A Palmer City Council-ordered ethics review will look at rule changes

What you need to know:

• Palmer’s city attorney will present suggestions for revising the city’s ethics policy. The existing policy sets behavioral expectations but lacks clear enforcement mechanisms. Any changes will require a vote by the City Council.
• The update was requested by two council members during a Feb. 25 meeting.
• The review was prompted by recent questions about how the ethics policy can be enforced and an investigation into whether a current council member is accused of crimes.

PALMER – The Palmer City Council will consider updating an ethics policy governing the conduct and actions of the city's elected officials because at least one of the current rules conflicts with city law, and others lack a clear path for enforcement.

The process will begin with a review and report on possible changes from City Attorney Sarah Heath, officials said at a council meeting Tuesday. Any updates selected by the council will be included in an ordinance that will go before members for a vote, they said.

Council member Carolina Graver requested the process during Tuesday's meeting. Council member John Alcantra seconded the request.

The city's current ethics rules outline a broad list of behaviors and expectations for elected officials, including a standard that they must "avoid the appearance of impropriety" and that they should "promote respect and civility during official city proceedings."

But because the rules are a city policy, not a law, officials have limited ability to enforce them, Heath said at a council meeting earlier this month.

For example, while the policy states that serious ethics violations can lead to sanctions or censure, it does not specify what those sanctions can be or how censure is implemented, Heath said.

The policy also conflicts with city law regarding how the council must order an ethics investigation, she said. While the policy requires a majority vote of the council to initiate an investigation, city law instead allows one to be requested by two members.

The Code of Ethics and Conduct for Elected Officials was first approved in 2020.

Clarifying the rules will help officials follow them, Palmer Mayor Steve Carington said in an interview. A mayor's report issued early this month included a reminder about meeting speaking rules for city officials because "recent meetings have included a touch of chaos," the report said. Those standards are part of city law.

Now is the right time for an ethics update because the council is newly aware of ways the policy is difficult to enforce, Graver said in an interview.

Heath proposed the process earlier this year after Council members Victoria Hudson and Alcantra requested an ethics investigation into actions by Council member Richard Best. Her investigation confirmed that Best was charged with three crimes, she told the council.

State prosecutors this week dismissed a charge of driving with a revoked license filed against Best in January. The charge was based on incorrect information, and Best's license was not revoked at the time of the stop, according to a motion filed by his attorney, Lyle Stohler.

Best pleaded guilty in May to refusing a chemical test after a traffic stop in downtown Palmer early last year, according to court documents. A charge of driving under the influence was dismissed as part of the plea agreement, the documents state.

A 2022 Anchorage case in which police arrested Best on charges of operating a vehicle under the influence and reckless driving is still pending. A trial date has not been set. 

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com