Neosho council appoints two to ethics board

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September 7, 2010

By Greg Grisolano news@joplinglobe.com The Joplin Globe Tue Sep 07, 2010, 10:37 PM CDT

NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho City Council on Tuesday night appointed two residents to a newly created oversight board that will investigate complaints of improper conduct or action by elected officials.

David Holley and Betty Lee Duran were appointed in a unanimous vote by the council. Holley will fill a three-year commitment, while Duran will serve a two-year term. A vacancy remains for a one-year term.

The ethics board was established earlier this summer by the council. The three-member board is tasked with reviewing any ethics complaints lodged against council members. It will make recommendations to the council, including fines of up to $500. The ordinance creating the board states that “any person” may file a complaint with the board.

Holley, a licensed social worker and former deputy sheriff, attended Tuesday night’s council meeting. He has unsuccessfully campaigned for a seat on the council in two elections.

Holley said before the meeting that he would like to be on the board “just to see that the rules are followed.”

“Ethics in today’s society don’t seem to be as strong today as they used to be,” he said. “My ethics have never been questioned in any of the jobs I’ve had. I feel I can be fair and impartial.”

Duran did not attend the meeting. According to the letter she submitted to the council, she is a former newspaper reporter and editor.

Mayor Richard Davidson said after the meeting that he was pleased with the candidates who had applied.

“I know Mr. Holley, and I’m very comfortable with his appointment,” he said. “I did not know (Duran), but I look forward to working with them both.

“(The ethics board) gets us one step further down the road in terms of raising the bar of ethical expectations for the city of Neosho.”

Prohibited conduct could potentially include improper use of public property, conflicts of interest and disclosure of information for a council member’s own benefit. A complaint could be filed in writing with the board, which would conduct a preliminary investigation within 30 days.

Neosho’s charter includes provisions for removing a council member. Davidson and City Attorney Steven Hays have said the ethics board would not have the power to do anything more than make a recommendation to the council, if a violation was found.

In other business, the council voted 3-2 to approve a contract for financial analysis services with William McGuire, of West Plains, to help reconcile the cash balances of the city’s investment and master fund accounts. McGuire’s contract has a $5,000 cap and includes lodging and mileage reimbursement. Council members Heather Bowers and Chris Wright cast the dissenting votes without comment.

City Finance Director Martha Mundt said during the meeting that McGuire’s services would help expedite the procedure of closing out the city’s current budget. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

The council approved by consensus two proposals to accept charitable donations in light of the city’s ongoing economic crisis. One proposal, submitted by Wayne House, owner of Spee Dee Lube, gives the Police Department up to 10 free oil changes per month on patrol vehicles for one year. The second proposal, submitted by the Route 66 Corvette Cruisers, is to collect money for the police and fire departments during a car show on Neosho’s square in October.

City clerk

After a 20-minute closed session Tuesday night, the Neosho council announced that it unanimously approved hiring Nora Houdyshell as city clerk. She had been serving as interim city clerk since June.

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Neosho council appoints two to ethics board

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