21-Deliberate and possibly act on adoption of a code of ethics for City Council, boards, commissions and committees

Home Browse Search

staff performance should only be made to the city manager through private correspondence or conversation. Comments about staff in the office of the city attorney should be made directly to the city attorney. Appointed officials should make their comments regarding staff to the city manager or the Mayor. Do not get involved in administrative functions Elected and appointed officials must not attempt to influence City staff on the making of appointments, awarding of contracts, selecting of consultants, processing of development applications, or granting of City licenses and permits. [See Code of Ethics] The Sunnyvale Citv Charter, Section 807, also contains information about the prohibition of Council interference in administrative functions. Check with City staff on correspondence before taking action Before sending correspondence, Councilmembers should check with City staff to see if an official City response has already been sent or is in progress. Board and commission members shall not send correspondence except as authorized under the City's policies governing volunteers. (Council Policv 7.2.19 Boards and Commissions.) Limit requests for staff support Routine secretarial support will be provided to all Councilmembers. The Council Executive Assistant opens all mail for Councilmembers, unless a Councilmember requests other arrangements. Mail addressed to the Mayor is reviewed first by the city manager who notes suggested action and/or follow-up items. Requests for additional staff support - even in high priority or emergency situations - should be made to the city manager who is responsible for allocating City resources in order to maintain a professional, well-run City government. Do not solicit political support from staff Elected and appointed officials should not solicit any type of political support (financial contributions, display of posters or lawn signs, name on support list, etc.) from Ciry staff. City staff may, as private citizens with constitutional rights, support political candidates but all such activities must be done away from the workplace. 3. Elected and Aqpointed Officials' Conduct with the Public "If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them. " Francis Bacon 3(a). In Public Meetings Making the public feel welcome is an important part of the democratic process. No signs oi partiality, prejudice or disrespect should be evident on the part of individual members toward an individual participating in a public forum. Every effort should be made to be fair and impartial in listening to public testimony. Be welcoming to speakers and treaf them with care and gentleness. While questions of clarification may be asked, the official's primary role during public testimony is to listen. "I give many public presentations so standing up in front of a group and using a microphone is not new to me. But I found that speaking in front of Council was an entirely different experience. I was incredibly nervous and my voice was shaking. I think the reason was because the issue was so personal to me. The Council was going to take a vote that would affect my family's daily life and my home. I was feeling a lot of emotion. The way that Council treats people during public hearings can do a lot to make them relax or to push their emotions to a higher level of intensity."