2005-10-12 Board of Ethics Minutes Regular mc

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you would approve to the form of the letter, or you could just tell me to go ahead and have the Chair sign on behalf of the Boarda letter basically asking the Clerk and County boards and agencies to comply with the law and having people register. And then next time we can start dealing perhaps more with who is or is not a lobbyist, because that oneI think you need to address whether Mr. Fuke is within the definition of a lobbyist. CHAIR: After we do the research. BLT: I will do the research, and then I guess at the next meeting we can make a determination. But in the meantime, if you direct me to, I'll send that letter out. CHAIR: It sounds like a wise course of today. Do you have a sense of that, Board, on that? If that is a good course, then I'd like to hear a motion to defer- FUKE: I'd just like, if I can understand what you're just saying , that there would be no decision made relative to people like in my position at this point in time. You're going to do some additional research? CHAIR: Yeah, there's loopholes in the law. FUKE: Correct, yeah. I'd like to also suggest that —you know, if and when thosea determination is made and you know, and subsequent guidance be provided to the legislative as well as administrative agencies, that there be specific clarification on certain issues, like, you know, for example, what you raised —like is it $275 or five hours, and then you know, five hours, is it like you attend a Council meeting and sometimes you're sitting down there all day, and then you go before the Council only for five minutes. I mean like, you know, and making sure that that five hours is like five hours of interacting time, and whether the interacting time is before a public setting, before the Planning Commission, or before the County Council, or does that five hours relates to one -on -one interaction or two -on -two interaction, like, with a particular decision - maker, and I think those kinds of things need to be clarified. CHAIR: Those are good —good suggestions. Do you want to add some more to FRANKEL: Well, just so you know, I did file —this is probably ten years ago with the State Ethics Commission -- waiting around, and the Ethics Commission said no, waiting around doesn't count. I disagree with that interpretation. I think it should count, because the person's being paid to sit around and wait and it's the kinds ofI think it promotes disclosure so the public knows how much or whatever it is, is spending to get a decision. Members of the public wait around all day, sacrificing their time, and they should know if someone's being paid from the other side. I think the spirit of the law requires that. I understand that the State Ethics Commission has disagreed. You guys are free to make your own R