4.14.030 Ethical standards.
(1) Compliance with Other Laws. Officials must comply with federal, state, and city laws in the performance of their public duties. These laws include, but are not limited to: the United States and Washington Constitutions; laws pertaining to conflicts of interest, election campaigns, financial disclosures and open processes of government; and city ordinances and policies.
(a) As required by RCW 42.17.750, no official may knowingly solicit or encourage, directly or indirectly, any political contribution from any city employee.
(b) Except under limited circumstances described in RCW 42.17.130, no official may use or authorize the use of the facilities of the city for the purpose of assisting a campaign for the election of any person to any office, or for the promotion of or opposition to any ballot proposition in a manner not available to the general public on the same terms.
(2) Personal Integrity.
(a) The professional and personal conduct of officials must be above reproach and avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
(b) Officials must refrain from abusive conduct, threats of official action, personal accusations or verbal attacks upon the character or motives of other members of council, boards and commissions, the staff or public.
(c) Officials must be truthful and honest and not compromise themselves for advancement, honor, or personal gain.
(d) Officials must not directly or indirectly induce, encourage, or aid anyone to violate these standards and it is incumbent upon officials to make a good faith effort to address apparent violations of this code of ethics.
(3) Working for the Common Good. Recognizing that stewardship of the public interest must be their primary concern, officials will work for the common good of the people of the city and not for any private or personal interest, and they will ensure fair and equal treatment of all persons, claims and transactions coming before the city council, boards and commissions. Officials need to be mindful that making special requests of staff–even when the response does not benefit the official personally–puts staff in an awkward position.
(4) Respect for Process. Officials must perform their duties in accordance with the processes and rules of order established by the city council and boards and commissions governing the deliberation of public policy issues, meaningful involvement of the public, and implementation of policy decisions of the city council by city staff.
(5) Commitment to Transparency. Transparency, openness, and accountability are fundamental values of the city–and are also required by the laws of the state of Washington. The public has a right to inspect and copy public records unless exempt by law from disclosure. All materials relating to the conduct of city government that are prepared, possessed, used or retained by any official, including email and other electronic records, are subject to requirements for retention, protection, and disclosure. Officials may assume that all copies of materials received from city staff have already been archived and do not need to be retained. Officials must not discard, damage, or destroy the original copy of any public record unless directed by the city public records officer (the city clerk), who has responsibility to ensure that the city complies with the record retention schedules established under Chapter 40.14 RCW. Officials must promptly provide any records requested by the public records officer in response to a disclosure request under the Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW. It is the responsibility of the public records officer, together with the city attorney, to decide which records meet the definition of “public record” and whether or not they are exempt from disclosure; officials must not take it upon themselves to decide whether a record meets the definition of a public record, that a record is exempt from disclosure, or to otherwise conceal a record.
(6) Conduct of Public Meetings. Officials must prepare themselves for public issues; listen courteously and attentively to all public discussions before the body; and focus on the business at hand. Officials must refrain from interrupting other speakers; making personal comments not germane to the business of the body; or otherwise interfering with the orderly conduct of meetings.
(7) Decisions Based on Merit. Officials must base their decisions on the merits and substance of the matter at hand, rather than on unrelated considerations.
(8) Ex Parte Communications. In quasi-judicial matters, officials must publicly disclose substantive information that is relevant to a matter under consideration by the council or boards and commissions, which they may have received from sources outside of the public decision-making process.
(9) Attendance. As provided in RCW 35A.12.060, a council member forfeits his or her office by failing to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the council without being excused by the council. Unless excused, members of boards and commissions are expected to attend all meetings.
(10) Nepotism. Officials should not appoint relatives to boards or commissions or other appointed positions unless no similarly qualified candidates are available.
(11) Advocacy. When acting in an official capacity as a city official representing the city, officials must represent the official policies or positions of the city council, board, or commission to the best of their ability when the city council, board or commission has taken a position or given an instruction. When presenting their individual opinions and positions, members must explicitly state they do not represent their body or the city, nor will they allow the inference that they do.
(12) Policy Role of Officials. Officials must respect and adhere to the mayor-council structure of city government as described by Chapter 35A.12 RCW. In this structure, the city council determines the policies of the city with the advice, information and analysis provided by the public, boards and commissions, and city staff; the mayor and staff administer that policy. (Ord. 1514 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023).