The European bike trip Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk took caused the city’s Ethics Board to consider changing the involvement of third parties in municipal government.
At a meeting Thursday night, the board unanimously voted to recommend newly established guidelines for third party expenses in municipal government.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said Cieslewicz and Falk went on a bike trip to investigate clean transportation options in Germany and Holland. The trip was in part funded by bicycle equipment manufacturers.
The City Ethics Code allows for third parties to pay for such trips under certain conditions. Cieslewicz’s trip to Europe prompted questions on whether payment for the trip by the third party fit the criteria.
Under the existing ethics code, payment by a third party was only allowed in situations where the activity giving rise to the expenses was primarily for the benefit of the city and not for the personal benefit of the individual involved, Verveer added.
“In essence, what this ordinance will do is require that in the future when third parties pay for these expenses, the expenses cannot be out of line or unreasonably excessive,” Verveer said. “The ordinance would require that a city official would have to pay such expenses out of his or her own pocket and submit the expenses to be reimbursed at limits designated by the city.”
After the Mayor’s return, the trip raised the question of what the procedures for reimbursement of trips by third parties were. Verveer said the ordinance would try to avoid these situations.
“City officials would not be able to be reimbursed by a third party to fly business or first classes or allowed to stay in a five star luxury hotel or suite,” Verveer said. “Reimbursement rates are generally more if you’re traveling to a more expensive part of the world.”
Additionally, the board approved a motion in response to Cieslewicz’s request to act as chair for fundraising the Congress for New Urbanism. The ordinance will then have to be approved at the next City Council meeting on Oct. 19.
The Congress for New Urbanism would promote walkable, sustainable and healthy communities with insight from architects, engineers, developers and investors from around the country to be held in Madison at Monona Terrace in June 2011, a memo to Cieslewicz from CNU spokesperson Jane Grabowski-Miller said.
According to the board’s opinion, the estimated economic impact of hosting the Congress for New Urbanism would be about $1.5 million, $280,000 of which the city will raise.
In a letter to the board, Greater Madison Convention and Visitor’s Bureau President Deb Archer said the proposal was necessary and common for similar conventions.
“To carry out the host city’s financial responsibilities and because we believe the Mayor is in compliance with City Ethic’s ordinances, we urge you to approve the Mayor’s request to serve in this fundraising capacity,” Archer said.
Madison’s City Council will vote on the resolution at an Oct. 19 meeting.
