The public will get its first grab at a proposed ethics ordinance at a public hearing on Oct. 26.
The ordinance, which has been in the works for several years, sets guidelines for public officials and employees on accepting gifts, disclosing information about business ties and using city equipment.
It also lays out the procedure for filing an ethics complaint.
Board of Aldermen president John Anglace said the Board of Ethics has been working on the ordinance, but hasn’t received much public input.
So they decided to put the proposal to a public hearing to solicit comments.
“From there, we’ll get to work on it,” Anglace said.
The Board of Aldermen and the Board of Ethics held a joint workshop over the summer to discuss the proposed ordinance.
Alderman John “Jack” Finn said he’s happy to see movement with the ordinance, but said there’s still a long road to approval.
“After it comes out of public hearing, it goes back to committee,” Finn said. “It will happen someday. I’m not sure it will happen in my lifetime sitting on the board.”
Finn said he also disagreed with some of the items in the ordinance, including allowing up to $20 value on gifts.
“I would strongly like to see zero on any gifts given to elected and appointed officials and city employees,” Finn said.
The Details
Here are some highlights of the proposal:
Or read the entire proposal in the document at the end of this article.
- In the proposed ordinance, gifts are defined as anything worth more than $20, with a limit of $40 worth of gifts in one calendar year.
- Public employees should not vote on matters pertaining to the department or program they are employed through.
- Public employees and officials are prohibited from revealing information that is the subject of an executive session.
- Public employees and officials should use city equipment and supplies only for city purposes.
- Public officials and employees shouldn’t accept fees for speaking or participating in events, except for expenses associated with the event.
Background
Several items in the ordinance relate to accusations made during the federal corruption trial of Shelton developer James Botti, who was accused of plying Shelton officials with gifts and favors in exchange for approvals on his development project.
During his trial in March, several people testified about fruit baskets and gift cards, and about accusations of cash changing hands.
One public official — building inspector Elliot Wilson — was charged in the federal investigation. He pleaded guilty to lying to a grand jury about accepting gifts from developers.
Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2.
Much of the testimony dealt with whether Botti gave favors, cash and gifts to Mayor Mark A. Lauretti.
Lauretti has never been charged and denies wrongdoing.
The full proposal
The document below is the full proposal that will be discussed at the public hearing. It can also be found on the city’s website.
