Salt Lake tightens its ethics rules

Salt Lake City officials face a few new ethics rules in the way they do city business and how that relates to their own private businesses.

Thursday, the City Council approved on a 6-1 vote a handful of amendments to the city's conflict-of-interest ordinance. Together, they clear up what city staff termed "gray areas" in the way elected and volunteer officials, including council members, Planning Commission members, members of advisory boards, executive employees and other public servants, are viewed by the public.

The changes were developed in response to "instances that appeared to some to require the City Council's attention," according to a council staff report. The report says no one has done anything unethical or illegal, but the idea is to avoid the appearance of evil.

"We need to correct these issues," councilman Dave Buhler said. "The public perception is very important. We hold the public trust when we take these elected offices."

Among the changes approved Thursday:

• Officials cannot have a financial interest in any business doing contract work or other business with the city departments or boards with which those officials work.

Former councilman Keith Christensen, who is running for mayor, had considered making a bid to build a gas station at the Salt Lake City International Airport, which would be prohibited under the proposed changes because he is chairman of the city's airport board.

• Elected officials and their spouses may not seek city loans or grants from the city for their businesses.

The council considered amending that new requirement to allow businesses with ties to elected officials to seek loans and grants based on the approval of a committee. That idea was promoted by Councilman Soren Simonsen, whose architecture firm is considering asking for a city loan, and councilwoman Nancy Saxton, who in 2003 took a city loan for her reception center, Anderson Commons.

Simonsen said the committee would "allow all of us who have other jobs and are acting responsibility in the community the opportunity to participate fully."

And Saxton worried that without a way for small-business owners serving on the council to seek loans, small-business owners may not seek election to the council.

But others said a committee wouldn't solve public distrust of elected officials seeking city loans.