The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

City Council reaffirms its guidelines on ethics

By Natasha Collins

The City Council unanimously approved the reinstatement of the city's code of ethics at its Oct. 7 meeting.

Since its adoption in 1995, the ethics code has been reviewed annually by the City Council and the city's advisory boards and commissions to refresh members about the code and to make necessary revisions.

"By bringing it to us each year, it reminds us of the responsibility of being on the council," said Councilwoman Pat Vorreiter.

The ethics code is a guideline by which City Council members and commissioners should conduct themselves in meetings and while in public office.

The code stipulates that members will serve the public before themselves; public office should be used for the public good, not personal gain; and councilmembers, commissioners and advisory board members should be independent and impartial in their judgments.

The actions and decisions of elected and appointed officials should not cause any question as to whether they're working on behalf of the public or for their own personal gain, according to the code.

"The code will increase the integrity and ethics of the actions we take," Vorreiter said. "We need to be cognizant of who we are speaking for and in what capacity we are speaking."

The code goes further than the laws that govern the way meetings are run because it requires members to take responsibility for their colleagues. Members must make sure everyone on the council, board or commission is aware of the code and following it. Members must also identify and address areas of potential concern.

"It is the guiding principle for our actions," said Councilman Landon Curt Noll, who also sat on the committee that drafted the code. "The code of ethics helps distinguish the excellent way in which the city operates."

Whether the code would prevent members from speaking in front of the council--not as a city representative, but as a citizen--was a concern the staff felt the council needed to address before the code could be approved.

"The code does not interfere with the Bill of Rights in which we are all protected, including our right to speak on an issue or a petition or to redress grievances," Noll said. "It does not prevent board or commission members, if they have stepped down from an action, from coming forward as private citizens and voicing their concerns or opinions."

Members must "let people know what hat they are wearing" when they make a statement, Noll said.

If members do not comply with the code of ethics, formal actions can be taken. Public reprimand and censorship are just a few of the sanctions that can be levied against officials if they fail to adhere to the code.

"If there is ever a questionable activity, then we can refer back to this document and see if it is in keeping with the principles found here," Noll said. "There is an enforcement provision, but the thought is that before the council would need to get to that stage, the conversations would be in order to help guide people into the correct behavior."

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 15, 1997.
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