On Thursday, City Council adopted regulations that make it clear that the Ethics Review Commission may not seek information identifying whistleblowers or other witnesses in complaints about city officials or employees. In addition, Council designated the Council Audit and Finance Committee as the body that would hear any appeal from a person requesting a subpoena […]
City of Austin Ethics Review Commission
The Ethics Review Commission is charged with review of, among other issues, ethics complaints leveled against City of Austin boards and commission members. They meet quarterly.
Posted inCity Hall
Commission: Former police monitor did not violate city policy
On Wednesday night, the Ethics Review Commission found that former police monitor Margo Frasier was not in violation of any city policy and did not impose any sanctions against her. By clearing Frasier’s name in a 7-2 vote, the commission took a stance on future cases involving personal internet use on city-owned computers for all […]
Posted inThe Code
Regret an ethics complaint? City may soon allow take-backs
On occasion, a complaint will come to the Ethics Review Commission only to be later followed by a request for withdrawal. However, according to current code, a request of this nature may not be honored. Concerned with the inability of plaintiffs to withdraw their complaints, at their Feb. 7 meeting commissioners proposed an amendment to the […]
Posted inCity Hall
Commission considers an independent watchdog agency for Austin
Saying that it is time for Austin to have a full-time watchdog, a task force tasked with proposing changes to the city charter is considering ways to establish an independent ethics agency. Currently in Austin, oversight of campaign finance filings and enforcement of city ethics rules are split up between four different entities: the city […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ex-Austin Energy employee found not guilty of ethics violation
After a drawn-out series of hearings over the last seven months, the Ethics Review Commission on Jan. 10 found that retired Austin Energy supervisor Stefan Sasko made no violation of the city’s ethics regulations. However, the ruling may have implications for how the city code concerning conflict of interest is interpreted in the future. Nathan […]
Posted inCity Hall
Auditor voices concern about erosion of trust
On Friday, the Office of the City Auditor turned over the name of and allegations made by a whistleblower, as well as the identities of several witnesses, in the investigation of alleged violations of city regulations by Margo Frasier, the city’s former police monitor. The documents were turned over to the City Attorney’s Office in […]
Posted inCity Hall
Commission subpoenas whistleblower notes
The city’s Ethics Review Commission has sent a subpoena to Nathan Wiebe, chief of investigations at the Office of the City Auditor, demanding previously protected information, including the name of and allegations made by a whistleblower against Margo Frasier, Austin’s former police monitor. It has also demanded witness interview memos and recordings. The auditor’s office […]
Posted inThe Code
Possible lobbying ordinance changes headed to Council
The Ethics Review Commission approved a series of recommendations for how to amend the city’s Anti-Lobbying Ordinance, portions of which have been criticized as too vague or unfair by solid waste and other contractors who regularly do business with the city. The recommendations on issues such as a no-contact period prior to selection of vendors […]
Posted inCity Hall
Texas Disposal Systems unhappy with proposed new lobbying rules
City Council is scheduled to take up a recommendation from city staff at its meeting on Thursday that will make changes to the longtime Anti-Lobbying Ordinance in response to problems the city has encountered with its waste contracts. The main problem is that Texas Disposal Systems, which currently is under a 30-year contract with the […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ethics panel reluctantly approves final hearing for former police monitor
The city’s Ethics Review Commission voted Wednesday to move to a final hearing over whether former police monitor Margo Frasier violated city ordinance by using her city computer for activity related to a private consulting business she ran. The commission voted 8-3 to find that there were “reasonable grounds” that Frasier violated a section of […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ethics complaints filed on two city commissioners
Nathan Wiebe, chief of investigations for the Office of the City Auditor, filed two complaints with the city’s Ethics Review Commission this week against members of advisory commissions. Wiebe filed a complaint against Isabel López-Aguilar, a member of the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission and program coordinator at the Latino HealthCare Forum. The […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ethics complaint filed against ex-city employee
Nathan Wiebe, chief of investigations for the Office of the City Auditor, filed a complaint with the city’s Ethics Review Commission on Monday against a retired Austin Energy supervisor. In the complaint, Wiebe laid out a case against Stefan Sasko, who retired from his position as distribution electrician supervisor in January of this year. Wiebe […]