Board of Ethics Meeting - September 25, 2025

Okay, Mr. Chair, you're recording. I do apologize, just one moment here to make sure I've got our current agenda up for today.

All right, it is 3:32 PM on September 25th, 2025, and we'll call this meeting of the Board of Ethics to order. And Miss Lippy, if you— if you could please call roll. Yes, Mr. Belreve. Present. Miss Mogadam.

Present. Miss West. Present. Mr. Drama, present.

And sure, I believe Miss Guess was excused. I do believe so. You have a quorum.

Thank you. And the first item we have on from there is the approval of today's agenda, and the board would hear a motion.

Move to approve. And a second. Second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye. Aye. And any opposed?

Seeing and hearing none, we'll go ahead and approve today's agenda. Next item on today's agenda then is the meeting— or the minutes of the previous meeting. That is for our meeting of July 17, 2025. And if we would like to adopt those, we would hear a motion.

Move to approve the previous meeting minutes. And a second? Second.

And any discussion?

Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. And any opposed?

And the ayes have it.

Next item we have today is our consent agenda. We have forms for board review at 5A.1, disclosure of economic interest in municipal contract or business by a public servant. We have items A through N as in November. And would we like to move that and move into discussion if there are any that any members would like to discuss today.

I didn't see any issues.

Same here.

All right, and the board would hear a motion for Item 5A.1(a) through (n). So moved. And a second? Second.

And no further discussion. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. And any opposed?

And the ayes have it. So the next item we have on our agenda today is 5A2. That is disclosure by an elected official of a gift in excess of $500. We have a single item. Hey, I'm scrolling just as quickly as I can here.

Having that in front of me, um, is there a motion on this disclosure?

I'd move to approve. I didn't see any issues, and it was under $500 anyways, I believe. That's correct. And is there a second? Second.

And any further discussion?

Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of approving this item at 5A2, please say aye. Aye. Aye.

And all those opposed?

Seeing and hearing none, the ayes have it. And finally, in A— or in 5, we have 5A3. That is items A through G is in GOLF, Notice of Intent to Respond to a Public Solicitation.

I would move to approve them. I didn't—. Nothing stood out to me as concerning.

And do we have a second? Second.

And I suppose for the purposes of discussion, I would observe that You know, as I look through all of these, I think that they're, you know, the vast majority was that there was, you know, no immediate family with any of that could take official actions that could affect or impact the request. I believe there was one that did present sort of, I guess, sufficient protective measures. Any further discussion?

Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of approving this item, please say aye.

Aye. Aye.

And any opposed?

Seeing and hearing none, the ayes have it, and Item 5A.3, that's A through G, is approved. Item 6, we have no unfinished business today. Item 7, we have new business. That is Request for Advisory Opinion 2025-06 HESS.

Oh, hi, Mr. Chair. This is Paul. So before the board takes up this, uh, item, I was just going to note that I have a disclosure and a conflict on this. So as many of you know, I was the acting director of the Equal Rights Commission from February through June of this year.

So I will not be advising the Board of Ethics on any matters related to this request for an advisory opinion. So Joe Busa is the alternate ethics officer appointed by the mayor. He's also the deputy municipal attorney. So he's on the line as well. So what I'm going to do is at this point just log off and then he'll take it from here from anything related to this since it's the last item on the agenda.

Okay, thanks, Paul. Okay, well, thanks everybody. I'm going to go ahead and disconnect then. I can get up with Chris afterwards and figure out, like, I think the only thing after this is deciding when the next meeting is, but obviously I'll make myself available whenever you decide to have it. So.

I appreciate it. Okay, well, thanks everybody. Have a good day. You too, Paul. You too.

Bye. Bye, Paul.

And I suppose on this one, would we move for purposes of discussion?

I missed that. Are you looking for a motion? I think, I think, I guess, discussion before taking action, right? We are waived confidentiality on this, so we don't need to move, or I guess change rooms. Um, Mr.

Chair, if I might, um, of course, um, My name is Joe Bucsa. I'm the Deputy Municipal Attorney, and I'm the alternate ethics officer, and I'm happy to stand in here and help advise the board in any way the board would find helpful, helpful with regards to this matter. I do have several thoughts on this item that I'd be happy to offer in executive session if that is the will of the board.

I guess, Kelly, I know I would appreciate that. Yeah, agreed.

Okay, but who's driving?

Do you have a motion to go into executive session? I think we would—. Motion to, uh, go into executive session. And a second? Second.

All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. And any opposed?

Seeing and hearing none, we will so go. And I will see you all on the other call, correct? Yep. Yes, if you hang up here and then go into the closed session link. Perfect.

Thank you.

Welcome back, everyone. It seems like we are one down.

Yes, let me grab Mr. Drama.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Thank you. All right, returning from executive session, I believe we may have a motion or would entertain a motion to review a proposed draft opinion and table this matter until the next regular scheduled meeting of the Board of Ethics. Do we have a motion?

So moved. And a second? Second. And is there any further discussion?

Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of reviewing a proposed draft opinion and tabling this matter to the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Ethics, please say aye. Aye. Aye. And seeing and hearing none opposed, motion carries.

Next item we have on this afternoon's agenda is at 8, member comments. Are there any comments of the members?

None for me. None.

I'll simply contribute that it's nice to hear from all of you again. I hope everyone's had a busy and productive summer, right? And our next item on today's agenda is audience participation. I see no audience.

And thus the next item on our agenda is scheduling our next meeting.

I am struggling to recall what our typical regular meeting schedule has been, Ms. Slappy.

Typically the third Thursday of the month from 3:30 to 5. It looks like October will be the 16th.

So it looks like the 16th of October.

I think that should work for me as of now.

Same with me.

Same with me. Right, and the 16th of October then, and that will be from 3:30 to 5, right?

Yes, that's been your typical time. Thank you. And of course, the next item we have on this afternoon's agenda is adjournment, and I'm certain that the board would entertain a motion.

Move to adjourn. A second? Second. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye.

Aye. Aye.

And the motion carries. We are adjourned at 4:10 PM. Thank you all. Oh yeah, that's all I've got. Thank you all.