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South Lake Tahoe officials will get an earful on ethics Tuesday, when an anointed presenter provides the state-mandated training.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1234 into law in October 2005, which requires all local agencies to provide compensation, salary or stipend to reimburse expenses associated with ethics training.
Attorney JoAnne Speers will provide the training for the City Council through the Institute for Local Self Government. The presentation is expected to cover topics such as trustworthiness, responsibility, respect, loyalty, compassion and fairness.
Councilman Bill Crawford said Sunday he views the mandate as an indication the state believes there's a breakdown in trust in local government, a platform on which he campaigned during last year's council race.
Crawford rattled off a few examples that have raised his eyebrows, including hearing that campaign signs were erected on public property and a consulting attorney going back to court on eminent domain matters for the South Tahoe Redevelopment Agency, apparently without permission from the panel.
"It isn't going to change behavior. (The ethics training) creates a job for someone," he said.
Councilman Jerry Birdwell said he attended the two-hour ethics training during a recent League of California Cities meeting and found the presentation informative.
"I thought it was excellent. I think if you live by the golden rule you may think you don't need the training, but the truth is, you have to look at all aspects of (ethics) to make sure," he said.
Birdwell said that even though many associate this type of accountability with state and federal officials, the topic could be more pertinent to local officials because of small-town conflicts of interest.
In other business, the City Council is expected to make its commission appointments postponed from the last meeting because Mayor Kathay Lovell was absent. Lovell has been recovering from back surgery.
South Lake Tahoe City Council
9 a.m., regular meeting
1:30 p.m., special session on ethics training
Council Chambers
Lake Tahoe Airport
1901 Airport Road
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1234 into law in October 2005, which requires all local agencies to provide compensation, salary or stipend to reimburse expenses associated with ethics training.
Attorney JoAnne Speers will provide the training for the City Council through the Institute for Local Self Government. The presentation is expected to cover topics such as trustworthiness, responsibility, respect, loyalty, compassion and fairness.
Councilman Bill Crawford said Sunday he views the mandate as an indication the state believes there's a breakdown in trust in local government, a platform on which he campaigned during last year's council race.
Crawford rattled off a few examples that have raised his eyebrows, including hearing that campaign signs were erected on public property and a consulting attorney going back to court on eminent domain matters for the South Tahoe Redevelopment Agency, apparently without permission from the panel.
"It isn't going to change behavior. (The ethics training) creates a job for someone," he said.
Councilman Jerry Birdwell said he attended the two-hour ethics training during a recent League of California Cities meeting and found the presentation informative.
"I thought it was excellent. I think if you live by the golden rule you may think you don't need the training, but the truth is, you have to look at all aspects of (ethics) to make sure," he said.
Birdwell said that even though many associate this type of accountability with state and federal officials, the topic could be more pertinent to local officials because of small-town conflicts of interest.
In other business, the City Council is expected to make its commission appointments postponed from the last meeting because Mayor Kathay Lovell was absent. Lovell has been recovering from back surgery.
South Lake Tahoe City Council
9 a.m., regular meeting
1:30 p.m., special session on ethics training
Council Chambers
Lake Tahoe Airport
1901 Airport Road
