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SCOTTVILLE — The Scottville City Commission will consider adopting a code of conduct for elected and appointed officials when it meets Monday, Aug. 24.
The proposed Code of Conduct for Elected and Appointed Officials comes to the commission at the recommendation of the city’s Personnel Committee. The committee is asking commissioners to adopt the document as an official city policy and distribute it to elected officials and members of city boards, commissions and the Downtown Development Authority.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at Scottville City Hall, 105 N. Main St.
The proposed policy is intended to establish standards of behavior for elected and appointed officials while carrying out their duties or representing the city. It states that its purpose is to communicate the city’s core values, establish rules and examples of acceptable behavior, and promote public confidence and trust through fairness, transparency, effective communication and ethical conduct.
Among its provisions, the code requires officials to comply with federal, state and local laws and to conduct themselves professionally. It prohibits rude, disrespectful, insulting or abusive rhetoric concerning other officials or employees and says city officials should not demean the character of another official or employee.
The proposal also calls on officials to respect established governmental processes and proper lines of authority. Requests concerning city operations are to be made through the city administration rather than directly to employees. Officials attending public meetings as part of their duties also would be expected to prepare for issues under consideration and maintain proper decorum.
The code includes provisions addressing conflicts of interest. Officials would be required to disclose conflicts involving investments, ownership, sources of income, real property interests or gifts and abstain from deliberations and decisions when a conflict exists.
It also reinforces Scottville’s commission-manager form of government and calls for commissioners to respect the independence of city boards, committees and appointed commissions rather than using their positions to influence those bodies’ deliberations or decisions.
The proposed code is designed to be self-enforcing, but it provides several possible sanctions for violations. By majority vote, the City Commission could issue an official verbal reprimand during an open meeting, approve a formal public letter of censure, remove an official from a committee assignment or pursue other actions available under Michigan law.
The document states that each official has primary responsibility for understanding and meeting its ethical standards. Chairpersons of city boards and commissions also would be responsible for intervening when conduct appears to violate the policy.
The code of conduct is listed under new business on Monday’s City Commission agenda. Commissioners also are scheduled to consider spending $14,956 for the purchase and installation of a replacement grinder pump at the city’s fish cleaning station and waiving the competitive sealed-bid process for that work.
The Ludington city council has a similar policy.
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