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<br />Item No: 7E <br />Meeting Date: March 8, 2010 <br />Type of Business: CB <br />Administrator Review: ____ <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />To: Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From: James Ericson, Clerk - Administrator <br />Item Title/Subject: Resolution 7588 Approving the City of Mounds View Code of <br />Conduct and Statement of Values <br /> <br />Introduction: <br /> <br />Last year, the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) established a ten-member ethics advisory <br />panel to work toward a product that would promote high standards of ethical behavior while <br />providing a helpful framework to city officials who deal with such issues. The panel, which <br />included Council Member Carol Mueller, produced two model documents—a code of <br />conduct and a statement of values. The City Council reviewed the documents at the March <br />1, 2010 Work Session and directed staff to prepare a resolution to formally approve both. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br />The Code of Conduct is a “law-based” document, incorporating very specific standards of <br />behavior that are already written into state statute or that have been handed down by court <br />rulings. The Code of Conduct also offers legal methods for dealing with infractions. By <br />adopting this code at the municipal level, a city council can take self-initiated action to see <br />that these standards are upheld in the community, rather than having to wait on civil <br />litigation initiated by citizens or criminal prosecution by the county attorney. <br /> <br />The Statement of Values is an aspirational document, intended to provide a framework for <br />ethical decision-making. The values it promotes can only be self-enforced, primarily by <br />providing an ethical anchor, raising the quality of discussion and expectation among city <br />officials and in the community, and by appealing to the conscience of the individual. It <br />would be difficult and likely counterproductive to suggest that such values could be subject <br />to formal review or enforcement action. <br /> <br />Recommendation: <br /> <br />Based upon the discussion at the March 2010 Work Session, Resolution 7588 has been <br />prepared which formally adopts the Code of Conduct and Statement of Values policies. <br />Upon adoption, both documents will be made available to all commission and committee <br />members and employees. <br /> <br />Respectfully submitted, <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />________________________ <br />James Ericson <br />Clerk - Administrator <br />