City to hold ethics training for employees, elected officials

By Cassie Tomlin

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 | midnight

The city is encouraging its employees and those who conduct city committee meetings to attend an ethics training course Oct. 7.

The city's insurance company, the Nevada Public Agency Insurance Pool, is conducting the Responsive Risk Management Solution seminar free, City Clerk Pamella Malmstrom said.

All elected officials, appointed officials, department heads and members of committees and commissions are invited to learn about the Nevada Open Meeting Law at the seminar, though attendance is not required.

Recent differences in opinion on how the state Open Meeting Law applies prompted the session, she said.

"I just wanted everyone to be educated," she said. "I thought it best for an impartial party to provide training on ethics and the Open Meeting Law."

City Attorney Dave Olsen earlier this year recommended the City Council eliminate its reports from council members, the city manager and city attorney at the ends of meetings.

Mayor Roger Tobler had requested Olsen advise the council on whether or not the reports were legal under state law, which they are. But Olsen found most municipal governments did not provide similar unstructured time on their agendas.

The council April 22 declined to relinquish its end-of-the-meeting speech allotments after a speech suggesting the reports stay by local attorney Ralph Denton, who received a standing ovation.

Malmstrom will also attend every committee and commission meeting this month to discuss agendas and whether the committees want an agenda item allowing "committee reports," a similar unstructured time for committee member comments. All committee reports were removed from agendas earlier this year.

Airport Advisory Committee member Tracy Strickland noted the change, which had not been authorized by that group, and spoke before the City Council shortly thereafter, suggesting the reports should be reinstated.

Malmstrom said the training will benefit those who haven't before learned about the Open Meeting Law or other ethical issues.

"It's just a good practice to periodically have them come and speak," she said. "Most residents haven't had any previous experience dealing with parliamentary procedures and the Nevada Open Meeting Law, so we're reaching out to provide that education."

Tobler said he planned to attend, though he's taken such a course before.

Olsen said he also plans to be there, and the class was a chance for all officials to meet and ask questions.

"Regardless if you've got a lot of experience or you're a brand-new official, it's a good opportunity to take a refresher course," he said.

Cassie Tomlin can be reached at 948-2073 or cassie.tomlin@hbcpub.com.