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C. Two Lists <br />1. Checklist of Ethics Commission Activities <br />Many ethics commissions rarely if ever hold meetings, because they are �vaiting passively for <br />complaints to be filed and requests for advisory opinions to be made. Passivity is not a <br />responsible way to run a government ethics program. There is no reason for an ethics <br />commission not to meet regularly. Below is a checklist of the acti�•ities that ethics <br />commissions can and should be participatin� in. <br />• Tr� - for officials and for ethics commission members <br />• Advice - formal and informal advice, general advisory opinions, making <br />summaries of opinions from other jurisdictions a�-ailable to officials and <br />employees <br />• Recommendations for im�rovin� the ethics program - to the local legislati�-e <br />body <br />• Annual report <br />• Community outreach - educating the public and the press about government <br />ethics <br />• Ethics commission website - to make available training, advice, the resolution <br />of enforcement proceedings, press releases, contact information, forms, <br />ineetinb notices, minutes, etc. <br />• Drafting� or amending rules of �rocedure, bylaws, and regulations <br />• Awards - to encourage responsible handling of conflict situations, open <br />discussion of ethics issues, and the reporting of ethical misconduct <br />• Current events - if an ethics commission is allowed to initiate in��estigations, it <br />should discuss relevant current events in its city or county <br />For more information about these activities, see the full checklist in my book Local <br />Gover�nment Ethics P2•o�rams. <br />27 <br />