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Page 2 — Veto Ord. 2005 -22 <br />substantive reason for qWy automatically referring to the Ohio Ethics Commission the <br />Law Director in the event there is a charge of a conflict of interest and/or unethical <br />conduct. Given the fact that the City Charter makes clear that the Mayor is the chief <br />executive and is the ultimate supervisor of all the divisions and departments of the City <br />(which would include the commission), there exists an irreconcilable conflict that would <br />preclude the commission from investigating its superior /chief executive. Any politics in <br />the process and the type of circus environment that resulted over the past few years <br />would thereby be greatly minimized by directing that any charges against any elected <br />officials should be automatically referred to the Ohio Ethics Commission for proceedings <br />and determinations of any violations. <br />As a maximum, I profoundly urge that the present North Ohnsted Ethics Commission be <br />eliminated in "total" and all ethic questions referred directly to the Ohio Ethics <br />Commission. If a charge of unethical conduct and/or conflict of interest has been made <br />and properly placed before the commission, the Ohio Ethics Commission is well <br />equipped to handle the matter and has sufficient safe guards to protect the accused and <br />accuser from adverse actions and local implications — something that the North Olmsted <br />Ethics Commission did not, does not, and cannot have, given the current ordinance and <br />the City's Charter requiring open meetings. The Ohio Ethics Commission is well <br />equipped to handle any charges and protect all individuals involved, something the North <br />Ohnsted Ethics Commission does not have the legal and/or the apparent practical ability <br />to do. <br />It is to be noted that in the most recent action of the North Ohnsted Ethics Commission, it <br />appears that a determination was made that it is not an investigatory body (contrary to the <br />1981 ordinance creating the commission), and that apparently the Ethics Commission <br />made its decision based upon only unworn statements/other limited evidence from the <br />Police Department given to the Ethics Commission. So much for due process. Further, <br />despite the intent of the 1981 ordinance to protect against injuring the reputation of "any <br />person so charged ", permitting an opinion and determination of the commission to be <br />published contravenes the entire purpose and intent of the commission. <br />As I have repeatedly attempted to make clear, including in the current mandamus action <br />on appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court, is the problem associated with the commission and <br />the interaction with the open meetings laws and public records law. All proceedings of <br />the North Olmsted Ethics Commission, excepting any properly invoked and conducted <br />executive session, are required to be open and public under our Charter and under O.C. <br />Sec. 121.22. Therefore, it is clear that the provision of 107.14 (b)(2) — "All meetings, <br />except the organizational meeting, shall be private and closed to the public" is in conflict <br />with our Charter and O.R. Sec. 121.22. <br />Lastly, has our Ethics Commission ever formally convened, motioned and established by <br />minutes an executive session during its meetings prior to 12/31/04? <br />2 <br />