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[00:00:02]

GOOD.

GOOD

[Special Ethics Advisory Commission on January 29, 2025]

MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

WELCOME TO THIS MORNING'S ETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING.

IT IS 9 37, UH, AM ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29TH.

UH, AT THIS TIME, I'LL DO THE ROLL CALL.

IF PRESENT, PLEASE, UH, SAY HERE, TOM PERKINS IS PRESENT, OR HERE? UH, LET'S SEE.

JUAN GARCIA, GRANT SCHMIT.

HERE.

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ.

JENNIFER STOVALL.

HERE.

SUSAN BOWMAN.

HERE.

HOWARD RUBIN.

ANDY HERE.

ANDY VILLA REAL HERE.

AND JED MASO HERE.

UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE HAVE A QUORUM AND TODAY'S MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.

UH, LET'S SEE.

CAN WE HAVE INTRODUCTIONS BY OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL? GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN.

BART BEAVERS WITH THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

LAURA MORRISON, LEGAL COUNSEL TO THE COMMISSION AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.

ESLAVA MARTINEZ.

ALRIGHT, WE'LL PROCEED WITH LINDSEY SANCHEZ.

OKAY.

DONNA BROWN.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

UH, BEFORE WE DO PUBLIC SPEAKERS, I WANTED TO JUST DO A COUPLE OF THINGS REALLY QUICKLY.

FIRST, I WANTED TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR ITS SUPPORT OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE, UH, CITIZENS TO ESTABLISH THE INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE.

THE COMMISSION PLAYED A AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THAT PROCESS, AND I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION MEMBERS FOR WHAT, WHAT'S I, I THINK A PRETTY IMPORTANT CHANGE TO THE CITY CHARTER.

UM, SECOND, THE MEETING DATES HAVE BEEN MOVED A LITTLE BIT.

UH, I USED TO TEACH AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW CLASS AT CITY, AT THE T'S LAW SCHOOL.

UH, I RETIRED, BUT THEY CALLED ME A WEEK BEFORE CLASSES STARTED AND SOMEBODY WAS SUPPOSED TO TEACH THE CLASS AND WAS UNABLE TO DO SO, AND THE CLASSMATES ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS.

SO, UH, THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD TO DO A LITTLE SHUFFLING OF THE CLASS.

I MEAN THE, UH, MEETING DATES.

SO FOR THAT, I APOLOGIZE AND THANK THE CITY SECRETARY FOR DOING ALL THE CHANGES THAT WERE NECESSARY TO GET IT DONE.

OKAY.

WITH THAT SAID, UH, WE WILL PROCEED TO, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS.

UH, WE ALLOW SPEAKERS ALLOW THREE MINUTES MUST STAY ON TOPIC.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ASK QUESTIONS.

THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL HAS REGISTERED TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.

UH, ALEX STEIN, WHO IS THE SPEAKER? THE I THAT'S FINE.

UH, CITY MISS.

CITY SECRETARY, OR DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO READ THE SPEAKER GUIDELINES FOR SPEAKER? YES.

CHAIR.

I CAN READ THAT FOR YOU.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

SPEAKERS MUST OBSERVE THE SAME RULES OF PROPRIETY DECORUM AND GOOD CONDUCT APPLICABLE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

ANY SPEAKERS MAKING PERSONAL IMP PERTINENT PROFANE OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS, OR WHO BECOME BOISTEROUS WHILE ADDRESSING THE BOARD SHALL BE REMOVED FROM ADDRESSING THE BOARD.

UM, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.

MR. STEIN, YOUR TIMER IS UP ON THE MONITOR.

UM, WE DO ASK THAT WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, PLEASE STOP.

MR. STEIN, YOU MAY PROCEED.

HELLO? YO.

YEAH.

YEAH.

OKAY.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD START THE CLOCK 'CAUSE UH, THE MIC WASN'T ON, BUT, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, TO THE HONORABLE ETHICS COMMISSION, THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE.

UH, YOU GUYS REPRESENT DALLAS, TEXAS, WHICH IS A LEGENDARY CITY, BUT SADLY, THERE'S A STAIN ON THIS CITY OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS.

AND THAT STAIN HAS BEEN THE DALLAS COWBOYS.

THE DALLAS COWBOYS HAVE BEEN AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN JUST OPENLY HORRIBLE, NOT HIDING IT.

THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TO AN NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN 30 YEARS.

AND JERRY JONES JUST HIRED BRIAN SCHOTTENHEIMER, WHO HAS NO HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE AT

[00:05:01]

ALL.

HE'S NEVER BEEN THE HEAD COACH OF ANY PROGRAM.

NOT A HIGH SCHOOL, NOT A JV TEAM, NOT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM.

AND NOW YOU GOT JERRY JONES, WHO'S OUT HERE HIRING BRIAN SCHOTTENHEIMER, TALKING ABOUT GOING TO GLORY HOLES.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ETHICS, WE GOT A GUY, JERRY JONES, WHO IS THE MOST FAMOUS PERSON IN THIS CITY, ARGUABLY, WHO REPRESENTS THE CITY OF DALLAS.

AND ETHICALLY AND MORALLY, HE'S VERY REPUGNANT.

HE EVEN HAD A DAUGHTER OUT OF WEDLOCK WITH A FLIGHT ATTENDANT IN ARKANSAS.

AND WHEN SHE CAME OUT AND SAID, JERRY, YOU ARE MY BIOLOGICAL FATHER.

WHAT DID JERRY JONES DO? HE SUED HIS OWN DAUGHTER.

WHAT KIND OF ETHICS IS THAT? THE MOST POWERFUL GUY THAT OWNS THE MOST POWERFUL SPORTS FRANCHISE IN THE WORLD WON'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE HIS OWN DAUGHTER.

THAT SHOWS YOU THE KIND OF ETHICS WE HAVE HERE IN DALLAS.

AND THE DALLAS COWBOYS STINK.

THEY HAVEN'T WON ANYTHING IN NEARLY 30 YEARS.

AND YOU GOT THE REDSKINS GOING TO AN NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH A COACH THAT WAS ON THE COWBOYS STAFF LAST YEAR.

SO I'M SICK OF IT.

I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS, UH, MEDIOCRE FRANCHISE REPRESENTING OUR CITY.

SO YOU AS AN ETHICS COMMISSION, YOU NEED TO CALL OUT JERRY JONES.

YOU NEED TO SAY, LISTEN, YOU REPRESENT OUR CITY.

THE COWBOYS REPRESENT DALLAS.

THEY REPRESENT YOU, THEY REPRESENT ME.

THEY REPRESENT ALL THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE HERE, THE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS, ALL THE TRANS PEOPLE.

THEY REPRESENT ALL OF US.

IT DOESN'T MATTER ABOUT THEIR POLITICAL IDEOLOGY.

IT DOESN'T, NONE OF THAT MATTERS.

THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS THAT THE DALLAS COWBOYS WERE ONCE AMERICA'S TEAM.

AND THAT IS NO LONGER TRUE.

THEY STINK.

AND THAT'S WHY I COME UP HERE, AND THAT'S WHY I'M PASSIONATE, BECAUSE LISTEN, I'M DOING PRETTY GOOD.

DONALD TRUMP WON.

I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

TUCKER CARLSON, MY BIOLOGICAL STEPFATHER, HIS SHOW'S DOMINATING.

I MEAN, EVERYBODY IN MY ORBIT IS DOING GOOD EXCEPT FOR THE DALLAS FREAKING COWBOYS.

THEY STINK.

AND HONESTLY, I WOULD LIKE IT IF JERRY JONES WOULD SELL THE TEAM TO THE CARTEL.

LIKE, WHY WOULD YOU WANT THE CARTEL TO RUN THE DALLAS COWBOY? BECAUSE THOSE MEXICANS COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO SNEAK ACROSS THE GOAL LINE.

THEY SNEAK ACROSS THE HARDEST GOAL LINE EVERY DAY, THE BORDER.

YOU DON'T THINK THEY CAN SNEAK ACROSS ONE THIN WHITE LINE INSIDE OF AT AND T STADIUM? TRUST ME, THEY CAN.

SO LISTEN, JERRY, I KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING THIS.

YOU SUCK.

YOUR SON SUCKS.

AS A MANAGER, EVERYTHING YOU DO IS WRONG.

YOU SIGNED ALL THESE PLAYERS AND NOW WE CAN'T AFFORD TO SIGN ANY OTHER PLAYERS BECAUSE YOU GAVE TOO MUCH MONEY TO PLAYERS THAT AREN'T WORTH IT.

SO FIRE JERRY JONES AND FIX OUR CITY.

THANK YOU.

THAT'S, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. STEIN.

ALRIGHT.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS TODAY? NO CHAIR.

THAT'S ALL YOUR SPEAKERS.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

ITEM TWO IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE JULY 16TH 24, UH, ETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING.

UH, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THAT MEETING? SO MOVED, MOVED AND SECONDED.

UH, DID SOMEONE SECOND? SECOND.

ANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD HAVE ANY COMMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE MINUTES? IF THERE IS NO, NO DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT.

ALL THOSE, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED NAY.

THE MOTION IS PASSED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.

ALRIGHT, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.

UH, AND THAT IS A REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE, OF THE ETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION 2024 ANNUAL REPORT.

WHO DOES THAT? YOU DO THAT.

THERE'S NO PRESENTATION.

OKAY.

THERE'S NO PRESENTATION ON THAT.

UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION REGARDING THE ANNUAL REPORT? HEARING NONE.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL REPORT? SORRY, ONE, ONE SEC.

[00:10:06]

I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL REPORT.

TURN ON HERE.

MY SECOND.

I WILL SAY THAT AGAIN.

SORRY.

I WOULD MOVE TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL REPORT.

I'LL SECOND IT.

ALL RIGHT.

THE MOTION HAS BEEN MOVED.

AND, UH, SECONDED.

UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION BY ANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION HEARING NO DISCUSSION? ALTHOUGH I, OH, EXCUSE ME.

I'M SORRY.

NO, I'M JUST CURIOUS.

CAN WE GET THIS AHEAD OF TIME? WE DID.

WE DID.

YES.

THEY SENT IT TO ME.

I'M SURE EVERYBODY ELSE I HAVE TECH.

OKAY.

UM, YEAH, I DON'T THINK I RECEIVED IT EITHER.

UM, YES, WE SENT THAT ELECTRONICALLY.

NANCY SANCHEZ, OUR BOARD, UM, OUR COMMISSION COORDINATOR SENT THAT BY EMAIL.

YES.

UH, I DON'T, DO WE KNOW WHEN? I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND IT.

YEAH.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE OR NOT, BUT IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE COULD, UM, SEND A MESSAGE TO THOSE COUNCIL PERSONS WHO HAVE NOT NOMINATED SOMEONE FOR THE COMMISSION? UM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE CAN RUN INTO PROBLEMS WITH WHETHER WE HAVE A, A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATING.

I MEAN, IT'S AN IMPORTANT COMMISSION AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

BUT, UM, I THINK IT WOULD HELP, UM, PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT, UM, SOMEONE FROM THEIR DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, UH, THERE ARE SIX VACANCIES.

THEY DON'T NEED TO BE FROM THE DISTRICT.

YEAH, THEY DON'T.

YEAH.

YEAH.

THERE'S, THERE'S NO ISSUE WITH THAT.

YOU CAN CONTACT COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, IF YOU WANNA DISCUSS, I DON'T WANNA, MY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS APPOINTED ME.

UM, BUT I MEAN, AS A, AS A COMMISSION, DO WE WANNA ENCOURAGE THE FULL COMPONENT OF THE COMMISSION BY SENDING MAYBE A, A, A MEMO TO THE THOSE, UM, COUNCIL PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ON? OR DO WE NOT THINK THAT THAT'S A PERMISSIVE OR NOT? WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE NEXT AGENDA.

UM, AND MAYBE HAVE A LETTER PREPARED, UH, FOR THE COMMISSION TO REVIEW IF, IF EVERYBODY, IF EVERYBODY THINKS THAT'S, UM, VALUABLE, IMPORTANT, I'D BE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS THINK.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OF, IT'S NOT A MOTION, IT'S NOT ON THE TABLE, BUT IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.

NO, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.

IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.

I DON'T KNOW.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.

WE CAN HAVE IT ON AS A DISCUSSION ITEM AT THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE'LL, WE'LL DO THAT.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, UH DID THEY, THEY HAVEN'T VOTED ON, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? THEY, THEY MADE A MOTION.

OH, OKAY.

WITH ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, SAY AYE.

A AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES.

NEXT ITEM IS SEVEN FOUR.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A BRIEFING, UH, ON A PROPOSED ORDINANCE CORRECTING, UH, SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 12, A CODE OF ETHICS.

AND I'LL TURN THAT OVER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

LAURA MORRISON, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

UM, I'LL KEEP THIS QUICK.

THIS IS AN ORDINANCE, UM, I BELIEVE THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO THE COMMISSIONERS AHEAD OF TIME.

AND I HAVE, UM, HARD COPIES HERE IF ANYONE NEEDS ONE.

THIS IS JUST, UM, AN ORDINANCE CORRECTING TWO PLACES WHERE WE HAVE FOUND ERRORS IN CHAPTER 12.

A.

I WANNA THANK, UH, BARON ELIASON.

HE BROUGHT THESE, UH, TO MY ATTENTION.

HE'S OUR CHIEF INTEGRITY OFFICER WITH THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.

HE'S JOINED US TODAY VIRTUALLY, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL JUST WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT THIS IS.

UM, IN SECTION 12 A DASH 12, WHICH IS OUR SECTION ON GIFTS, WE HAVE A PROVISION IN, UM, SUBSECTION D, PARAGRAPH FOUR, WHERE THE WORD OR WAS JUST PUT IN THE WRONG PLACE.

SO WE'RE JUST GONNA MOVE THAT.

SO THAT LAST SENTENCE AND THAT PARAGRAPH MAKES MORE SENSE.

AND THEN IN SECTION 12, A DASH 26, UM, THAT IS A SECTION, UM, REGARDING FORMER CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES, AND THE RULES ON SUBSEQUENT REPRESENTATION AFTER LEAVING THEIR SERVICE, UM, WITH THE CITY.

AND THAT IS

[00:15:01]

A SUBSECTION THAT HAS TO DO WITH FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OR, AND FORMER BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.

AND IT DOES NOT HAVE TO DO WITH FORMER CITY EMPLOYEES.

AND WE HAVE A MENTION OF CITY EMPLOYEES IN, UM, PARAGRAPH TWO THERE.

AND THAT WAS JUST, UM, AN ERROR.

SO WE'RE DELETING THAT TERM.

UH, THOSE ARE THE ONLY, THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO CORRECTIONS.

UM, SO I'LL, I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF ANYONE HAS ANY, ANY QUESTIONS.

OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALRIGHT, WELL, IF THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, THAT WOULD BE AN ORDER.

IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE? CAN, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, PLEASE? I MOVE THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CHANGES CORRECTIONS.

SECOND, CAN WE GET YOU ALL TO USE YOUR MICS? I'M SORRY.

I MOVED THE, WE ACCEPT THE COR THE, UM, CHANGES.

SECOND.

IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? HEARING NONE.

THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

AS OPPOSED NAY.

MOTION PASSES.

ALRIGHT, LET'S SEE.

THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS A BRIEFING BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, UH, UPDATES BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE.

MR. INSPECTOR GENERAL, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.

UM, I'D LIKE TO BRIEF YOU ON THE FOURTH QUARTER OF FISCAL 24, AS WELL AS THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, IF THAT'S OKAY.

IT'S BEEN, UH, A WHILE SINCE WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF YOU.

SO MY NORMAL THREE MINUTE SYNOPSIS MAY GO A COUPLE MINUTES OVER, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

UH, IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF FISCAL 24, WE HAD, UH, THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING AND CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED PUTTING OUR, UH, INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE ON THE BALLOT ON AUGUST 14TH.

UM, WE ALSO HAD OUR INVESTIGATIVE STAFF INTERVIEWED ON THE EXTERNAL PERFORMANCE AUDIT BY THE WEAVER TIDWELL, AND THOSE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY.

I SENT YOU AN EMAIL YESTERDAY THAT HAD TWO REPORTS ON IT.

THE FIRST IS, UH, A REPORT OF A REVIEW THAT WE DID ON DOW TECH.

AND, UH, WE DAYLIGHTED THOSE FINDINGS TO THE GPFM BUDGET COMMITTEE ON SEPTEMBER 23RD OF THIS PAST YEAR.

IT'S A 13 PAGE REPORT, AND THE LINK THAT I SENT YOU HAS NINE EXHIBITS THAT TOTAL 728 PAGES.

UH, THE SECOND REPORT THAT WE SENT YOU WAS, UH, ON THE DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATER.

THE Q LOCK COMMITTEE APPROACHED US ON AUGUST 19TH AND ASKED US TO CONDUCT A REVIEW AND TO GET THAT THING IN THEIR HANDS AS CLOSE TO THE 1ST OF OCTOBER AS WE COULD.

WE, IN 49 DAYS, WE BEGAN AND COMPLETED THAT REVIEW.

THAT'S A 22 PAGE REPORT.

WE PROVIDED HARD COPIES THIS MORNING AND EMAILS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON THAT GOES ALONG WITH 18 EXHIBITS THAT ARE COMPRISED OF 326 PAGES.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AFTER OUR BRIEFING, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO DIG IN AND TRY AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE TWO REPORTS.

UH, WE DID PROVIDE OUR RISK ASSESSMENT TO THE CITY AUDITOR BACK IN SEPTEMBER.

AS THIS COMMISSION KNOWS, WE'RE CONSTANTLY GOING AROUND AND LOOKING AND ANALYZING AND GATHERING INFORMATION THAT COULD BE A RISK TO NOT ONLY THE THINGS THAT WE INVESTIGATE, BUT TO OTHER AREAS THAT COULD BE OF AN ETHICS NATURE.

AND WE PROVIDED THAT LIST TO THE CITY AUDITOR IN SEPTEMBER.

UH, IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE ANSWERED 30 CONFIDENTIAL ADVISORY OPINION REQUESTS.

UH, WE EMPLOYED THE CATCH THE CANARY QUIZ GAME, AND I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN EMAILING YOU GUYS COPIES OF THAT.

UH, IT, AS OF THE FOURTH QUARTER, IT HAD BEEN PLAYED 7,394 TIMES UP UNTIL NOVEMBER THE 14TH.

SO VERY PLEASED TO ENGAGE CITY OFFICIALS AND CITY EMPLOYEES WITH KEEPING ETHICS TO THE FOREFRONT.

AND AS FAR AS TRAINING IS CONCERNED, IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, WE HAD 39 TRAINING EVENTS THAT REACHED 2,690 EMPLOYEES.

BY THE FOURTH QUARTER, IT WAS SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER, WE ACTUALLY HIT,

[00:20:01]

UH, A MILESTONE 6,550 PEOPLE TRAINED IN ETHICS.

THAT'S OVER HALF OF THE 13,000 CITY EMPLOYEES, SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO REACH THAT MILESTONE.

IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, WE LOOKED AT THE COMPLAINTS THAT WERE COMING IN, WHICH IS AN INPUT MEASURE.

AND IN FISCAL 23, WE HAD 348 COMPLAINTS IN FISCAL 24 WHEN SEPTEMBER THE 30TH WAS CLOSED.

AND WE LOOKED AT THE BOOKS WE HAD 412 FOR FISCAL 24.

THAT'S AN 18.39% INCREASE FROM FISCAL 23 TO FISCAL 24 FOR THE COMPLAINTS THAT ARE COMING INTO OUR OFFICE.

SO THAT'S AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY.

UH, WE'VE LAUNCHED AN INTERNAL SHAREPOINT SITE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE THAT WORK WITHIN THE CITY DOMAIN, AND IT'S CALLED THE ETHICAL WAY.

AND IT'S, IT'S FILLED WITH RESOURCES.

SO IF YOU WORK HERE IN THE CITY AND YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CODE OF ETHICS, IT'S THERE.

THERE'S A LINK TO CONFIDENTIAL ADVISORY OPINIONS, WHICH ARE NOW HANDLED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

UH, THERE'S A LINK TO FILE A COMPLAINT, THE PLAYING LANGUAGE GUIDE, THE GIFT ANALYSIS MATRIX, THE POP POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE CODE FRAUD SCHEMES.

RED FLAG INDICATORS OF THOSE SCHEMES, UH, ARE QUARTERLY REPORTS.

THE ETHICS MATTERS, MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS AND SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS, AND EVEN THE CATCH THE CANARY QUIZ GAME.

SO IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ETHICS OR ANYTHING THAT'S ETHICS RELATED, IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE.

AND THAT'S BEEN LAUNCHED INTERNALLY.

AS FAR AS THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH BEGAN ON OCTOBER 1ST, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD ON GETTING A PUBLIC FACING EXTERNAL WEBSITE.

AND ITS HAS BEEN WORKING FEVERISHLY WITH US, AND THEY SAID THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD BE OUT AND UP AND RUNNING BY JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.

SO WE, WE LITERALLY COULD BE A DAY OR TWO AWAY FROM THIS THING.

UH, GETTING UP AND RUNNING AND BEING OPERATIONAL.

WE'VE SEEN MOCKUPS OF EACH PAGE.

UH, SO IT, LOOK, IT'S NOT JUST GOOD LOOK, BUT IT COMPLIMENTS THE OTHER CITY WEBSITES, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THAT OUT THERE, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT UP AND RUNNING, UH, IN, IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.

UM, WE'VE DRAFTED SOME SCRIPTS FOR MORE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND THE SCRIPTS ARE DONE.

WE'VE DONE FOUR NEW ONES.

WE'VE GOT ONE ON ADVISORY OPINIONS, ONE ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A COMPLAINT IS FILED.

NUMBER THREE, THE AL RECUSAL PROCESS.

AND NUMBER FOUR, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ETHICS WAY SHAREPOINT SITE THAT I JUST GAVE YOU.

SO THE SCRIPTS ARE WRITTEN, WE JUST NEED TO GET OVER TO THE STUDIO AND RECORD THOSE AND GET THOSE UP AND RUNNING.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE A NEW PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH WITH, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES.

AND WE, I'M GONNA CALL IT THE AMBASSADORS PROGRAM.

I THINK IT'S COME BY A DIFFERENT COUPLE OF NAMES, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS GONNA BE THE FULL NAME, BUT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH HR TO LAUNCH THIS PROGRAM IN TERMS OF ETHICS AND EMBEDDING EMPLOYEES, UH, EMBEDDED EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERS IN EVERY DEPARTMENT AND EVERY EMBEDDED EMPLOYEE FOR THIS DEPARTMENT.

AND THE NEXT DEPARTMENT WOULD BE TRAINED, AND THEY WOULD BE THE GO-TO SOURCE FOR THAT DEPARTMENT.

IF SOMEBODY HAS A QUESTION ON HOW TO APPROPRIATELY MAKE A COMPLAINT, HOW TO SEEK ADVISORY OPINIONS, HOW TO ACCESS THE OIG RESOURCES AND THE RECRUITING EFFORT FOR THOSE EMBEDDED EMPLOYEES IS GONNA BEGIN NEXT MONTH IN FEBRUARY.

WE ALSO DID AN ETHICS VIDEO.

I ASKED OUR CHIEF INTEGRITY OFFICER TO DO AN ETHICS VIDEO FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES, AND THAT WAS CALLED ABOVE AND BEYOND ETHICS.

IT'S, UH, IT'S A BRIEF THREE MINUTE VIDEO THAT SHOWS THE THREE BEHAVIORS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO UPHOLD OUR COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL STANDARDS WITHIN THE CITY.

SO THAT'S OUT IN THE INTERNAL WEBSITE, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU COULD CLICK ON IT AND SEE IT IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE CITY DOMAIN.

UH, ON THE ELECTION DAY, WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH ENOUGH TO RECEIVE, UH, THE VOTERS ALMOST, ALMOST 70% APPROVAL FOR THE INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE.

AND, UH, SO THE POSITION THAT I'M SITTING IN TODAY IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE THAT I HAD BEFORE ELECTION DAY.

I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE NAMED INTERIM, UH, THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS REVIEWED SOME PEOPLE, AND I BELIEVE IT WENT TO FULL CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, BUT I BELIEVE THEY'VE ALREADY SELECTED A SEARCH FIRM, AND IT WAS MTG OR MGT, UH, A COMPANY THAT HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE GOING OUT NATIONALLY AND LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY.

UM, I'M GONNA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR THAT POSITION THAT I'M CURRENTLY SITTING IN.

I HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF

[00:25:01]

DOING SO.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT IS, IS IN THE WORKS.

WE CEASED DOING CONFIDENTIAL ADVISORY OPINIONS, UH, AFTER ELECTION DAY.

SO THAT IS NOW HANDLED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHO HANDLED THAT BEFORE THE ADVENT OF THE IG DIVISION IN 2022.

IN THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER, WE CO-HOSTED OUR SECOND ANNUAL, UH, ETHICS WEEK WITH PARTNERSHIP OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

AND IT WAS GREAT.

WE HAD TREMENDOUS ENGAGEMENT FROM THE PEOPLE AND THE ETHICS WEEK THAT WE HAD, THAT ETHICS WEEK COINCIDED WITH NATIONAL FRAUD AWARENESS WEEK.

SO WE TRY TO DO THAT EVERY NOVEMBER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT JUST ETHICS, IT'S HEIGHTENED PEOPLE'S AWARENESS OF FRAUD.

ALSO, WE INTERVIEWED, SELECTED AND HIRED A NEW INVESTIGATOR, ONE OF OUR NEW INVESTIGATORS NAMED MATTHEW DAY.

HE COMES TO US FROM THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE DOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS, AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE HIM ON BOARD.

BUT THAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.

I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE A SPEAKER AT THE A IG NATIONAL FRAUD CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS BACK IN NOVEMBER, AND GOT TO BE A PANELIST ON ONE OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.

AND DURING THE FIRST QUARTER, I ALSO GOT TO MEET DIRECTOR MICHELLE ANDRES.

SHE'S THE NEW HEAD OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY POLICE OVERSIGHT.

GOT TO VISIT WITH HER, MEET SOME OF HER STAFF, AND WE ALSO HAD A MEETING WITH THE SPECIALIZED CRIME DIVISION OF THE DALLAS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

SPECIALIZED CRIME IS THE DIVISION THAT HANDLES THE, WHAT SOME FOLKS CALL PAPER CASES, THE WHITE COLLAR CRIME.

THERE IS A SEPARATE DIVISION THAT HANDLES PUBLIC INTEGRITY STUFF, BUT MOST OF THE COMPLICATED COMPLEX WHITE COLLAR CRIMES ARE PROSECUTED BY THE SPECIALIZED CRIME DIVISION.

I MET WITH BOTH OF THEIR LEADERS DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.

AND AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 56 IN PROGRESS CASES, AND THAT WOULD BE A REVIEW OF THE HIGH POINTS THAT WE'VE COVERED OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO TRY TO ENTERTAIN THOSE FOR YOU.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I HAVE, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ON THE AGENDA OR NOT, BUT, UM, YOU SPOKE OF AN AD HOC COMMITTEE ON, IN THE COUNCIL, I GUESS THE AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR INTERIM AFFAIRS, THE COMMUNICATION.

AND I'M NOT SURE LIKE WHO OUR POINT PERSON WOULD BE FOR COMMUNICATION NOW THAT THIS HAS SWITCHED OVER TO INDEPENDENT, BUT IF WE GET NOTIFIED, WE COULD WATCH THAT OR GO TO THAT.

LIKE WE COULD BE INVOLVED IN THINGS THAT HAVE THINGS TO DO WITH THIS COMMISSION SUCH AS THAT.

AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND, LIKE, WHO OR CAN SOMEBODY NOTIFY US OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS IN CASE WE WANT TO SEE THEM? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

I DO KNOW THAT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS, WHICH IS CHAIRED BY MAYOR PRO TIMM ATKINS, IS THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF RECOMMENDING A SEARCH FIRM TO DO THE SEARCH FOR THE POSITION THAT I CURRENTLY HOLD.

AND, UM, I, I TEND TO GET ON THE CITY CALENDAR EVERY DAY AND JUST LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S POTENTIALLY, SO AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, UH, WE DO HAVE A STAFF MEMBER THAT DOES THAT ALSO ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

BUT IF, IF YOUR QUESTION WAS, UM, HOW TO BE A PART OF THOSE PROCEEDINGS, AND IF WE'RE NOTIFIED OF THIS IS PERTINENT TO THIS ETHICS COMMISSION, IF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, I'M NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO GET ON THE CITY CALENDAR EVERY SINGLE DAY AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.

BUT IF I GOT AN EMAIL AND SAID, THIS IS ON THE AGENDA, I WOULD PROBABLY WATCH IT.

MM-HMM .

COMMISSIONER, I CAN, THIS IS LAURA MORRISON, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

I CAN WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE TO TRY TO GET THOSE EMAILS OUT TO THE COMMISSION.

UM, WHEN THIS GOES TO COMMITTEE, MR. BEERS.

GRANT SCHMIDT, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

UM, SO THE DOW TECH CONTRACT REVIEW AND THEN THE DBDT ANALYSIS, UM, THE DBDT ANALYSIS WAS THAT THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY, THERE WAS NO ACTION ITEM, RIGHT? IT WAS MORE KIND OF A DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS.

YOU GUYS CONDUCTED THESE INTERVIEWS, YOU PUT TOGETHER THE TIMELINE, BUT WAS THE IDEA JUST TO BASICALLY PUT TOGETHER THIS EXECUTIVE

[00:30:01]

SUMMARY AND GET A HANDLE ON WHAT HAPPENED WITH NO RECOMMENDATION AS ANY SORT OF ACTION TO BE TAKEN? YEAH.

WHEN WE WERE APPROACHED BY THE Q LOCK COMMITTEE, UH, THE REQUEST WAS COUCHED IN TERMS OF, THIS IS IMPORTANT, THIS IS GOING ON IN THE CITY.

THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE IS WHAT WE READ IN THE PRESS.

WE WOULD LIKE SOMEBODY TO DIVE INTO THIS STUFF, DIG IT UP, AND PROVIDE US INFORMATION THAT WE KNOW IS ACCURATE, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS INVOLVING FUNDING AND SO FORTH.

SO THE GOAL OF A, THIS WAS A REVIEW, NOT NECESSARILY A FULL SCALE INVESTIGATION.

THEY DIFFER IN SOME WAYS.

I'D BE HAPPY TO EXPLAIN IF YOU WANT TO GET INTO THOSE DETAILS, BUT THE BASIC GOAL OF A REVIEW, UM, AND REALLY NOT SO MUCH WITH BLACK DANCE THEATER, BUT LIKE THE DAL TECH THING, THE BASIC GOAL IS THE PATIENT'S ON THE TABLE AND THEY'RE BLEEDING.

LET'S STOP THE BLEEDING.

LET'S DO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE VERY QUICK.

SO THE GOAL IS TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING WRONG, IDENTIFY THOSE THINGS, PUT IT IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE THAT CAN MAKE A CHANGE TO MAKE THINGS BETTER QUICK.

THE GOAL OF AN INVESTIGATION, IF THE ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE, IS THE ASSIGNMENT OF BLAME.

SO THAT'S ONE DIFFERENCE, ONE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REVIEW AND AN INVESTIGATION.

AND BOTH OF THESE WERE REVIEWS.

SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FINDINGS, PER SE, OF THIS WAS DONE, OR THAT THIS VIOLATED THAT THIS WAS A, UH, INFORMATION SEEKING REVIEW PROCESS TO GIVE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON THE DETAILS OF WHAT TRANSPIRED BASED UPON INTERVIEWS AND DOCUMENT GATHERING AND ANALYSIS TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAD APPROPRIATION DECISIONS TO MAKE THE DOW THE, UM, SO THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE DBDT, THE DOW TECH, THERE ARE SOME FINDINGS BASICALLY THAT THE RATES WEREN'T FULLY DISCLOSED.

AND, AND THIS MAKES COMPLETE SENSE TO ME, RIGHT? 'CAUSE AT THE END, BASICALLY WHAT YOU ALL SAY IS, CLEAN THIS UP NOW, MAKE SURE THE RATES ARE ACCURATE, MAKE SURE THAT THE INVOICES HAVE SUFFICIENT DETAIL TO DEMONSTRATE THE WORK.

SO THEN IS THERE ANY, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, LIKE WHAT THESE GET DONE.

THEY'RE VERY WELL DONE, THOROUGH JOB.

AND THEN I UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF THE D-D-B-D-T ONE, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED.

SO THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION CAN PREVENT SOMETHING IF SOMETHING WRONG HAPPENED TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.

BUT THEN FOR DOW TECH, ARE, ARE THE INVOICES FIXED? UM, ARE THEY GONNA, IS THERE SOME SORT OF CITYWIDE AUDIT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO ENSURE THAT THE INVOICES ARE ACTUALLY LINING UP WITH THE AGREED UPON RATES? WE GAVE THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT AND ALL THE EXHIBITS TO MANAGEMENT, AND WE GAVE 'EM ABOUT 30 DAYS TO GIVE A MANAGEMENT RESPONSE.

WHEN THAT MANAGEMENT RESPONSE WAS DELIVERED BACK TO US, THEY AGREED WITH EVERY FINDING, AND THEY AGREED WITH EVERY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MADE TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

SO THAT WOULD BE A, A BIG VICTORY, I THINK, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THE INVESTIGATIVE WORK PRODUCT AND THE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS IT AND GOES, YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.

WE NEED TO FIX THAT.

SO, UM, THERE WAS $116,000 IN CHANGE IN UNSUPPORTED COSTS.

SO WE'RE NOT SAYING IN THE DOW TECH RIGHT, THAT, THAT YOU DIDN'T DO THE REVIEW.

WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS, IF YOU HAD PROVIDED THE DETAILS THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED BASED ON THE TERMS OF THAT CONTRACT, WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAY WHETHER YOU DID IT APPROPRIATELY OR NOT.

SO, RIGHT.

UM, IN A NUTSHELL, THAT'S A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF DOW TECH.

OKAY.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

AND THEY ARE, THEY ARE WELL DONE.

AND, UM, IT, IT MAKES SENSE.

AND I THINK ALSO THE TONE OF BOTH REPORTS WHEN I READ THEM, WILL PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE, I THINK, TO SEEK THIS INFORMATION MORE FREELY.

BECAUSE IF IT WAS MORE HOSTILE OR AGGRESSIVE OR PUNITIVE, THEN THESE AREN'T GONNA BE SOUGHT OUT AS MUCH AS THEY ARE.

I IMAGINE.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? DID YOU SAY THAT THEY WERE MORE HOSTILE? NO, NO, NO, NO.

I'M, NO, I WAS COMPLIMENTING, I WAS SAYING THAT BECAUSE OF THE APPROPRIATE TONE THAT IS FOUND IN THE REVIEWS, I THINK IT WILL PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE FOR OTHER GROUPS OR PARTS OF THE CITY, IF YOU WILL, TO REACH OUT AND ASK FOR SIMILAR REVIEWS.

BECAUSE THEN THERE'S NOT A, A CHILLING EFFECT, THERE'S NOT A FEAR THAT THERE WILL BE A HOSTILE TONE OR AN AGGRESSIVE APPROACH, AND THAT THEY'LL BE SLAPPED ON THE WRIST.

AND INSTEAD PEOPLE WANT TO, UH, IDENTIFY IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS, AS YOU SAID, TO STOP THE BLEEDING GOING FORWARD.

WELL, THANK YOU.

I I DO AGREE WITH THAT.

AND, UH, YOU CATCH MORE FLIES WITH HONEY THAN YOU DO VINEGAR.

RIGHT.

AND THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO SAY THINGS.

OUR GOAL IS TO BRING VALUE TO WHAT, WHAT WE DO HERE AT THE CITY.

UM, I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU GO THROUGH 12 A AND YOU LOOK AT THE STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND THE STANDARDS OF CIVILITY THAT APPLY TO CITY OFFICIALS AND CITY EMPLOYEES, WHAT'S NOTICEABLY ABSENT? ARE PEOPLE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.

MM-HMM .

AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A FANTASTIC 12

[00:35:01]

A AMENDMENT, IS TO PUT, UH, PEOPLE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY SO WE CAN DO INVESTIGATIONS ON PEOPLE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.

OH, 'CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THAT RIGHT NOW? NO.

RIGHT NOW, THE STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND STANDARDS OF CIVILITY, WHICH ARE 90% OF WHAT WE END UP FILING CASES ON, ARE DO NOT APPLY TO PEOPLE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.

I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT 12 A AMENDMENT.

SO IT'S JUST FOOD FOR YEAH, THAT'S, YEAH.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

SHOULD WE PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING? YEAH.

YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT.

I HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.

ARE YOU SURPRISED AT ALL? UM, WE HAVEN'T, I DON'T, YOU MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN A PART OF ANY RECENT HEARINGS.

RIGHT.

IN TERMS OF VIOLATIONS, I'M JUST CURIOUS.

I, I KNOW YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH HOW YOU RESPOND TO THIS QUESTION, BUT ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD MORE HEARINGS? SHOULD WE, SHOULD WE READ INTO THE FACT THAT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN AS MANY VIOLATIONS? YOU'RE STILL RUNNING TO GROUND SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT LEADS.

WHAT'S YOUR OVERALL FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF THE LIMITED NUMBER OF HEARINGS SO FAR? YEAH, WE WORKED VERY HARD THIS SUMMER ON A CASE THAT WE WERE GONNA FILE IN SEPTEMBER, AND WE WERE THAT CLOSE TO FILING IT WITH THE EAC.

AND ALL I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THAT IS WE DISCOVERED SOME THINGS THAT CAUSED US TO HAVE TO TAKE A DIFFERENT AVENUE MM-HMM .

AND IT'S, IT'S NOW A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.

BUT, UM, WHENEVER WE DIG INTO A CASE, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA FIND OR WHEN YOU'RE GONNA FIND IT.

AND WHEN YOU GET A CASE THAT CLOSE TO FILING IN SEPTEMBER, AND WE SEE SOMETHING BECAUSE OF THE DEPTH AT WHICH WE WERE DIGGING IT, YOU CAN'T BEAT YOURSELF UP OVER FINDING STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO I, I AGREE.

I'M, I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD MORE CASES FILED.

UM, BUT WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE THINGS IN THE HOPPER THAT, THAT I THINK WILL BE PROBABLY FILED BEFORE WE MEET, MEET THREE MONTHS FROM NOW.

AND MY LAST QUESTION, I'LL BE QUIET.

UM, SINCE THE INDEPENDENCE HAS, UH, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, MR. BEAVERS, WHAT HAS BEEN, ASIDE FROM OF COURSE, THE PROCEDURAL DIFFERENCE AND STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCE, WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE FOR YOU? HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU FELT MORE AUTONOMY? IS THERE LESS OVERSIGHT IN A MORE POSITIVE WAY? WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE WE'RE NOT PRIVY TO THAT HAVE IN FACT CHANGED SINCE THEN? I, I THINK INDEPENDENCE, UH, HAS A LOT OF BENEFITS.

UH, I'VE TOLD A COUPLE FOLKS, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR, BECAUSE WHEN WE GOT INDEPENDENCE, WE HAD A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS TO DO.

UM, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS PROCEDURES THAT WE DEAL WITH, HUMAN RESOURCES, THE, UH, CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, THE BUDGET MANAGEMENT, OFFICE BUILDING SERVICES, UM, ITS WE ALL HAVE CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS THAT BELONG TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

DO WE GET TO KEEP THOSE OR DO WE GET NEW ONES? UM, MEETING WITH, UH, THE NEW, THE GROUP THAT'S HANDLING THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NEW WEBSITE.

SO WE'VE HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MEETINGS THAT WERE NECESSITATED BECAUSE BEFORE WE RELIED ON PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES THAT WERE ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

SO, UH, WE SPENT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME SINCE NOVEMBER 5TH, DEVELOPING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND GETTING WITH FOLKS AND FIGURING OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THE OFFICE ACTUALLY UP AND RUNNING.

IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AN OFFICE MANAGER LIKE EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY HAS.

AND SO OUR $1.3 MILLION BUDGET WAS ADJUSTED DOWN TO ABOUT 1.1, BECAUSE ON JANUARY THE FIRST WE'RE THREE MONTHS INTO THE FISCAL YEAR, SO THEY ADJUSTED IT, GIVEN I GUESS ROUGHLY 75%.

AND, UM, SO IT'S BEEN, UM, IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALSO BEEN FUN.

THIS IS, THIS IS WHY I CAME HERE, AND I, I, I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING, AND WE'RE, UH, STAFF IS WORKING VERY HARD AND GETTING THINGS DONE, AND, UH, JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT WEEK.

THANK YOU.

UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE A, I HAVE A COUPLE.

YES, PLEASE.

PROCEED.

UH, MR. BEAVERS, UM, HOW WOULD YOU, UH, ASSESS THE INCREASE IN COMPLAINTS THAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT A FEW MINUTES AGO? IS THAT A GOOD THING OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A DECREASE IN COMPLAINTS BECAUSE THE EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL EFFORTS ARE, UH, SUCCEEDING?

[00:40:03]

I'M SORRY, SIR.

I COULDN'T HEAR THE QUESTION.

OKAY.

CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME NOW? OKAY.

I'M, I'M CURIOUS AS TO, UH, WHETHER THE INCREASE IN COMPLAINTS, UH, TELL YOU ANYTHING.

IS THAT A, A GOOD THING OR DO WE BE HOPING FOR A DECREASE IN COMPLAINTS BECAUSE OF OUR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATION, UH, SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE? I THINK YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT DRAWING CONCLUSIONS.

I WOULD SAY, I THINK THAT IT'S PROBABLY PARTIALLY RELATED TO THE FACT THAT OUR COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE LEARNING WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE DO, AND HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US.

SO I THINK THAT COULD BE PARTIALLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO IT.

IT IS AN INPUT MEASURE, AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL OVER INPUT MEASURES.

OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE CONTROL OVER OUTPUT MEASURES, BUT, UM, TO SEE THAT UPWARD TRA TRAJECTORY OF OVER 18% IS SOMETHING THAT DID CATCH MY EYE.

AND I THINK THAT IT'S PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT OUR MESSAGING IS GETTING OUT THERE AND PEOPLE ARE HEARING IT AND THEY'RE RESPONDING TO IT.

AND THAT'S HOW I WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT.

OKAY.

I HAVE, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION AND, UM, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP WITH RESPECT TO THE EAC REPORT, ANNUAL REPORT, BUT, UH, IN THE TWO CASES THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THAT REPORT, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO, UH, KNOW WHAT THE EVENTUAL OUTCOMES WERE? I KNOW WE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, COULD BE PRIVY TO? I THINK THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE EAC REPORT, NOT OUR REPORT.

RIGHT.

WELL, IT RIGHT.

I I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF WE COULD BE PRIVY TO THE EVENTUAL OUTCOMES OF THOSE TWO CASES.

OH, THE, THE CONTESTED HEARINGS, WHENEVER WE HAVE, YES.

YES, SURE.

WHENEVER WE FILE A CASE, I BELIEVE IT'S THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE THAT USES A, UH, A RANDOM SELECTION PROGRAM TO RANDOMLY SELECT THE FIVE PERSON PANEL OUT OF THE NINE CURRENT MEMBERS, AND WHO IS GONNA ACTUALLY SIT AS THE TRIER OF FACT IN THOSE.

AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

UM, AS SOON AS ONE OF THOSE PROSECUTIONS IS OVER, NOT JUST EMAIL IT TO THE FIVE PERSON PANEL THAT PRESIDED OVER IT, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE, I THINK THAT'D BE A GREAT IDEA IF THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE ISSUE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN.

WELL, THE, YEAH, THE, I, I THINK I SAT ON ONE OR BOTH OF THOSE PANELS AND WE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT I, I, FOR INSTANCE, DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EVENTUAL OUTCOME OF ANY OF THOSE SITUATIONS WERE.

UH, WERE, WERE THE, UH, I THINK ONE CASE, UH, I THINK THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION FOR POSSIBLE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT EVER TURNED OUT.

FOR INSTANCE, I GOT YOU, COMMISSIONER, I'LL, I'LL ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

SO THE, THE EAC PANEL MAKES A, A FINAL FINDING ON WHETHER OR NOT A VIOLATION OF CHAPTER 12 A OCCURRED.

BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THE PANEL THEN DOES MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON SANCTIONS, AND THAT RECOMMENDATION THEN GOES TO THE APPROPRIATE SANCTIONING, UH, BODY OR PERSON, WHETHER THAT'S THE CITY MANAGER IN THE CASE OF A CURRENT, UH, CITY EMPLOYEE, OR SOMETIMES THE CITY COUNCIL IF IT'S, UM, A CITY OFFICIAL.

SO, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT.

YEAH, WE SHOULD, UM, LET YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT THE FINAL SANCTION ENDS UP BEING, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IN THE CASE OF IF CITY COUNCIL IS MAKING THAT FINAL DETERMINATION, AND WE CAN DO THAT.

SO, OKAY.

THANKS.

I I THINK THIS ALSO GOES TO THE COMMUNICATION THAT IF WE ARE NOTIFIED OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S INVOLVEMENT IN ETHICS MATTERS, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE, THE OUTCOME OF THAT.

IF SOMEBODY EMAILS US OR LETS US KNOW, THEN WE COULD LOOK AT THAT.

MR. MR. BEAVERS? YES, SIR.

WOULD IT BE OKAY, MR. RUBIN AND MR. OBAUGH, IF WE LOOKED BACK AND FOUND ALL THE CASES THAT WE HAVE PROSECUTED AND SENT YOU GUYS AN EMAIL TO SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT AS IT WENT DOWN THE LINE? AS FAR AS SANCTIONS? UM, IN MY OPINION, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT.

JUST GOING FORWARD.

I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO DO.

I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED TO GO BACK.

OKAY.

WELL, I, I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE TWO CASES WHERE I SAT ON THE PANEL

[00:45:01]

, HE WANTS IT.

UH, MR. BEAVERS, WHAT ARE YOUR SUGGESTIONS ON HOW, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GIVE THE COMMISSION SOME UPDATE? AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK IN TERMS OF CLOSED CASES OR CASES WHERE THERE HAS BEEN SOME RECOMMENDATION OR ACTION MM-HMM .

AND CERTAINLY GOING FORWARD, HOW DO, HOW IS, UH, HOW DO YOU BEST COMMUNICATE WHERE THESE, UH, UH, INVESTIGATIONS ENDED? WHAT ACTIONS WAS TAKEN, WERE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? I THINK, I THINK MR. RU, MR. RUBIN AND MS. STOVALL MADE A GOOD POINT.

AND, UH, AFTER WE FILE A CASE, IF WE GO TO HEARING AND HAPPEN TO WIN, THEN OUR OFFICE MAKES A RECOMMENDATION.

THE FIVE PERSON EAC PANEL MAKES A RECOMMENDATION AND SOMETIMES THEY GO TO FULL CITY COUNCIL.

WE SHOULD PROBABLY WATCH THOSE, FIND OUT WHAT CITY COUNCIL DID, AND THEN COMMUNICATE THAT BACK TO YOU SO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AND THE DAY THAT IT HAPPENED.

IF THE CASE GOES TO A, A DIRECTOR TO MAKE A, A DECISION ABOUT SOMETHING, THEN WE COULD FOLLOW UP AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE CLOSED THE LOOP.

SO EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT ON THE FIVE PERSON PANEL, IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THIS EAC, MAYBE IT'S A GOOD IDEA.

IF WE FOLLOWED THAT AND WENT BACK AND COMMUNICATED THE, THE FINAL DECISION TO YOU, WOULD THAT BE ADVISABLE? YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD.

AND PERSONALLY, I MEAN, I HAVE GONE BACK AND WATCHED THE VIDEOS OF SOME OF THE PANELS THAT I WAS NOT ON, JUST BECAUSE I WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND BE INVOLVED.

MS. CITY ATTORNEY.

DO, DO YOU SEE ANY ISSUES WITH SOME FOLLOW UP THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLOSURE OR THE EVENTUAL, UM, ACTION THAT'S TAKEN AS A RESULT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME FROM PANELS? I SEE NO PROBLEM AT ALL FOR, UM, A FINAL SANCTION THAT'S DECIDED ON BY THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL, BECAUSE THAT'S A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD.

I WILL HAVE TO CHECK WITH PROBABLY OUR EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEYS TO SEE IF A FINAL SANCTION IS DETERMINED BY A CITY MANAGER OR DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT MADE DURING A PUBLIC HEARING, OR, I'M SORRY, A PUBLIC MEETING.

SO I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

ALRIGHT.

SO CAN YOU ALSO PUT OUR, OUR AGENDA IS GROWING AS WE DISCUSSED FOR NEXT MEETING.

COULD YOU PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA SO THAT WE OH, ? YES, SIR.

YES, SIR.

WE'LL PUT THAT ON THE NEXT, UH, REGULAR MEETING AGENDA.

ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MR. ONE MORE QUESTION, MR. SMITH? SORRY.

UM, IN TERMS OF THE, UH, ADVISORY OPINIONS, YOU SAID, IS IT RIGHT, BASED ON THE INDEPENDENCE THAT YOU ARE, Y'ALL ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO PROVIDE THE ADVISORY OPINIONS? ARE THOSE LIMITED TO THE, TO THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE RETAINED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DOING CONFIDENTIAL ADVISORY OPINIONS BEFORE OUR DIVISION EVER EXISTED.

THEY WERE DOING 'EM FOR DECADES.

OKAY.

AND SO THAT WORK, AND THE PERSON THAT DID IT WERE SWEPT BACK INTO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

SO THEY ARE DOING THOSE NOW.

AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT VEHICLE TO GIVE SOMEBODY PEACE OF MIND KNOWING I CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS COURSE OF ACTION THAT I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, AND I'VE GOT SOMETHING IN WRITING TO PROTECT ME.

AND SO, UH, BUT YES, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS DOING THAT.

AND MS. MORRISON, MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT IF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS THERE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, THE REASON I'M ASKING IS YOU CAN IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE SOMEBODY GOES TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE GIVES SOME GUIDANCE, SOMEBODY GOES FORWARD WITH SOMETHING IN LIGHT OF THAT GUIDANCE, AND THEN WHAT IF THERE'S AN ETHICAL COMPLAINT AND THERE'S SOMETHING INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, SO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IS RIGHT, THE, UH, GENERAL COUNSEL AND CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS RETAINED, UM, THE DUTY OF ISSUING ADVISORY OPINIONS.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE CITY CHARTER, UM, SAYS THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS THE LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE CITY.

AND SO THE, IT'S THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT WEIGHS IN ON THOSE MATTERS, AND IT'S THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT HAS ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE, RIGHT.

UM, WITH CITY EMPLOYEES AND CITY OFFICIALS.

SO WE HAVE SOMEONE IN GENERAL COUNSEL ISSUING THOSE ADVISORY OPINIONS.

AS FAR AS THOSE, THE INFORMATION IN THOSE ADVISORY OPINIONS BEING SHARED,

[00:50:01]

UH, NO, WE DON'T COORDINATE THAT WITH THE I'S OFFICE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THAT ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE.

THAT BEING SAID, UH, CHAPTER 12 A DOES SAY THAT IF A CITY EMPLOYEE OR CITY OFFICIAL RECEIVES AN ADVISORY OPINION FROM OUR OFFICE, THEY CAN USE THAT AS A SAFE HARBOR.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT PERSON'S PRIVILEGE TO SHARE MM-HMM .

SO IF THE IEG REQUESTS AN INTERVIEW WITH SOMEONE BASED ON A, A COMPLAINT, UM, THAT'S BASED ON CONDUCT, THERE WAS THE SUBJECT OF THAT ADVISORY OPINION, THEN, UM, THAT CITY EMPLOYEE OR CITY OFFICIAL CAN SHARE THAT ADVISORY OPINION WITH THE IG AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WAS ACTING BASED OFF OF MY ADVICE, UH, THE ADVICE I GOT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

MM-HMM .

IT WOULD BE AN ADVICE OF COUNSEL DEFENSE.

MM-HMM .

EFFECT.

RIGHT.

UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN DISCUSSING THAT OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS.

ONE OF, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS, LET'S, LET'S USE A HYPOTHETICAL.

WE OPEN UP AN INVESTIGATION ON JOHN DOE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A COUPLE REALLY SOLID VIOLATIONS UNDER THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR VIOLATION OF STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR.

AND WE GET CLOSE TO HEARING.

WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN IS I DON'T WANNA WALK IN HERE AND SIT AT THAT COUNSEL TABLE AND FIND OUT HE'S GOTTA GET OUTTA JAIL CARD BECAUSE THE BEHAVIOR THAT WE JUST INVESTIGATED AND FILED ON, HE ACTUALLY GOT A CONFIDENTIAL ADVISORY OPINION.

SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING.

AND I THINK THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT, I THINK MS. MORRISON HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD THAT THOSE ARE CONFIDENTIAL.

THEY'RE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THEY COULD TELL US ANYTHING, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE EXPLORING AVENUES OF HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE.

AND I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER YET.

YEP.

OKAY.

SO, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NEEDS TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT AS FAR AS YOUR INVESTIGATIONS GO, CAN YOU NOT ASK THEM, DID YOU GET AN ADVISORY OPINION BEFORE THIS CONDUCT? I CERTAINLY COULD.

I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THEY WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE IF THEY DID ISSUE A CONFIDENTIAL ADVISORY OPINION, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OR THE PERSON BEING INVESTIG? IF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE GIVES SOMEBODY ADVISORY OPINION AND THEY GO FORWARD WITH CONDUCT AND THEN THEIR IG IS INVESTIGATING, CANNOT IG SAY, DID YOU GET AN ADVISORY OPINION TO THE PERSON BEING INVESTIGATING? YES.

YES, ABSOLUTELY.

UM, BUT THE, THE IG CAN'T COME TO US AND, AND ASK IF WE ISSUED ONE MM-HMM .

SO WE COULD ASK THE SUSPECT DURING AN INTERVIEW IF YOU HAVE GOTTEN IT, AND WE COULD CROSS OUR FINGERS AND HOPE THEY'RE TELLING US THE TRUTH, .

BUT, YOU KNOW, E EVERYBODY WE INTERVIEW IS NOT ALWAYS TELLING THE TRUTH.

GOT IT.

WELL, AND I GUESS IT HOW THAT WOULD WORK, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE TALKING TO THEM AND YOU SAY, DID YOU, IF IF THEY DO THE INTERVIEW AND THEY WANT TO TALK TO YOU, I GUESS THAT'S THE FIRST THRESHOLD, BUT RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY DON'T, AND THEY TALK TO YOU AND THEY SAY, YES, WE GOT AN ADVISORY OPINION.

AND THE NEXT QUESTION, JUST LIKE IF I WAS DEFENDING A WHITE COLLAR CRIMINAL CASE AND MY CLIENT WANTS TO WAIVE PRIVILEGE OR DOESN'T WANNA WAIVE PRIVILEGE, IT WOULD BE THEIR PREROGATIVE IF THEY SAY, YES, MR. BEAVER'S, I GOT AN ADVISORY OPINION, BUT , I DON'T WANNA SHARE THAT AT THIS TIME.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR DISCRETION, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT IS JUST AN INTERESTING, GIVEN THE, I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THE INDEPENDENCE AND I WAS ANALOGIZING IT TO ANY OF MY CASES OR ANY TYPE OF WHITE COLLAR CASE, HOW IN THE CONTEXT OF ADVICE OF COUNSEL.

SO I WAS JUST, I, I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU ON THAT TOPIC AS IT CONTINUES TO OCCUR, GIVEN THE INDEPENDENCE.

UH, I WILL LET YOU KNOW IF WE ARRIVE AT WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A SOLUTION, BUT IT, IT, IT IS AN ISSUE.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT QUITE A BIT FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS, AND I JUST SIMPLY DON'T HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER AT THIS POINT.

IT'S NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING THOUGH.

AND IF SOMEBODY SAID, NO, I DIDN'T GET AN ADVISORY OPINION, YOU'RE NOT, I MEAN, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE ISN'T, Y'ALL WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO MAINTAIN, UM, NEUTRALITY AND NOT READ TOO MUCH INTO THAT BECAUSE IT'S, THAT PERSON STILL MIGHT NOT HAVE VIOLATED THE, UH, OR COMMITTED A VIOLATION JUST BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET THE FEEDBACK UP FRONT.

SO, OR THEY COULD SAY, NO, I DIDN'T GET ONE WHEN THEY ACTUALLY DID, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY DID, AND SHOW UP AND JUMP OUT FROM BEHIND THE LOG WHEN THE HEARING BEGINS.

RIGHT.

ALTHOUGH THAT WOULD BE ODD FOR THEM TO DO.

RIGHT.

I MEAN, IF I HAD THAT DEFENSE, I WOULD WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT RIGHT UP FRONT.

I WOULD'VE WANNA MAINTAIN MY PRIVILEGE MM-HMM .

BECAUSE MAYBE LAST THING, I REALLY WILL BE QUIET.

MAYBE THE ADVISORY OPINION IS NUANCED.

AND SO MS. MORRISON, NOT TO PUT HER ON THE SPOT, MAYBE SHE TELLS ME YOU CAN DO THIS, BUT AS LONG AS YOU DO IT IN THIS WAY, AND THEN I THOUGHT I WAS DOING, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT MIGHT NOT BE CRYSTAL CLEAR, AND SO IT MIGHT DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.

SO IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE, IN ANY OTHER CASE,

[00:55:01]

IT'S ADVICE OF COUNSEL, THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK BEFORE YOU COMMIT TO USE THAT AS A DEFENSE.

MM-HMM .

THANK YOU.

I'M DONE.

QUESTIONS? NO, UH, A ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. BEAVERS.

I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR REPORT.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS POINTED OUT TO ME, MS. MORRISON, IS THERE'S NO CO-CHAIR FOR THE, UH, ETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION.

SHOULD THERE BE ONE? UH, IS THERE A, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE VACANCIES IS THAT THIS COMMISSION DOESN'T HAVE A VICE CHAIR.

UM, IT'S, I PUT IT ON THE, I HAVE A LIST OF POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING, AND THAT'S INCLUDED.

YEAH, I'VE BEEN, UM, SO WHAT, WHAT I WROTE DOWN FOR THE, THE AGENDA ITEMS YOU WANNA SEE ON THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS, UM, A DISCUSSION ON AMENDING CHAPTER 12 A TO HAVE SOME OF THE STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND STANDARDS OF CIVILITY TO APPLY TO PEOPLE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY, NOT JUST TO CITY EMPLOYEES AND CITY OFFICIALS.

UH, NUMBER TWO, UM, DISCUSS A LETTER TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUST REMINDING THEM THAT THERE ARE VACANCIES ON THIS COMMISSION.

AND NUMBER THREE, UM, HOW TO REPORT FINAL SANCTIONS AS DETERMINED BY CITY COUNCIL AND POSSIBLY DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS TO THE EAC AFTER A HEARING HAS BEEN CONDUCTED.

AND I THINK MR. RUBIN ALSO WANTED, UM, TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF SANCTIONS.

RIGHT.

YEAH, THAT WAS MY LAST ONE, RIGHT? OH, OKAY, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION? UH, UH, ARE THE REST OF OUR MEETINGS NOW ON TUESDAYS THIS YEAR? UH, I, IF, IF I HAVE ONE MORE CONFLICT FOR THE NEXT MEETING, UH, AND I, I, I'LL LET YOU KNOW.

I'LL, I, I'LL WILL, I'M WORKING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW.

I, AS I SAID, I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS.

I DIDN'T ANTICIPATE THIS HAPPENING.

IT HAPPENED RATHER QUICKLY.

UM, BUT, UH, I, I KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION THAT THERE'S SOME CERTAINTY WITH RESPECT TO, UH, THE, THE MEETING SCHEDULE.

AND I'LL BE WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO WORK THROUGH THAT ISSUE.

YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A CO-CHAIR WHO, WHO APPOINTS THE CO-CHAIR? UM, MS. MORRISON, DO YOU KNOW, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL MAKES A VOTE ON THAT.

OH, OKAY.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE COMMUNICATED TO THEM PART AS PART OF OUR FUTURE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE LACK OF A CO-CHAIR.

YEAH.

THAT CAN BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING.

ALL RIGHT.

SO HOPEFULLY I, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROBLEM THAT I HAVE CREATED BY, UH, TAKING THIS OTHER JOB I HAVE NOW AFTER I RETIRED FROM THAT JOB.

UM, SO, SO I, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT THE MEETINGS OCCUR ON A TUESDAY AS OPPOSED TO THIS SPECIAL MEETING PROCESS.

WE HAVE TO DO THIS TIME TUESDAYS.

OH.

BUT I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE HAVE SCHEDULES AND, AND LOOK AT TU TUESDAYS AS OUR APPROPRIATE MEETING DAY.

SO, UH, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, I DO WHAT I CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONTINUES.

CONGRATULATIONS ON UNRETIRING.

.

YEAH.

YEP.

JUST A COUPLE OF US .

ALRIGHT.

UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION HERE? RE NONE THEN I, I THINK OUR BUSINESS IS DONE FOR THE DAY.

UH, NO MORE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, THEN WE DON'T NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

UH, THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED AT 10:36 AM ON, WHAT IS TODAY'S DATE? UH, JANUARY 29TH.

2025.

[01:00:02]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.