Ethics Code Update Coming?

Ethics Board File Photo

Jeremy Boren reported in this morning's Trib that Pittsburgh's Ethics Hearing Board today planned "to discuss publicly for the first time its recommendations to overhaul the section of the city's ethics code that lays out seven exceptions for when it's OK for public officials to accept gifts or favors".

That indirectly prompted this question from Bram Reichbaum over on The Burgh Report -- what happened? The short answer: nothing just yet, but something is in the works. A longer response, in the form of my e-mail to Bram R, follows.

Bram,

I can tell you that the City Ethics Hearing Board has taken no action yet.

I spoke with Vice Chair Kathleen Buechel. (A dentist's appointment delayed my arrival until after today's half-hour long ethics board meeting had ended, but I crossed paths with her on the fifth floor of the City County Budiling as she was leaving Council' s offices. ) Buechel tells me they decided to delay releasing anything until after they've had a chance to further consult with the City Law Department. She anticipates they will hold a special meeting sometime between today and the next regularly scheduled meeting in November.

Of course the recommendations of the working group will face a vote by the full ethics board. Those final recommendations will then be submitted to city council for consideration.

PS: Thanks for asking -- I needed a fresh blog post.

.