Diversity, equality, inclusion training to follow

By Eileen Persike

Editor

RHINELANDER – The Rhinelander Ethics Committee has been meeting regularly since its inception and last week introduced an ethics resolution to the City Council.  Committee chair Michael Miller explained the committee is looking to have the resolution signed at the council level and then eventually expand to other committees and city employees.

“It’s a general code of ethics for anybody working in and adjacent to city government,” Miller said.

The five general principles the committee agreed upon are to serve others, not themselves; use resources with efficiency and economy; treat all people fairly; use the power of our position for the wellbeing of all Rhinelander citizens, businesses and visitors; and to create an environment of honesty, openness and integrity. The five principles are followed by a list of 10 things the governing authority should not do. [See below]

“The vision of the committee was that we had this all put together, along with some preliminary ethics, diversity, equality, inclusion training for when the new term of the council starts in the middle of April,” Miller said. “But for tonight’s purposes, we ask you to consider and hopefully approve support of the ethics resolution as presented to you.”

Alderman Gerald Anderson thanked the committee for its work.

“It’s an important job and I think you got a good start on it,” Anderson said to Miller. “I don’t have any problems with the stuff in it. I think most of it’s pretty obvious but we do need to say it from time to time.”

City attorney Steve Sorenson said one of the problems the committee was having centered on the fact the city doesn’t have its own set of standards. It had been utilizing the state of Wisconsin Code of Standards, which the state says applies to all municipalities. Sorenson noted “we really found there were some things we couldn’t enforce” that people asked the city to look into.

“The committee thought it would be better if we put down the specific so that someone would be forewarned of what the committee considers to be an ethical violation,” said Sorenson. “What this ultimately will be if you vote to approve this is, this will be the starting point. The concept was, if the council is willing to put their name on it, why would somebody else not be willing to put their name on it?”

The council approved the ethics resolution 5-0.

Ethics resolution proposed by city ethics committee

The governing authority shall not:

1.            Act officially in a matter in which they or a member of the their immedidate family are privately interested.

2.            Use their public position for private benefit.

3.            Accept transportation, lodging, food, beverage or anything else that could reasonably be expected to influence their vote, official actions or judgment.

4.            Solicit or accept rewards or items or services likely to influence their official duties or could reasonably be considered a reward for any official action or inaction. This shall not apply in situations that the reward, items or services are generally available to the public.

5.            Use confidential information to their personal or economic advantage.

6.            Use their public position to obtain unlawful benefits for themselves or any other person.

7.            Enter into public contracts including employee contracts without required notice and transparency.

8.            Charge a fee to provide services to a person before a department of the city that is not already a fee application under an approved fee schedule.

9.            Offer or provide influence in exchange for campaign contributions or in-kind services.

10.  Accept items or services of substantial value for private benefit, or for the benefit of their immediate family or associated organizations, if offered because of their public position unless generally offered to all present.