Explanation
BACKGROUND: Columbus City Council enacted Ordinance 0086-2016 on March 28, 2016, and the Mayor approved the ordinance on March 29, 2016. The ordinance provided for an effective date of six months following its enactment; therefore, the effective date of Ordinance 0086-2016 is September 29, 2016.
Ordinance 0086-2016 enacted new Section 2321.56 in Chapter 2321 of the Columbus City Codes. This section requires for each municipal office that the office holder establish an ethics policy for the office, require annual ethics training for persons in the office designated by the office holder, and designate a person in the office to coordinate the ethics policy within that office. For City Council, this section authorizes the President of City Council to establish an ethics policy for all City Council offices and to designate a person in the City Council President’s office who will coordinate ethics issues and policy.
This resolution is requested to be considered to fulfill the requirements of Ordinance 0086-2016 and Section 2321.56 of the Columbus City Codes.
FISCAL IMPACT: No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To establish an ethics policy for City Council and to designate an ethics officer for City Council; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council enacted Ordinance 0086-2016 on March 28, 2016, and the Mayor approved the ordinance on March 29, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 0086-2016 enacted new Section 2321.56 in Chapter 2321 of the Columbus City Codes; and
WHEREAS, Section 2321.56 of the Columbus City Codes authorizes the President of City Council to establish an ethics policy for all City Council offices and to designate an ethics officer in the City Council President’s office who will coordinate ethics issues and policy; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Columbus City Council in that it is immediately necessary for City Council to establish an ethics policy and to designate an ethics officer to coordinate ethics issues and policy; thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS
SECTION 1. That Columbus City Council hereby establishes and adopts the ethics policy (see attached “Columbus City Council Ethics Policy”) thus fulfilling the obligations set forth in Section 2321.56 of the Columbus City Codes.
SECTION 2. That the Director of Human Resources for City Council is hereby designated as the ethics officer and coordinator of ethics issues and policy for City Council.
SECTION 3. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, the resolution is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its adoption and approval by the Mayor or ten days after the adoption if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.