1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: January 30, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Courtney Padgett, Assistant City Manager
By: Cathryn LaBrado, Assistant to the City Manager
SUBJECT: Approval of the City of Burbank Code of Conduct for Members of City Council
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the City of Burbank Code of Conduct for Members of City Council (Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND
At the September 26, 2023, City Council meeting, Council deliberated Mayor Anthony's recent conduct and Council Member Mullins pointed out the imperative need for a Code of Conduct. Council agreed to direct staff to develop and present a Code of Conduct for members of City Council, including guidelines for online behavior and content, and social media platforms.
DISCUSSION
Newly elected City Council Members participate in an orientation meeting and receive a copy of the City Council Handbook (Handbook) (Attachment 3). The Handbook is updated during election years, particularly when there is an open City Council seat. The purpose of the Handbook is to offer a concise overview of crucial aspects of City Council activities and responsibilities. The Handbook serves as a reliable point of reference throughout their term and provides information on procedural matters, ethical standards, and other essential aspects of a Council Member’s duties. By providing this resource, the City aims to facilitate a smooth transition for new Council M embers, foster a consistent understanding of Council operations, and promote effective governance within the City of Burbank.
2 In addition, at the Council Goal Setting meeting at the start of the year, Council adopts a version of two important documents, “City Council: How We Work Together as a Team” (Attachment 4) and “City Council: Expectations of Staff” (Attachment 5). The documents mentioned above were adopted by the current Council on January 26, 202 3 for a two - year period.
Staff researched conduct guidance documents in various cities in California, including Beverly Hills, Buena Park, Norwalk, West Hollywood, and Whittier, and developed a Code of Conduct that is appropriate and applicable to Burbank. The Code of Conduct is organized into five sections, including Ethics, Conduct, Implementation, Enforcement, and Process. The Code of Conduct complimen ts the Handbook and provides Council Members with comprehensive guidance on responsibilities, appropriate behavior, and successfully navigating their role as an elected official.
A draft of the Code of Conduct was presented to Council on December 12, 2023. Council Members discussed the Code of Conduct at length and recommended various edits to the document. Council directed staff to make the requested edits and present Council with a redline version of the Code of Conduct for review (Attachment 2).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
CONCLUSION
A Code of Conduct establishes the framework that Council Members use to carry out their public responsibilities with a focus on professionalism and accountability . Council Members are trusted by members of the public and have an immense responsibility to carry out. The adoption of the Code of Conduct will serve to increase public confidence in City government, foster equity and fairness in government operations, aid in informed Council decision-making, encourage high standards of behavior, and demonstrate the Council's commitment to upholding high standards of integrity.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Code of Conduct for Member of City Council: Clean Version Attachment 2 – Code of Conduct for Members of City Council: Redline Version
3 Attachment 3 – City Council Handbook
Attachment 4 – City Council: How We Work Together as a Team Attachment 5 – City Council: Expectations of Staff