Earlier today, a request for a special meeting of the
council was requested by a local citizen. It was delivered to the city
secretary’s office for delivery to Dan Johnson, the city manager.
From what I can tell, it looks like the first step to
investigation an ethics complaint would be for the city attorney to review the
matter and determine if they might be cause to take it further, or just dismiss
it outright.
Only after that, can the city attorney hire an outside
investigator, according to the Code of Ethics, or my reading of it.
If that is the case, then it seems he could hire an outside
investigator. In this instance, it seems he wants to hire a city attorney form
another city.
Call me crazy, but it seems a total waste of taxpayer money.
He will probably investigate and determine everything is just fine. One hand
washes the other. No real investigation done.
But, the way I read this letter, if after the city attorney
finds there is cause to investigate, the city charter calls for a special
meeting to discuss the problem, not a series of closed meeting.
We will see what happens.
dc-tm you are probably correct, but the City response will be interesting, in any case.
ReplyDeleteAs for attn'y Tanner, Google shows this PDF at the well known rumorcheck site: http://www.rumorcheck.org/LTR-TANNER.pdf
I do not know the specific topic (rumorcheck does not show dates nor have a search feature) but I expect the response from the City on the recent letter may be a similar 5 page letter from the Hon. Peter J. Smith, Richardson City Attorney
Oh, I know the all-knowing all-seeing wizard behind the curtain at rumorcheck .. using that site only because that's where the Peter J. Smith letter PDF was parked.
ReplyDeleteQuack.
I find it totally absurd that an attorney by profession cannot speak as a citizen asking the CM and council to follow the charter. It is our right as citizens to ask for a space on the agenda. To refuse or dismiss the request is absolutely unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteCDH