE A CANDIDATE, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE TIED TO THEIR CANDIDACY, NOT TO THEIR CITY EMPLOYMENT.
IT'S NOT LIKE THEY, UNLESS THE ALLEGATION WAS THEY MISUSED CITY RESOURCES TO THEN DO THESE OTHER THINGS FOR THEIR CANDIDACY, THEN YOU'RE GETTING PRETTY MUDDY.
THEN YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S A, THAT'S A CITY CODE VIOLATION BECAUSE THEY'RE A CITY EMPLOYEE AND THEY HAD ACCESS TO THESE CITY RESOURCES, BUT THEY'RE USING IT IN FURTHERANCE OF MM-HMM
SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE ONLY DOING BECAUSE THEY'RE A CANDIDATE.
SO, I DON'T HAVE A CLEAN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THERE.
I COULD, COULD SEE HOW THINGS COULD FIT IN BUCKET A IN THAT SITUATION, JUST THE CITY EMPLOYEES, AND WE COULD INVESTIGATE BUCKET B BECAUSE IT'S ONLY RELATED TO THEIR CANDIDACY OR TIE BETWEEN BOTH.
I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA MAKE UP TOO MANY SPECIFIC FACTS.
I AM JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, AS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY AUDITOR CAN DO.
UM, OR DO YOU THINK THERE ARE MANY SITUATIONS IN WHICH THE CITY AUDITORS SIMPLY CANNOT BECAUSE THERE ARE THESE CONFLICTS? OR EVEN IF THERE ARE NOT ACTUALLY CONFLICTS, THERE'S THE OPTICS ARE BAD, RIGHT? THAT, THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE AUDITOR IS NOT BEING OBJECTIVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, LIKE, BE HONEST, THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK IT IS, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THIS OUT.
IF WE HAVE TO GO, YOU KNOW, ASK THE CITY MANAGER, ASK THE COUNCIL FOR DIFFERENT RESOURCES, OR, YOU KNOW, AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.
BUT WE JUST ARE, ARE TRYING TO PARSE THIS OUT RIGHT NOW.
I, I, I, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO, TO THE HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS.
I WILL SAY, AS IT RELATES TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE RELATED ISSUES, I DON'T SEE HOW MY OFFICE CAN CAN SUPPORT THAT.
I THINK THAT, UM, AS VICTORIA MENTIONED, GOING TO THE CITY CLERK FOR THAT INFORMATION IS PROBABLY THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE TO RECEIVE THE, THE DATA,
[00:40:01]
THE DATA THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU MAY NEED FOR, FOR THESE ISSUES.I SAY ALL THAT, HAVING NOT SEEN THESE EXACT CONCERNS MM-HMM
SO YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE REPORTS.
IF THE COMPLAINT IS ABOUT REPORTING, RIGHT? LIKE NOT FILING, BUT FOR ANY OTHER CAMPAIGN FINANCE ISSUE THAT MIGHT BECOME A COMPLAINT, YOU'RE SAYING YOU SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE.
CORRECT? I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S WITHIN OUR, OUR JURISDICTION.
UM, I, I HAD A FEW OTHER THINGS, BUT SHALL I MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, OR DID I, I WILL YIELD TO ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS QUESTIONS ON THESE THIS MATTER.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, YOU WANNA PUT THOSE NEXT STEPS? UM, WELL, YEAH, ACTUALLY TWO, UH, THINGS I WANTED TO POINT OUT, AND MAYBE, MAYBE THESE ARE NEXT STEPS.
UM, SO TWO DASH SEVEN DASH 26 SAYS, THE CITY MANAGER SHALL PROVIDE FUNDING FOR ALL NECESSARY AND REASONABLE FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION IN FULFILLING THE COMMISSION'S DUTIES.
SO I GUESS WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
IF, UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING OR WE DON'T HAVE THE HUMAN RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, TO, TO DO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, AND THEN TWO DASH SEVEN DASH 31 A ALPHA, THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION SHALL BE ASSIGNED STAFF BY THE CITY ATTORNEY TO ASSIST IN ITS DUTIES.
UM, IF WE NEED MORE STAFF, WE WOULD HAVE TO ASK, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY, WHICH REALLY MEANS WE WOULD HAVE TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER, UM, UNDER, UNDER THE FIRST SECTION TWO DASH SEVEN DASH 26.
UM, SO I, I'D SAY THOSE ARE TIED TOGETHER.
IF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NEEDING MORE STAFF TO, UM, TO DO INVESTIGATION OR TO DO ANYTHING THAT WE NEED HUMAN BEINGS TO DO, BECAUSE AFTER INVESTIGATION, WE WOULD THEN NEED, UM, SOMEONE TO, YOU KNOW, DRAFT THE BRIEF, UM, OR ANY, ANYTHING WE NEED TO DO THERE.
UM, I, I KNOW THERE'S A PROPOSITION ON THE BALLOT RIGHT NOW, BUT AT THE MOMENT, THE CITY ATTORNEY REPORTS TO THE CITY MANAGER.
SO I, I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT ALTOGETHER.
UM, SO THAT'S NOT A PROPOSAL YET, BUT I DUNNO WHAT THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS THINK ABOUT THAT.
ANY COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? WELL, AS I SEE IT, THEN WE COULD MAYBE TAKE A TWO PRONGED APPROACH DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
FOR ONE CATEGORY, WE MIGHT GO AHEAD AS WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND TALK TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE FOR THAT SIMPLEST, I'M SORRY.
UH, WE COULD FIRST GO TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, UM, TO REQUEST THAT MOST NARROW CATEGORY RIGHT.
OF ASSISTANCE IN TERMS OF LETTING US KNOW OFFICIALLY WHEN DEADLINES HAD BEEN ALLEGEDLY VIOLATED.
WELL, THAT'LL GIVE US THE LIST OF VIOLATORS, BUT IT WON'T HELP US INITIATE A COMPLAINT.
I, I MEAN, WE STILL DON'T HAVE A BASIS
PARDON? IT'S, THAT IS THE BASIS.
WHAT I MEANT IS WE DON'T HAVE A PROCESS TO INITIATE A COMPLAINT ONCE WE HAVE THOSE FACTS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT BEING AN INVESTIGATOR AND THE JUDGE, UH, IN THE SAME PROCESS.
UH, MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THAT AT SOME POINT.
IT'S ONE THING TO TAKE AN INVEST, UH, JUST THAT, AND, AND I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT, BUT IF WE'RE INVESTIGATING THE CASE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA ALSO BE THE, THE JURY THAT, UH, THAT UM, DECIDES THAT, UM, IF, IF WE INITIATE THE INVESTIGATION ON OUR OWN, NOT FROM SOMEBODY ELSE COMING IN AND WE FOLLOW UP ON IT, YOU KNOW, I'M, THERE MAY BE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, AS THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION, YOU DO NOT HAVE INVESTIGATORY POWER.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO INITIATE A COMPLAINT.
AND SO IF THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE HAD THE RESOURCES AND THERE WAS A PROCESS FOR IT, THEY WOULD BE HELPING WITH THE INVESTIGATION PART OF IT.
AND THEN THE INITIATION OF THE COMPLAINT, GETTING THE COMPLAINT OUT TO THE COMPLAINANT, ALL THAT STUFF WOULD COME FROM THE COMMISSION.
AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A COMPLETELY SEPARATE PROCESS THAT DOESN'T
[00:45:01]
EXIST YET.THE COMMISSION INITIATED COMPLAINT PROCESS THERE, THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS, THE INVESTIGATION AND THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.
AND SO THEY CAN BE WORKED OUT IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
BUT THE, THE INVESTIGATION ITSELF, WHILE IT MIGHT BE INITIATED BY THE COMMISSION ASKING FOR THAT HELP, OR ASKING THE CLERK TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION, IT WOULDN'T BE THE COMMISSION ACTUALLY DOING THE INVESTIGATION AND THEN DOING, YOU KNOW, THE ADJUDICATING OF IT.
IF THAT MAKES, I'M SO SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
COULD WE GET COMMISSIONER LAWSON AND FIGUEROA'S CAMERAS BACK ON, PLEASE? UM, MY CAMERA'S ON.
CAN YOU SEE ME AND HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU FINE.
UH, ANY MORE COMMENTS ON THE, UM, THE SUBJECT MATTER? I'M NOT A COMMISSIONER, BUT, UM, I HAVEN'T, UH, AND AGAIN, BRIAN MALLOY, CHIEF OF INVESTIGATIONS, UM, I KNOW WE HAVEN'T REACHED A LOT OF SOLUTIONS HERE TODAY, BUT, UH, I DID WANNA UNDERSCORE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU AS COMMISSIONERS ALL HAVE IN MAKING A COMPLAINT THAT COMES INTO MY TEAM AND THEN JUST GOES THROUGH OUR NORMAL INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS.
SO IF YOU GUYS BECOME AWARE OF SOMETHING, MAYBE IT'S 'CAUSE A COMPLAINT BRINGS A CONCERN TO YOU, BUT IT'S TOTALLY UNDER BAKED AND THERE'S NOT ANY EVIDENCE, OR IT'S NOT READY TO GO FORWARD, BUT YOU THINK, HEY, THERE, THIS MIGHT BE A LEGIT CONCERN.
YOU CAN EITHER DIRECT THAT PERSON WHO MAYBE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PIR THINGS OR FULLY INVESTIGATE IT JUST TO MAKE A COMPLAINT TO MY OFFICE.
AND INSTEAD OF BEING THEIR COMPLAINT THAT THEY'RE GONNA BRING TO THE ERC IN THE FUTURE, IT JUST GETS LOGGED IN MY SYSTEM.
IF IT'S WITHIN MY TEAM'S JURISDICTION, WE'LL INVESTIGATE IF WE HAVE TO GO TO OUR OUTSIDE INVESTIGATORS BECAUSE IT INVOLVES A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, OR YOU KNOW, ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE OFFICIALS WHO WE'RE NOT INDEPENDENT FROM, IT'LL FOLLOW THE PROCESS AND IT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S EVIDENCE, UH, TO SUPPORT A MATERIAL VIOLATIONS CITY CODE, IT'LL EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO YOU AND WE'LL FILE IT AND THEN IT'LL CLICK ALL THOSE, LIKE MUST HAVE A HEARING WITHIN A PRELIMINARY HEARING WITHIN TWO MONTHS, MUST HAVE A FINAL HEARING WITHIN ONE MONTH AFTER THAT.
BUT THAT WON'T TOLL UNTIL WE FILE IT.
SO THAT'S A WAY TO GET THESE CONCERNS INVESTIGATED THAT EXISTS RIGHT NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, MY CURRENT STAFFING LEVEL CAN HANDLE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HANDLE IT.
UM, AND SO AT LEAST THAT'S ONE WAY TO ACT RIGHT NOW.
AND I JUST DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF THAT AS, AS YOU'RE FIGURING OUT THE OTHER PROCESSES YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IN THE, IN THE WHAT STAFFING MIGHT BE AVAILABLE IN THE FUTURE.
THAT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME WE SAW YOU.
INITIALLY HOW THE PERSON BROUGHT THE COMPLAINT TO US.
JUST A COMPLAINT THAT CAME IN THROUGH OUR VARIOUS HOTLINE PORTING MECHANISMS, WE MM-HMM
FOUND THERE MIGHT BE MATERIALITY TO IT, AND THEN HIRED WEAVER AND THEN EVENTUALLY GOT BEFORE YOU.
WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD NOT WANT TO, UH, ELIMINATE THAT.
WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT COVERED THOUGH, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, MR. CHAIR, ACTUALLY, WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS THAT, UM, I DON'T WANNA FORM ANOTHER WORKING GROUP, BUT MAYBE THAT WE, UM, APPROACHED THE CITY MANAGER WITH OUR CONCERNS, UM, ESPECIALLY AFTER HAVING TALKED TO THE CITY AUDITOR AND SEEING WHAT RESOURCES ARE, YOU KNOW, LIMITED AND THEREFORE IMPEDING OUR ABILITY TO INITIATE OUR OWN COMPLAINTS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT HAPPENS THERE.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE WE NEED TO, UM, PROPOSE STATUTORY CHANGE OR ANYTHING.
I, I REALLY THINK WE SHOULD OPEN THAT.
AND, UM, THAT WOULD BE MUCH MORE THAN JUST GETTING INFORMATION FROM THE, UH, CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
UM, THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY PROPOSAL.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SPECIFIC ENOUGH, UH, TO BE A MOTION, BUT THAT, THAT'S THE DIRECTION I'D LIKE US TO GO.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP, UM, ON THOSE ISSUES? ANY MORE DISCUSSION? COMMENTS? YEAH, COMMENT.
OH, I THINK I'M VOLUNTEERING FOR THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, ALRIGHT, IF THERE'S NO MORE ON THAT ISSUE, ASK COMMISSIONER.
I WANNA, PARDON? ASK COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA, I DUNNO IF HE'S ON CAMERA, BUT WHETHER HE WANTS TO, UM, CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
I THINK HE HAS A LOT OF VALUABLE INSIGHT AND, UH, BACKGROUND ON THIS.
[00:50:01]
COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY CON UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, BUT YEAH, I'D LOVE TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING AND I THINK THE CITY MANAGER MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, UM, FOR THE NEXT PART OF THIS.UM, DEFINITELY LEARNED A LOT WITH THE, HAVING THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE HERE.
UM, IT'S DEFINITELY, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK AROUND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE PROCESSES AND IT'S, IT'S SEEMS DAUNTING RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M, I'M EXCITED TO KEEP IT GOING IF WE CAN.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, WE'LL, UH, MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SIGN
[3. Set and adopt the Ethics Review Commission regular meeting calendar for 2027. ]
ON THE AGENDA, BUT LET ME THANK BOTH OF YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO APPEAR BEFORE US, UH, COMMISSIONERS LAWSON AND FIGUEROA.THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AN ACTION ITEM AND WE WILL NEED YOU TO BE PRESENT ON SCREEN, OTHERWISE YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE ON THE ITEM.
AND WE CAN SEE NEITHER OF YOU RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE I CAN SEE COMMISSIONER, WE CAN, WE CAN ALL SEE GROUND, WE CAN SEE THE ROOM.
UH, WE CAN SEE COMMISSIONER LAWSON NOW IT'S INTERESTING TECHNOLOGY HERE.
I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, BUT I'VE SEEN THESE GENTLEMEN THE ENTIRE TIME.
AND I CAN SEE THE SCREEN THAT THEY'RE STILL OFF, BUT ON MY PHONE, THEY'RE LOOKING RIGHT AT 'EM.
I SEE COMMISSIONER LAWSON FOR INSTANCE, YOU JUST DISAPPEARED.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
I AM DOING, I'M NOT, I YOU'RE DOING NOTHING WRONG.
SO WITHOUT THEM, I, IT KEEPS GOING OFF AND ON AND I CAN SEE THAT'S, THAT'S WILD.
WELL, MAYBE WHAT I WILL DO IS I WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA AND IF AT ANY MOMENT BOTH OF THEIR FACES APPEAR ON THE SCREEN, WILL QUICKLY TAKE A VOTE.
SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS TO SIT AND ADOPT THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2027.
AND I BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS A COPY OF THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE.
UM, MS. BENETTA, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE SCHEDULE OR DO WE JUST MOVE AHEAD AS SOON AS WE SEE FACES ON THE SCREEN? YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND JUST REVIEW THE DATES AND APPROVE IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO AS A COMMISSION.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD.
I JUST WENT AHEAD AND UPDATED THE DATES ACCORDING TO WHAT IS LISTED ON THE WEBPAGE AS THE FOURTH WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, EXCLUDING NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, BECAUSE THOSE ARE TYPICALLY HOLIDAY MONTHS.
WE USUALLY HAVE THOSE EARLIER.
SO THAT'S ALL ON THE CALENDAR THAT I PRESENTED FOR EVERYONE.
DO WE HAVE THE LOCATION LIZETTE? UM, I BELIEVE I HAD MENTIONED THIS LAST TIME, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THE LOCATIONS WHEN WE PRESENT.
THE CALENDAR BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS.
SO THE FIRST THING IN ORDER FOR US TO EVEN START THIS IS JUST TO SELECT THE DATES.
UM, THE COUNCIL GETS, UM, I CAN'T THINK OF THE RIGHT WORD, SORRY, MY MIND IS BLINKING.
UM, THEY ARE ALLOWED TO, I GUESS, BUMP ANYBODY ELSE BECAUSE OF BUDGET MEETINGS THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE.
SO WHEN THEY HAVE SUBMITTED THE DATES FOR THOSE BUDGET MEETINGS, THEN IT'S A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS FOR COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS.
AND AT THAT POINT IT'S JUST WHAT'S AVAILABLE HERE.
UM, AS WE'D LIKE TO HAVE, PREFERABLY AT CITY HALL.
WHERE ARE THE DATES? UM, I HAD INCLUDED THEM IN THE EMAIL.
NO, IT'S PROBABLY, I PROBABLY DIDN'T PAY CLOSE ENOUGH ATTENTION.
IT'S THE SAME EMAIL THAT YOU SENT THE AGENDA WITH.
YES, IT SHOULD BE IN THERE, BUT AGAIN, I CAN RESEND IT.
OKAY, WELL WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE ON SCREEN.
SO WE COULD TAKE, WE COULD PROCEED NOW.
AND COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA, I AM SO SORRY YOU'RE NOT APPEARING ON OUR SCREEN.
UH, BUT WE CAN TAKE A VOTE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO, WHOM WE CAN SEE.
UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR? SO MOVED.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? WHO SAID THE SECOND? COMMISSIONER LAWSON.
OH, COMMISSIONER LAWSON SECONDED THE MOTION.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
[00:55:03]
UH, ANY OPPOSED, ANY ABSTENTIONS? UH, IT IS UNANIMOUS WITH THE, UH, EXCEPTION OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE COMMISSIONER FIGUEROA.[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
MORE, UH, ANY MORE BUSINESS? ANYONE WANTS TO INTRODUCE ANY ISSUES? UH, NOTHING ELSE IS ON THE AGENDA.UM, ANYONE LIKE TO MOVE TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.
THANK ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT.
ALL OPPOSED, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.