Versión en español a continuación. Regular Meeting of the Ethics Review Commission Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 6:00 PM Ethics Review Commission to be held October 14, 2020 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance no later than Tuesday, OCTOBER 13, 2020 by Noon. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the October 14, 2020 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION Meeting, residents must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512.974.2915 and sue.palmer@austintexas.gov no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. •Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sue.palmer@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Ethics Review Commission FECHA de la reunion (October 14, 2020) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (October 13, 2020 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. 1 Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los residentes deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en Sue Palmer 512-974-2915 sue.palmer@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). La información requerida es el nombre del orador, los números de artículo sobre los que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutrales, y un número de teléfono o dirección de correo electrónico. • Una vez que se haya llamado o enviado por correo electrónico una solicitud para …
Versión en español a continuación. Regular Meeting of the Ethics Review Commission Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 6:00 PM Ethics Review Commission to be held October 14, 2020 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance no later than Tuesday, OCTOBER 13, 2020 by Noon. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the October 14, 2020 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION Meeting, residents must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512.974.2915 and sue.palmer@austintexas.gov no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. •Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sue.palmer@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Ethics Review Commission FECHA de la reunion (October 14, 2020) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (October 13, 2020 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. 1 Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los residentes deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en Sue Palmer 512-974-2915 sue.palmer@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). La información requerida es el nombre del orador, los números de artículo sobre los que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutrales, y un número de teléfono o dirección de correo electrónico. • Una vez que se haya llamado o enviado por correo electrónico una solicitud para …
Ethics Review Commission Regular Meeting Schedule for 2021 January 13, 2021 February 10, 2021 March 10, 2021 April 14, 2021 May 12, 2021 June 9, 2021 July 14, 2021 August 18, 2021* September 8, 2021 October 13, 2021 November 10, 2021 December 8, 2021 Meeting date moved to the following week due to City Council budget and * tax rate meetings anticipated to be scheduled on August 11, 12, and 13, 2021. Council’s proposed calendar is posted as item 76 on the agenda for the October 15, 2020 council meeting. http://www.austintexas.gov/department/city- council/2020/20201015-reg.htm#076 Meeting Day: second Wednesday of each month with the exception of the August 18, 2021 meeting. Meeting time: 6 p.m. except as indicated above (or as needed to accommodate scheduling during the pandemic or the need to move the meeting to a location other than at City Hall)
The Ethics Review Commission has co‐sponsored three city council candidate forums. 1. Candidate Questionnaire: Following are hyperlinks to the League of Women Voters‐Austin Area candidate guide. Council candidate information is on pages 32‐37. LWV‐AA Voter Guide that includes council candidates (English): Candidate Questionnaire ‐ English LWV‐AA Voter Guide (Spanish): Candidate Questionnaire ‐ Spanish 2. Moderated Candidate Forums: Hyperlinks to each moderated forum on ATXN’s website: D2 Moderated Candidate Forum (English) D2 Moderated Candidate Forum ‐ English D2 Moderated Candidate Forum (Spanish) D2 Moderated Forum ‐ Spanish Please note that video of District 2 Candidate Ramos’ participation in the District 4 moderated candidate forum has been added to the District 2 candidate forum video. Candidate Casey Ramos’ statements and Q&A are shown after the other Candidates due to his participation In the District 4 Candidate Forum on a different date. D4 Moderated Candidate Forum (English) D4 Moderated Forum ‐ English D4 Moderated Candidate Forum (Spanish) D4 Moderated Forum ‐ Spanish D6 Moderated Candidate Forum (English) D6 Moderated Forum ‐ English D6 Moderated Candidate Forum (Spanish) D6 Moderated Forum ‐ Spanish D7 Moderated Candidate Forum (English) D7 Moderated Forum ‐ English D7 Moderated Candidate Forum (Spanish) D7 Moderated Forum ‐ Spanish D10 Moderated Candidate Forum (English) D10 Moderated Forum ‐ English D10 Moderated Candidate Forum (Spanish) D10 Moderated Forum ‐ Spanish 3. Hyperlinks to each candidate’s Five‐minute recorded statement (posted by council district) on ATXN’s website. D2 Candidates Chincanchan, Ramos, Fuentes, and Strenger: D2 Candidate 5‐minute statements D4 Candidates Casar, Herrin III, and Setepenre II: D4 Candidate 5‐minute statements D6 Candidates Flannigan, Kelly, Mushtaler, and Harrison: D6 Candidate 5‐minute statements D7 Candidates Witt and Pool: D7 Candidate 5‐minute statements D10 Candidates Thomas, Alter, Greene, Easton, Sethi, and Virden: D 10 Candidate 5‐minute statements
Versión en español a continuación. Regular Meeting of the Ethics Review Commission Wednesday, September 9, 2020, 6:00 PM Ethics Review Commission to be held September 9, 2020 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance no later than Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 by Noon. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the September 9, 2020 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION Meeting, residents must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512.974.2915 and sue.palmer@austintexas.gov no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. •Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sue.palmer@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Ethics Review Commission FECHA de la reunion (September 9, 2020) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (September 8, 2020 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. 1 Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los residentes deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en Sue Palmer 512-974-2915 sue.palmer@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). La información requerida es el nombre del orador, los números de artículo sobre los que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutrales, y un número de teléfono o dirección de correo electrónico. • Una vez que se haya llamado o enviado por correo electrónico una solicitud para …
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 2-3-5 OF THE CITY CODE RELATING TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY AUDITOR TO REFER ALLEGATIONS TO THE CITY MANAGER. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: PART 1. Subsection (O) of City Code Section 2-3-5 (Powers and Duties) is amended to read: (O) The city auditor shall refer an allegation enumerated in this subsection to the city manager. The city manager shall design a process to inform the city auditor of the disposition of the referred allegations for recordkeeping purposes. The allegations covered by this subsection are those related to: (1) a personnel issue; (2) an operational issue; (3) a de minimis fraud, waste, or abuse violation; (4) a public safety issue that is not related to fraud, waste, or abuse;[ and] (5) an issue that the city auditor is not authorized to investigate and that is not within the jurisdiction of the Ethics Review Commission[.]; and (6) a secondary employment matter that the city auditor determines does not interfere with or impede the job performance or productivity of a City official or employee; does not interfere with or impede the City’s conduct of official business; and is too small, minor or insignificant to have an economic impact on City operations. Page 1 of 2 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 28 PART 2. This ordinance takes effect on _______________, 2020. PASSED AND APPROVED , 2020 § _______________________________ Steve Adler § § Mayor APPROVED: _________________ Anne L. Morgan City Attorney ATTEST: ________________________ Jannette S. Goodall City Clerk Page 2 of 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 RESOLUTION NO. WHEREAS, since March 2020 the Austin City Council and City Boards and Commissions have been unable to meet in person due to the stay-home work order resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is unknown at this time how long these conditions will last, and WHEREAS, City of Austin uses Cisco WebEx along with analog phone calls to enable virtual meetings of the Austin City Council and City Boards and Commissions; and WHEREAS, the Texas Legislature enacted H.B. 2840 in order to ensure 10 that members of the public have the right to address governmental bodies prior to 11 their decisions on items under consideration; and 12 WHEREAS, call-in public participation allows for members of the public to 13 provide testimony from home as opposed to traveling to City Hall; and 14 WHEREAS, members of the public have reported difficulties including lack 15 of awareness of registration deadlines, shortened speaker times, extended time on 16 hold, incomplete speaker queues, call disconnections, and feedback during calls; 17 and 18 WHEREAS, the City’s technology choices and procedural rules have 19 unintentionally limited public participation and even denied members of the public Page 1 of 3 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 20 the right to address the Austin City Council and/or City Boards and Commissions; 21 NOW, THEREFORE, 22 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: 23 The Ethics Review Commission makes the following recommendations to 24 improve equitable access to and opportunities for public participation in Austin 25 City Council and City Boards and Commission virtual meetings. Rules and instructions for public participation in virtual meetings should be publicized on Council, Commission, and Board websites and included at the top of all meeting notices and posted agendas. Any changes to rules and instructions for public participation in virtual meetings should be timely and openly discussed by the Austin City Council and City Boards or Commissions. Adhere to normal public speaking time limits and rules for time donation. Either eliminate preregistration requirements for public participation or reduce the advance time required. During meetings, make the queue of speakers and who is next in line visible to the public. The complete ordered list of speakers should be posted as part of the permanent public …
ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, August 12, 2020 The Ethics Review Commission (“Commission”) convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, Austin, Texas via Videoconference. Chair Luis Soberon called the meeting to order at 6:06 p.m. Commissioners in attendance: Chair Luis Soberon, Vice-Chair J. Michael Ohueri, Secretary Kenneth “Tray” Gober, and Commissioners Debra Danburg, Betsy Greenberg, Mary Kahle, Raafia Lari, Robin Lerner, and Donna Beth McCormick. Commissioners Nathan Ryan and Pedro A. Villalobos were absent. City Staff in Attendance: Lynn Carter, Commission Executive Liaison & Assistant City Attorney, and Sue Palmer, Staff Liaison, Law Department. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION Each person who signed up to speak prior to the meeting being called to order and who designated this item on which to speak, or who did not designate an agenda item on which to speak will be allowed three minutes to speak. Three members of the public spoke: Ana Aguirre, Zenobia Joseph, and Megan Meisenbach. 1. OLD BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a. 2020 Austin city council candidate forums: including an update from city staff Commission Executive Liaison Lynn Carter updated the Commission on the status of the 2020 City Council election candidate forums, which included the following in part. The September issue of the Austin Energy/utility newsletter will provide information on the candidate forums. The moderated candidate forums will air on ATXN.TV in English and Spanish, cable TV channel 6, AT & T U-Verse channel 99, KAZI FM 88.7. The moderated candidate forums will be streamed live and also available on the archive at ATXN (in English and Spanish). All candidate forums moderated by the League of Women Voters-Austin Area (LWV-AA) will be conducted virtually. During the moderated candidate forums, a limited number of citizens will be able to call into a phone number to listen to the forums if they do not have a TV, radio, or computer/internet access to the candidate forums. The LWV-AA is requesting questions from citizens prior to the moderated forums. 1 Secondly, candidates will be given an opportunity to record a five-minute video- recorded statement with ATXN, which will be posted on the ATXN website. If a candidate does not have a computer, the City will provide a computer for the candidate to use if needed and the City will assist with other technology needs for both the moderated candidate forums and the five-minute recorded statement. The third forum …
ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, September 9, 2020 The Ethics Review Commission (“Commission”) convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, September 9, 2020, Austin, Texas via Videoconference. Chair Luis Soberon called the meeting to order at 6:06 p.m. Commissioners in attendance: Chair Luis Soberon, Vice-Chair J. Michael Ohueri, Secretary Kenneth “Tray” Gober, and Commissioners Debra Danburg, Betsy Greenberg, Mary Kahle, Raafia Lari, Robin Lerner, Donna Beth McCormick, and Nathan Ryan. Commissioner Pedro A. Villalobos were absent. City Staff in Attendance: Lynn Carter, Commission Executive Liaison & Assistant City Attorney, Sue Palmer, Staff Liaison, Law Department; Brian Molloy, Chief of Investigations in the Office of the City Auditor; Jannette Goodall, City of Austin City Clerk; Kory Ellis, IT Manager, Communications and Technology Management Department; and Brion Oaks, Chief Equity Officer, Equity Office. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION Each person who signed up to speak prior to the meeting being called to order and who designated this item on which to speak, or who did not designate an agenda item on which to speak will be allowed three minutes to speak. There were no speakers for Citizen Communication. 1. NEW BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: Potential amendments to City Code Chapter 2-3 (City Auditor) related to the City Auditor’s investigative and referral authority. Office of the City Auditor, Chief of Investigations, Brian Molloy provided a presentation on proposed amendments to City Code Chapter 2-3 (City Auditor), Section 2-3-5 (Powers and Duties) Subsection (O). No action was taken by the Commissioners on this item. 2. OLD BUSINESS – PART ONE Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a. Transparency in the open meeting process, including the process for public speakers and the Commission’s jurisdiction and role. City Clerk Jannette Goodall and IT Manager Kory Ellis answered Commissioner questions on the process and unique issues for public speakers and public participation during virtual public meetings of the City. 1 No action was taken by the Commissioners on this item. 3. STAFF BRIEFINGS Equity Office presentation on the creation and purpose of the City of Austin’s Equity Office – Brion Oaks, Chief Equity Officer. Mr. Oaks provided a presentation on the Equity Office; its role at the City of Austin; and the services, trainings, and guidance provided by the Equity Office to city departments and city boards. (No action is taken by the Commission on staff briefings.) 4. OLD BUSINESS – PART TWO Discussion …
Regular Meeting of the Ethics Review Commission Wednesday, August 12, 2020, 6:00 PM Ethics Review Commission meeting to be held August 12, 2020 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance no later than Tuesday, AUGUST 11, 2020 by Noon. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the August 12, 2020 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION Meeting, persons must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512.974.2915 and sue.palmer@austintexas.gov no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. •Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sue.palmer@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live 1 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION AUGUST 12, 2020 AT 6:00 P.M. VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING Vice-Chair J. Michael Ohueri Secretary Kenneth “Tray” Gober Betsy Greenberg Robin Lerner Mary Kahle Donna Beth McCormick CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Chair Luis Soberon Debra Danburg Raafia Lari Nathan Ryan Pedro A. Villalobos AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, all citizen communications will occur at the beginning of the meeting. Speakers are limited to a maximum time limit of three minutes per speaker only on items listed below. 1. OLD BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a. 2020 Austin city council candidate forums: including an update from city staff b. Working group status reports and/or recommendations on the following. i. Working group one (Vice-Chair Ohueri and Commissioners Greenberg and Lerner) on the following subjects: - Commission sanctions including effectiveness, past cases, and recommendations. - Potential amendments to City Code, Chapter 2-7 (Ethics and Financial Disclosure). …
ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, August 12, 2020 The Ethics Review Commission (“Commission”) convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, Austin, Texas via Videoconference. Chair Luis Soberon called the meeting to order at 6:06 p.m. Commissioners in attendance: Chair Luis Soberon, Vice-Chair J. Michael Ohueri, Secretary Kenneth “Tray” Gober, and Commissioners Debra Danburg, Betsy Greenberg, Mary Kahle, Raafia Lari, Robin Lerner, and Donna Beth McCormick. Commissioners Nathan Ryan and Pedro A. Villalobos were absent. City Staff in Attendance: Lynn Carter, Commission Executive Liaison & Assistant City Attorney, and Sue Palmer, Staff Liaison, Law Department. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION Each person who signed up to speak prior to the meeting being called to order and who designated this item on which to speak, or who did not designate an agenda item on which to speak will be allowed three minutes to speak. Three members of the public spoke: Ana Aguirre, Zenobia Joseph, and Megan Meisenbach. 1. OLD BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a. 2020 Austin city council candidate forums: including an update from city staff Commission Executive Liaison Lynn Carter updated the Commission on the status of the 2020 City Council election candidate forums, which included the following in part. The September issue of the Austin Energy/utility newsletter will provide information on the candidate forums. The moderated candidate forums will air on ATXN.TV in English and Spanish, cable TV channel 6, AT & T U-Verse channel 99, KAZI FM 88.7. The moderated candidate forums will be streamed live and also available on the archive at ATXN (in English and Spanish). All candidate forums moderated by the League of Women Voters-Austin Area (LWV-AA) will be conducted virtually. During the moderated candidate forums, a limited number of citizens will be able to call into a phone number to listen to the forums if they do not have a TV, radio, or computer/internet access to the candidate forums. The LWV-AA is requesting questions from citizens prior to the moderated forums. 1 Secondly, candidates will be given an opportunity to record a five-minute video- recorded statement with ATXN, which will be posted on the ATXN website. If a candidate does not have a computer, the City will provide a computer for the candidate to use if needed and the City will assist with other technology needs for both the moderated candidate forums and the five-minute recorded statement. The third forum …
Regular Meeting of the Ethics Review Commission Wednesday, July 8, 2020, 3:00- 4:30 PM Ethics Review Commission meeting to be held July 8, 2020 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance no later than Tuesday, JULY 7, 2020 by Noon. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the July 8, 2020 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION Meeting, persons must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512.974.2915 and sue.palmer@austintexas.gov no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. •Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sue.palmer@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live 1 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION JULY 8, 2020 AT 3:00 P.M. VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Chair Luis Soberon Debra Danburg Raafia Lari Nathan Ryan Pedro A. Villalobos AGENDA Vice-Chair J. Michael Ohueri Secretary Kenneth “Tray” Gober Betsy Greenberg Robin Lerner Mary Kahle Donna Beth McCormick CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, all citizen communications will occur at the beginning of the meeting. Speakers are limited to a maximum time limit of three minutes per speaker only on items listed below. 1. OLD BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a. 2020 Austin city council candidate forums update (by City staff, League of Women Voters-Austin Area, and ERC Candidate Forum Working Group) about forum logistics / set up and published information about the forums. b. Working group status reports and/or recommendations on the following. i. Working group one (Vice-Chair Ohueri and Commissioners Greenberg and Lerner) on the following …
A U S T I N U T I L I T I E S N O W I N F O R M AT I O N A B O U T YO U R C I T Y S E R V I C E S Easy ways to lower your bills Energy and water use hit a peak in August and September, which can mean higher utility bills. If you are facing financial difficulty with your utility bill during this time, the City of Austin’s Customer Assistance Programs offer resources and support to qualifying customers. You can find more information on utility bill relief at austinenergy.com/go/cap or austinbillhelp.com. 2 8 3 5 4 - G U A August 2020 the summer. This helps with air flow Lower Your Electric Bills » Change your AC filter every month in and quality. » Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher when possible. Every degree higher than 78 degrees can decrease your bill by about 3 percent. » Install LED light bulbs. ENERGY STAR® qualified LEDs use at least 75 percent less electricity, generate less heat than incandescent bulbs and last about 50 times longer, saving both money and energy. » Unplug appliances and electronic devices when not in use. Devices use energy even when turned off. Turn off » Keep curtains and blinds closed on windows hit by direct sunlight. The sunlight can quickly raise indoor » Use fans when you are in the room. Fans can help you feel 2 to 4 degrees cooler. Turn them off when you leave the room to save energy. Remember fans cool people, not rooms! » Sign up at coautilities.com to help manage your electric use and to help reduce your bill. lights when you leave a room. temperatures 5 to 10 degrees. SAFETY TIP! Lower Your Water Bills » Water your lawn on your assigned day and times. » Use drip irrigation for bedded plants, shrubs and trees. This applies water directly to the roots and avoids evaporation. » Replace older toilets. High-efficiency models use 1.28 gallons per flush. Dual flush models use even less water. » Take shorter showers — five minutes, tops. If you take a bath, fill the tub to six inches or less. » Replace bathroom faucet aerators and showerheads. Low-flow aerators use 0.5 gallons per minute. Water- saving showerheads use 1.5 gallons per minute or …
ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, July 8, 2020 The Ethics Review Commission (“Commission”) convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, Austin, Texas via Videoconference. Chair Luis Soberon called the meeting to order at 3:06 p.m. Commissioners in attendance: Chair Luis Soberon, Vice-Chair J. Michael Ohueri, Secretary Kenneth “Tray” Gober, and Commissioners Debra Danburg, Betsy Greenberg, Mary Kahle, Donna Beth McCormick, and Nathan Ryan. Commissioners Raafia Lari, Robin Lerner and Pedro A. Villalobos were absent. City Staff in Attendance: Lynn Carter, Commission Executive Liaison & Assistant City Attorney, Sue Palmer, Staff Liaison Kw Department and Tara Olson, Marketing and Communication Consultant, Communications and Public Information Office. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION Each person who signed up to speak prior to the meeting being called to order and who designated this item on which to speak, or who did not designate an agenda item on which to speak will be allowed three minutes to speak. There were no speakers for Citizen Communication. 1. OLD BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a. 2020 Austin city council candidate forums update (by City staff, League of Women Voters-Austin Area, and ERC Candidate Forum Working Group) about forum logistics / set up and published information about the forums. Tara Olson, Communications and Public Information Office, updated the Commission on the status of the 2020 City Council election candidate forums. Each moderated candidate forum will be held virtually by live streaming through the Webex platform and on the City of Austin’s Facebook live due to the pandemic. The forums will air on ATXN.TV, Channel 6, and KAZI FM radio. The September issue of the Austin Energy/utility newsletter will include updated candidate forum information. The City of Austin’s website provides information on candidate forums at: Austintexas.gov/elections and austintexas.gov/CandidateForums . Carol Eckelkamp, League of Women Voters-Austin Area (LWV-AA), spoke about the process for the public to submit questions to the LWV-AA for consideration at candidate forums and the LWV-AA role as moderator in the candidate forums. 1 b. Working group status reports and/or recommendations on the following. - Working group one (Vice-Chair Ohueri and Commissioners Greenberg and Lerner) on the following subjects: - Commission sanctions including effectiveness, past cases, and recommendations. - Potential amendments to City Code, Chapter 2-7 (Ethics and Financial Disclosure). Vice-Chair Ohueri and Commissioner Greenberg reported on the status of the working group’s progress. - Working group two (Chair Soberon, Secretary Gober, and …
Regular Meeting of the Ethics Review Commission Wednesday, June 10, 2020, 3:00 – 4:30 PM Ethics Review Commission meeting to be held June 10, 2020 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance no later than Tuesday, JUNE 9, 2020 by Noon. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the June 10, 2020 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION Meeting, persons must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512.974.2915 and sue.palmer@austintexas.gov no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. •Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak; late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sue.palmer@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live 1 ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION JUNE 10, 2020 AT 3:00 P.M. VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING Vice-Chair Luis Soberon Secretary Kenneth “Tray” Gober Betsy Greenberg Raafia Lari J. Michael Ohueri CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Chair Mary Kahle Debra Danburg Robin Lerner Donna Beth McCormick Nathan Ryan Pedro A. Villalobos AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, all citizen communications will occur at the beginning of the meeting. Speakers are limited to a maximum time limit of three minutes per speaker only on items listed below. 1. NEW BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following: a. 2020 Austin city council candidate forums. b. Election of Commission officers. c. Working group status reports and/or recommendations. i. Working group one (Commissioners Greenberg, Ohueri, and Lerner) on the following subjects: - Commission sanctions including effectiveness, past cases, and recommendations. - Potential amendments to City Code, Chapter 2-7 (Ethics and Financial Disclosure). ii. Working group two …
§ 2-2-63 - QUALIFYING CANDIDATES. To become a qualifying candidate eligible to receive public funds from the Austin Fair Campaign Finance Fund, a candidate for mayor or city council must sign a campaign contract, and agree to participate in specified debates arranged by the City Ethics Review Commission. Source: Ord. 20080925-079. § 2-2-65 - OTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR CAMPAIGN CONTRACT. (A) A candidate who signs a campaign contract must participate in a series of candidate forums, whether or not the candidate qualifies for funds. (B) The Ethics Review Commission shall produce not fewer than three forums for each contested race as follows: (1) one forum must air on public access television; and (2) other forums may be produced and made available to the public by radio, broadcast, publication on the Internet, or other means approved by the commission. (C) The City shall make recordings of audio or video forums available to the public at all branches of the City library. (D) The City may purchase advertising promoting the candidate forums. (E) The Ethics Review Commission shall establish equitable guidelines to coordinate and produce the candidate forums. Source: Ord. 20080925-079.
