2014-0320 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 20,2014 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida 7. ORDINANCES FOR FIRST READING [City Clerk's Note: Item 7A was heard after Item IOF. The remainder of the agenda was heard in order.] 7A. An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida,Amending Chapter 33 "Code of Ethics"to Clarify that Elected Officials are Prohibited from Serving on the Board of Directors of for Profit or Not for Profit Corporations that Receive Monetary or In-Kind Benefits from the City; Providing for Severability; Providing for Inclusion in the Code; Providing for Repeal of Conflicting Provisions; and Providing for an Effective Date. Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and City Attorney Ottinot reported. Public Speakers: None Commissioner Levin said she didn't know if this Ordinance goes far enough. She thinks it should trickle down to Department Heads as well because there is always the potential for conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety by having somebody who is in the position of authority within the City to also serve on a board and vote, and then come to the City to ask for money or in-kind contributions. The threshold could be determined in different ways,perhaps on who is required to file the Statement of Financial Interest that the Elected Officials are required to file because that is a threshold that the State Legislature has determined to be applicable. It could be something that we could begin with by prohibiting it and then see how it goes, and down the road maybe amend it to permit it after we see how the City is interacting with the Foundation. Commissioner Gatto said one of the things we talked about at the Workshop on Tuesday that she brought up was if you wanted to take it a step further to include Commissioners not serving on boards of condominiums because in a lot of ways we are privy to a lot of inside information that may be used as an advantage to a particular building. But then our discussion revolved around, it is legal to do that but it is really more of a personal ethical situation. She would be willing to look into Commissioner Levin's idea. Mayor Edelcup said certainly the item that Commissioner Gatto raised is something similar to what he and Commissioner Scholl did when they became Commission members. We resigned from the Atlantic Isle Civic Association which is the equivalent of the home owners association,but we did it on the basis of an ethical situation and our personal feelings toward it. He suggested to let the Commission entertain passing this Ordinance so that we can at least get the Elected Officials in. He is hearing that it really is not concrete or gelled yet as to what the Commission would like to have as it relates to staff employees of the City and so if we could bifurcate it. Since you brought it up Commissioner Levin,you could be the lead on sponsoring the other one as to the language. Commissioner Scholl said just to be clear this is not covering Condo Associations,all we are saying is just for non-profit at this point. Mayor Edelcup said every recipient that would receive something from the City whether in cash or in-kind. What he is saying right now is to at least get this Ordinance established which was everyone's wishes at the last meeting,that we could pass this one and then develop an add-on or tag-on. 3