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City Council Meeting Minutes March 20,2018 <br /> • Setting annual limit of$500 on meals or gifts to a city official <br /> Violations and Enforcement: <br /> •Complaints regarding lobbying violations would be heard by the ERC <br /> •Repeated violations—three violations within a Eve year period—results in <br /> suspension for one year could also result in municipal court prosecution <br /> Mr. Desoto presented the Ethics Review Commissions' other proposed <br /> amendments: <br /> Mandatory Reporting of Ethics Violations: <br /> Amend Section 2.444 of the ethics ordinance to require city officials and <br /> employees who have knowledge of a violation of the code of ethics or state <br /> conflict of interest law to report the violation to the ERC <br /> Voting on Certain Contracts Prohibited: <br /> Amend Section 2.423 to prohibit a city official from voting on a contract with <br /> the city for any business entity that the official serves in any capacity <br /> Remedial Ethics Training: <br /> Amend Section 2.444 to include,as a sanction for violation of the ethics <br /> ordinance,a requirement that the official or employee attend remedial ethics <br /> training including any updates to the ordinance <br /> Council held discussion regarding when someone would have to recuse oneself <br /> if they received a donation from a developer. <br /> Council held discussion about how a"Whistle Blower"would be protected <br /> under the changes proposed to Section 2.444. Mr. Cosentino explained that <br /> there is not whistle blower protection stated within the ordinance. He further <br /> explained that when an Ethics complaint is filed that while the Ethics Review <br /> Commission reviews it in Executive Session the complaint is not anonymous, <br /> and the subject of the complaint receives a copy of the complaint. He stated <br /> that that is a requirement of our Code. <br /> City Council provided consensus to have that protection within the ordinance. <br /> Mr. Cosentino explained that if someone did not report they would be in <br /> violation themselves as the language is currently proposed. However, the City <br /> Council did not provided consensus to move forward with the addition of the <br /> Mandatory Reporting of Ethics violations. <br /> Additional discussion was held regarding the Mandatory Reporting of Ethics <br /> Violations. Mr. Lumbreras provided insight about his concerns with this <br /> amendment. He wanted to make sure that he and the Council are together in <br /> terms of what the city structure needs to be. He wants there to be a clear line <br /> City of San Marcos Page 3 <br />