Draper Council enacts strict ethics ordinance

DRAPER — The Draper City Council has unanimously approved an ordinance that will revamp the ethics code for city officials and staff.

The vote came last week after council members fine-tuned the ordinance, which specifies how city officials can and cannot act in order to ensure they make fair decisions. In all, City Attorney Doug Ahlstrom counted 18 proposed amendments during the meeting.

Much of the discussion centered on how city officials can discuss and disclose information on pending city issues. Several of the members debated about how far to take restrictions regarding whom city officials can talk to about a pending city issue and how to fairly disclose that information.

During the final vote on the ordinance, council members seemed satisfied.

Councilman Jeff Stenquist said the council members' differing opinions resulted in a better product.

"I don't think anybody's going away with this with everything they wanted," he said. "Maybe that's a good thing."

Councilman Pete Larkin expressed his desire early in the discussion to ensure the ordinance was properly worded.

"We had better make sure that we're very cautious about our ethics ordinance because it's like disciplining a child — if you lay a rule down, you'd better be ready to enforce it," he said. "We have to be cautious about an ordinance that can be turned around and used as a bat to beat people up."

The City Council approved waiting 30 days before putting the ordinance in force.

But that new code has been to the chopping block numerous times over the last couple of months.

Councilman Bill Colbert co-sponsored the bill with Councilwoman Stephanie Davis and brought it to the council in February. Colbert decided to craft the ordinance a year ago after ethics reform became a hot-button issue at the state Legislature.

Lax ethics regulation has been tightened up at the state level over the last few sessions. But Colbert said Draper's ordinance takes it a step further.

"I think sometimes citizens have concerns about the commitment to their elected officials about serving the public and not their own interests," he said. "(The ordinance) will alleviate public perception that we as public officials would take advantage of our position."

Other Utah municipalities, including Salt Lake City and Park City, also have their own ethics codes.

Colbert calls it an affirmation of conduct and a road map for all city officials and employees to follow. For example, under the new ethics code, elected leaders will have to restrict themselves from voting on a matter that involves a personal friend or business interest.

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