Ethics Commission considers new internal legal procedures By JOE REDMON Meade County Ethics Commission chair Joanne Fitzgibbon chaired a special work session and meeting Jan. 22. The new County Attorney Margaret Matney was on hand to provide legal advice and all members were present except Joe Bewley. The group worked extensively upon its internal procedures regarding the receipt of ethics complaints. They revised the financial disclosure form, simplifying it in the process. The commission approved a complaint “flow chart” which tracked required actions of the commission, complainant, and respondent. It included determinations whether a hypothetical matter would need forwarding to the commonwealth attorney for legal action versus action by the Ethics Commission. Matney inquired how new and present county employees are made aware they are subject to the ethics ordinance. The need for an employee handbook was then discussed. All mail correspondence sent by the commission will be “certified, receipt requested.” The assembled members then closed their working session, convened a special session and voted to table the procedures until their next meeting while Matney researches whether the procedures should remain “internal” to the commission or whether they should be recommended to Fiscal Court for amending the ethics ordinance. The commission then went into a brief closed session to discuss the long-held, lone three-year-old complaint before them. After the closed session ended, the commission decided to re-send notification to the complainant requesting more information. The next meeting of the Meade County Ethics Commission will take place on Feb. 8.
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