REGULAR CALLED MEETING of the ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION AUGUST 28, 2024 at 6:00 P.M. AUSTIN CITY HALL, BOARDS & COMMISSIONS ROOM, #1101 301 W 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 Some members of the Ethics Review Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public Speakers: Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak once, either in-person or remotely, and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. If participating remotely by telephone, a speaker must register no later than noon the day before the meeting. To register to speak remotely, contact Lizette Benitez at (512) 974-2915 or lizette.benitez@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Chair Michael Lovins Vice-Chair Haksoon Andrea Low Secretary Nguyen Stanton-Adams Edward Espinoza Adam Materne Alysa Nuñez District 4 – Vacancy William Ross Pumfrey Mary Kahle Jacob Loehr Amy Casto CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL AGENDA There is no limit on the number of speakers who may speak on agenda items. There is a limit on the number of speakers who may speak on items not posted on the agenda—only the first ten speakers who register prior to the meeting being called to order will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address non-agenda items. For more information on public communication, please see the “Notice Regarding Public Communication” at the end of this agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Ethics Review Commission Regular meeting on July 24, 2024. BRIEFINGS 1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Briefing of the Annual Internal Review report made by Chair Lovins. Staff Briefing from Caroline Webster regarding three recent complaints received. Briefing from the Working Group to Review ERC Complaints Process regarding a status report on consideration of commission-initiated complaints. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Consideration, discussion, and potential action regarding: Discussion regarding gathering feedback about scheduled candidate events, and Q & A with Carol Eckelkamp, League of Women Voters Austin Area (LWV-AA). Changes to the membership of the Working Group to Review ERC Complaints Process. Potential formation of a working group to look into reviewing and revising the ERC bylaws. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative …
MEMORANDUM July 31, 2024 Deborah Thomas, Interim City Attorney Michael Lovins, Ethics Commission Chair Betsy Greenberg Douglas Greco Erika Brady, Deputy City Clerk TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: The attached sworn complaint was received on July 31, 2024 in the Office of the City Clerk. It was filed by Betsy Greenberg against Douglas Greco. Per City Code, Chapter 2-7-41(D), this letter serves as the Office of the City Clerk’s acknowledgement that the complaint was received and as notice to all those named above, as required in the code. Attachment Sworn Complaint
MEMORANDUM July 31, 2024 Deborah Thomas, Interim City Attorney Michael Lovins, Ethics Commission Chair Betsy Greenberg Kirk Watson Erika Brady, Deputy City Clerk TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: The attached sworn complaint was received on July 31, 2024 in the Office of the City Clerk. It was filed by Betsy Greenberg against Kirk Watson. Per City Code, Chapter 2-7-41(D), this letter serves as the Office of the City Clerk’s acknowledgement that the complaint was received and as notice to all those named above, as required in the code. Attachment Sworn Complaint
MEMORANDUM July 12, 2024 Deborah Thomas, Interim City Attorney Michael Lovins, Ethics Commission Chair Julie Oliver Mike Siegel Erika Brady, Deputy City Clerk TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: The attached sworn complaint was received on July 12, 2024 in the Office of the City Clerk. It was filed by Julie Oliver against Mike Siegel. Per City Code, Chapter 2-7-41(D), this letter serves as the Office of the City Clerk’s acknowledgement that the complaint was received and as notice to all those named above, as required in the code. Attachment Sworn Complaint OCC RECEIVED AT JUL 12 '24AMil:16 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION CHAPTER 2-7 CITY CODE t COMPLAINT I - NAME OF PERSON(S) FILINC~, COMPLAINT: 1 _· ·_J_ul_ie_O_l_iv_,..e,...-.r _ .. ;_· ____ _ ,.,.;,:·· MAILING ADDRESS: EMAIL ADDRESS: PLEASE FILE A SEPARATE COMPLAINT FORM FOR EACH PERSON COMPLAINED AGAINST. r··nMPJ .AlN' NA \fE OF PERSON COMPLAINEEf XGKINSI : Mike Siegel ------------~ Cll Y OFFICE DEPARTMENT ·COMMISSION: . Candidate for City Council, District 7 ' --- MAILING ADDRESS: 1905 Aggie Lane, Austin, TX ?~_7_57 _________ _ . "" J ' PHl.)NE NUMBER [IF KNOWN]:~..,__ _______________ _ EMAIL ADDRESS [IF KNO~J:---. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tht: Ethics Review Commission has jurisdiction to hear complaints alleging violation(s) of the ~allowing provisions: -,UMPf Al l'l.J!~r1-"-:\(~Kfi"J'3T;- (C.aJi~~~ F.inance) · - City Co~e, Chapter 2-1, ~~ ectioi;\, 2-1-t.4 (City Boards, Conflict of Interest and Recusal) - ~ity Code, Chapte; 2-2 1 City Code, Chapter 2-'i (ELhics and Financia1 D1--:r:.losure), except for Article 6 (Anti lobbying and Procurement) City Code, Chapter 4-8 (Regulation of Lobbyists: City Charter, Article III, Section 8 (Limits on Campaign Contributions and Expenditures) - PLEASE LIST EACH ALLEGED VIOLATION OF THE ABOVE CITY CODE AND CH\RTER PROVISIONS SEPARATELY ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES . ... L·U I -T ( ( ' j 1.\ t I ' ,' r\'\_ • ·s ') I .; Offic.: of the City Clerk, 20.21 Fl Revised: April 12, 2017 I. SECTION OF CHARTER OR ORDINANCE VIOLATED: City Code, Chapter 2-2 DATE OF ALLEGED VIOU\ TION: Oct 2023 through J~_ne_2_0_24 ________ _ ACTIONS ALLEGED TO BE A VIOLATION: The Mike Siegel campaign routinely sends out emails using a CRM email service called Action Network. Siegel's campaign finance reports do not show any expense for this CRM. Additionally, he is the founder, Board President and Chair, and General Counsel for Ground Game Texas …
ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES AUGUST 28, 2024 The Ethics Review Commission convened in a Regular Commission meeting on August 28, 2024, at City Hall, Boards & Commissions Room #1101, at 301 W. 2nd Street in Austin, Texas and via Videoconference. Chair Michael Lovins called the Ethics Review Commission Meeting to order at 6:11 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Chair Michael Lovins, Vice-Chair Haksoon Andrea Low, Secretary Nguyen Stanton-Adams, and Commissioners Edward Espinoza, Adam Materne and William Ross Pumfrey were present at City Hall. Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Mary Kahle. Commissioners Absent: Amy Casto and Alysa Nuñez. City Staff in Attendance: Lizette Benitez, Staff Liaison; Caroline Webster, Commission Executive Liaison & Assistant City Attorney. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No one registered to speak during public communication. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL There is no limit on the number of speakers who may speak on agenda items. There is a limit on the number of speakers who may speak on items not posted on the agenda—only the first ten speakers who register prior to the meeting being called to order will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address non-agenda items. For more information on public communication, please see the “Notice Regarding Public Communication” at the end of this agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Ethics Review Commission Regular meeting on July 24, 2024. Secretary Stanton-Adams’ motion to approve the minutes with amendments to include “Future Agenda Items” passed on an 7-0 vote of all members present. Commissioner Pumfrey seconded the motion. Voting in favor: Chair Lovins, Vice-Chair Low, Secretary Stanton-Adams and Commissioners Espinoza, Kahle, Materne and Pumfrey. Commissioners Casto and Nuñez were absent. 1 BRIEFINGS 2. Briefing of the Annual Internal Review report made by Chair Lovins. Chair Lovins presented the Annual Internal Review Report to the Commission, outlining the preliminary hearings and other actions conducted in accordance with the Ethics Review Commission’s mission statement. After taking up item 2, the Commission moved onto item 5. 3. Staff Briefing from Caroline Webster regarding three recent complaints received. Executive Liaison Caroline Webster presented updates on three recent complaints received in July. One complaint, filed by Julie Oliver against Mike Siegel, did not meet the filing requirements. Ms. Oliver was informed she could resubmit her complaint, but no further action was taken. The other two complaints were filed by Betsy Greenberg against mayoral candidates Douglas Greco and Kirk Watson for allegedly …
