MONROE ETHICS ORDINANCE (ceated 9/15/04; updated 9/29/04)
Due to the ever-growing problem of ethics in America's corporations and in govenrment, we believe Monroe's Ethics Ordinance is vital. The increasing demands by developers, in concert with government's worsening dependence upon the often-temporary income produced by residential development in the form of building permits and other "temporary" financing. This situation has created a house-of-cards financial base. Too often government is both holding hands with, and holding a needy "fill-me" hand to, developers, in order to find desperately-needed funding, even if it's only temporary in nature.
We believe this environment has created more than a synergistic relationsip between government and developers. It has forged an active and aggressive incestuous link between the two entities. In such an environment, the line between positive, long-term taxpayer improvements, and the short-term financial benefits from a quick developer buck posing as economic development, has become blurred. The result is often unethical behavior and decisions by our government officials. This is why our appearance of fairness and conflict of interest laws need to be beefed up and given stronger legs. Although the correct venue for these changes rightfully belongs with our state legislature, in lieu of that, the City of Monroe's Ethics Ordinance was a bold and necessary action which I believe (or hope) was years ahead of its time, but still too long in coming.
We hope this page will offer our readers historical information on this subject, as well as a deeper understanding of the subject of vanishing ethics in government. While some people may find our position disrespectful, negative and objectionable, a quick review of events as reported in the "mainstream" media (often the last to report a well-known event) certainly proves our point.
Like the old saying goes, "If you're not outraged, you're just not paying attention."
- Monroe Meeting Minutes (2000-2004): Excerpts from minutes concerning this subject (in Word, Acrobat)
- May 28, 2003 Transcription of Ethics Board member Eric Olson's comments to Council (in Word, Acrobat)
- David
Nelson's March 03, 2003 Letter to Council,
threatening to resign from Monroe's Plng. Commission
- Excerpts from Council Minutes (in Word) (& Kelsey Final 2004 EIS) concerning Mr. Nelson's firm, Geotechnical, Inc., and Monroe's Ethics Ordinance (in Acrobat)
- Phil Olbrechts, Monroe City Attorney, weighs in (in Word): His interpretation of the Todd Fredrickson initiative (in Acrobat)
- Todd Fredrickson's Ethics Initiatve #01-04 (Acrobat only)
Agenda Items (includes city attorney opinions:
- March 26, 2003 (Mr. Nelson's 3-19-03 letter, listed above)
- April 2, 2003 Olbrechts' Memo, "Proposed Interim Amendments to City Ehtics Rules" dated 3-31-03 (includes two proposed revisions)
- June 11, 2003 Olbrechts' Memo, "Ethics Ordinance Amendments" dated 6-5-03 (brief discussion of ethics violations and grandfathering)
- Sept. 10, 2003 Olbrechts' Memo dated 6-5-03 (but not presented until September's council meeting), expanded discussion of ethics ordinance amendments.
- February 4, 2004 Various items: Fredrickson-Olbrechts' emailed exchange re initiative and referendum between 1/23/04 and 1/30/04; Fredrickson's 1/29/04 Letter of Intent to City/Olbrechts and Southworth; Fredrickson's revised letter of intent dated 2/1/04, correcting initiative's ballot title and other wording; copy of corrected initiative