Ethics Group - May 19

A City That Works - May 19, 2008
Ethics Discussion Group at the High School of the Future

The Ethics Group had four participants. They had various levels of understanding about government and its workings (at local, state and federal levels).  All are civic minded.  Participants were vocal, opinionated and embraced the topic. They seemed to enjoy working together.

-- Eddie Battle

What does this goal mean to you?

• Accountability.

• Action: Things are moving.

• Truth.

• Having the right ratio of staff to the amount of work to be done. (Departments should have the correct number of staff to do the job correctly.)

• City workers should have the authority to do their jobs.

• No patronage in job applications or selections.

• Fairness in awarding contracts.

• City departments must have standards for the public to see; no secrets.

• Transparency: nothing hidden; no backroom deals or meetings.

• Apply the same standards to all (the public).

• Departments should have ethics officers.

Performance measures (What success would look like)

• Have a fully functional 311 system.

• Increased pride in the community.

• Positive change in attitude toward government. (The change would be based on how well government programs are run.)

• The public must having wide-spread knowledge of process to redress grievances.  (The public must be informed as to how to redress their grievances.)

• Having a Managing Director’s Office that is responsive.

Customer-service standards

• Staff that answers the telephone and is attentive to your requests.

• Staff that says “I don’t know the answer” when they don’t know the answer to a question: Staff will find the answer or the person that knows the answer to your question.

• Staff will contract you with the answer to your question.