The Malta town board continued to wrestle with restructuring its ethics committee in the wake of two complaints filed recently against town Supervisor Paul Sausville.
At their agenda meeting Monday night, Jan. 28, Glenn Rockwood, chairman of a new eight-member study committee charged with making recommendations to the town board for revamping the ethics committee, reported his group’s suggestions. Rockwood is also deputy town supervisor, and earlier this month was named the new planning board chairman.
We looked at the current ethics law and have suggestions to tighten it up, and take the uncertainty out of definitions, said Rockwood. `During our process, we reviewed other municipal laws and association of town guidelines.`
Rockwood said the most significant change suggested, but not yet formally adopted by the town board, is to prohibit any member of a political party, town employee or elected official from serving on the ethics committee. The town’s current law calls for one officer of the town to sit on the ethics board. Other suggestions included limiting terms to five years, appointing five members and two alternates, and adding a way for town officials, employees and residents to gain access to the ethics committee or get advisories on town law.
While Rockwood’s committee was not charged with selecting a new roster, the group did come up with 11 names of people they contacted to see if they were interested. Some members of the audience questioned why people being called for interviews are limited to those hand-picked by the review committee.
`It’s always been our policy that people should be allowed to write a letter to be considered for any committee,` said councilwoman Sue Nolen.
After some discussion, the town board agreed to also accept applications from members of the public to interview for the new ethics committee. Anyone interested in applying for the Ethics Committee volunteer position must send a letter of interest and resume by Sunday, Feb. 10, to Roseanne Clavin, Supervisor’s Office, Town of Malta, 2540 Route 9, Malta. Ten-minute interviews will be held on Wednesday, Feb.13, starting at 4 p.m.
Members of the former ethics committee were not re-appointed at the town’s organizational meeting earlier this month, but were Chairman Peter Klotz, Douglas Young,
James Mitchell, Mary Law Powell, Kathleen Kalwa, Kevin King, attorney Richard Kupferman, and secretary Linda Deprey.
Past town council member Donna Gizzi questioned whether Sausville should be involved with setting up the new ethics committee at this time.
`Since this ethics issue is about the supervisor, will he step down from recommending who will be on the committee?` asked Gizzi.
`Given the timeliness of it all, I will not participate in the selection of this committee,` said Sausville.
Town Attorney Tom Peterson pointed out the procedure for town residents to make an ethics inquiry needs to be `stringent.`
`The capacity for mischief here could be unlimited,` said Peterson. `Residents need to put in writing their reasoning and who their witnesses are, and must be specific with their facts. The town board will be gatekeepers before we put town officials at the risk and anxiety of going before the ethics board.`
Ann Klotz, wife of former ethics committee chairman and newly elected town council member Peter Klotz, spoke from the audience about how a grievance she filed in October against Sausville is being handled, and asked when she will receive a response.
Ann Klotz, in a letter to the board signed by eight other residents, questioned the actions of Sausville when he endorsed council candidate Tara Thomas in a letter to the editor. She cited town law that no employee of the town should use his official status to influence political campaign-related activities.
`This grievance was made over three months ago, and I while I understand the need to reorganize the ethics committee, I asked the town board to handle this, and send it to the ethics committee or act as a town board,` said Ann Klotz.
Sausville said the complaint had been forwarded to Richard Kupferman, ethics committee attorney.
`We referred the matter to council on day one,` said Sausville.
Peterson said no response had been received to date.
`I don’t know why we don’t have a letter of opinion yet, and this board cannot act without it,` said Peterson.
But Peter Klotz, new town council member, questioned why the complaint was even sent to outside council rather than following procedure and referring the matter to the ethics board.
`The system we enacted years ago was that the town board would decide whether or not to refer a matter to the ethics board; the procedure never included checking with the lawyers first,` said Peter Klotz.
`This is directed at one of my employees, and I will have nothing to do with the substance of that allegation,` said Peterson. `I feel absolutely conflicted. I can’t offer any legal guidance on the issue.`
Klotz said the board should make a decision on how to send the complaint through the proper channels at its next board meeting, Monday, Feb. 4.
`If Kupferman can respond by next week, I’d like the motion prepared that we send the complaint to the ethics committee,` said Peter Klotz.“