[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6635009,"mediaKeyId","3730915-57f2b75650c8c108a6f92625ec1a774d","parentId",3730915,"title","Board of Ethics schedules follow-up on expedited election complaints and possible joint meeting with council","audioSeconds",260,"startMs",2549955,"endMs",2810410,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3730915-57f2b75650c8c108a6f92625ec1a774d&start=2549&end=2810","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3730915-57f2b75650c8c108a6f92625ec1a774d/thumbnail_2549955.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6635009/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Board-of-Ethics-schedules-follow-up-on-expedited-election-complaints-and-possible-joint-meeting-with-council","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6635009-e023c9190ed0a79c39123ca824b70378/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201267&Signature=NSOquI11IQpj46D4c0QjLk-kzdGNb4uhnNj2eq2FDZCDJvXfgH4a0YgOLJXETUEgF-e9iAfLvZzY~occljBRJqaCrJx8qE9eQxsrg3On8iauxISfI6jtb~M~QjURFssWGwlGfGa4RY6Z0GbvpmFLB7hjSflmMoiNrk-scmmg9DzIVyTvT3~qfEcfbf3lcvys8~g5hnPe93TCyqQ0hOy9ZKQY7YK9nJftR~n5H5lRuAm-RlZoQ9UuJ~UjvxOvo68q7LZZUemFnPz0x3QEmQXFY8X0yr~77Z9L3QtRNS8HU75Y~0nuuiSuPrjzpx1hHSMU8aeYVDAiRBFtJRi3mpTVQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Denton","date","2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","article","During the July 9 Denton City Board of Ethics meeting members reviewed possible future agenda topics and gave staff direction to return with additional materials.

Board members asked staff to add a discussion about expediting panels or hearings when a complaint is filed within a certain number of days before an election. The chair and several members said tightening time frames for complaint processing would reduce the harm of politically timed filings.

Members also asked staff to report on the logistics and scheduling of a possible joint meeting with city council so both bodies could discuss expectations and communications. Staff said a joint meeting would need to be posted for both bodies and that the mayor would preside. Staff offered to raise the idea with the council's agenda committee and report back; the board asked for that status in a future management report.

The board agreed to bring the suggested items back for fuller discussion at its next meeting, and staff confirmed they would prepare redlines and timelines where applicable.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Denton - Board of Ethics on 2025-06-09 5:30 PM - Jun 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Board members asked staff to add agenda items about expedited procedures for election-period complaints and to report on the feasibility of a joint meeting with city council; staff will bring status updates and timeline options at the next meeting.","taxTitle","Denton City, Denton County, Texas","taxId",2787,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6635014,"Board of Ethics debates sanctions for frivolous complaints; asks staff to draft redlines",1117,1401315,2518950,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3730915-57f2b75650c8c108a6f92625ec1a774d&start=1401&end=2518","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3730915-57f2b75650c8c108a6f92625ec1a774d/thumbnail_1401315.jpg","/articles/6635014/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Board-of-Ethics-debates-sanctions-for-frivolous-complaints-asks-staff-to-draft-redlines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6635014-3b863bd81287fa84676fa58fd489507d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201267&Signature=PMgZ98u6ZVvyqMfZsAA~uYXSrhT8dSoAdsl9UNl09Pn91hJaIJQcgk0hEkDHYveCexQTeoz1sGwF1F~RK7xwLQbLuQY3c00W~MmKiJuWxcyTqsc1MwuOD~4UqFWz2zxDpTxNvWVxrgUtpZzejaft3zexLHtxlSia8ymoRJXt-hhbuGiCXITI5eVoYhD7yeOZzHM8n5Ye5IjnrzExdqqLqzBreAld9NA~ew7n72r4N2HdkHE4RygYPqiNVEeAKzq1VeGdyWwNv2bSJLBvfH5UUf8~fNR-81HIiSKTjh-1G6Hin7Ldny0B0B-hK5ucX7qMZC~PH2NM87YjhR-pUQ6yYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Denton City Board of Ethics spent significant time on July 9 discussing whether the ethics code should include stronger sanctions for frivolous complaints and how to speed resolution of complaints filed during election periods.

Staff presented examples from other Texas cities and summarized the board's current authority under the City of Denton Code of Ordinances. Members noted that, as written, the board generally issues letters and may recommend suspension or debarment to city council or the city manager in some cases, but the code provides limited deterrence for frivolous or politically timed complaints.

Board members discussed several possible approaches: creating a repeated-frivolous-complainant sanction that would bar a complainant from filing additional complaints for a set period (several members favored one year rather than two), authorizing expedited panels or hearings when a complaint is filed close to an election, and exploring whether attorney's fees could be shifted in cases where a hearing determines a complaint was frivolous.

Members raised process concerns: the board's current flow chart allows an initial panel to recommend a hearing but does not itself determine frivolity; by the time a complaint is formally dismissed as frivolous a full hearing may already have occurred, increasing cost and delay. Several members described a recent complaint filed in the days before an election that they said illustrated the risk of weaponization and long resolution times.

The board agreed by voice vote to move forward with drafting proposed ordinance language and redlined sanctions for review at the next meeting, including a recommendation that a complainant found to have filed a frivolous complaint be barred from filing new complaints for one year and that staff consider expedited procedures for election-related filings. The board also asked staff to examine time frames for processing complaints and to return with proposed language.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the administrative minutes earlier in the meeting (BOE 25-020; motion moved by Patricia Reinke and seconded by Andrea; outcome recorded as approved). On the sanctions direction (BOE 25-021) the board recorded affirmative direction to draft redlines; five members indicated support to move forward with the proposed approach.","The Denton Board of Ethics discussed possible sanctions for frivolous complaints, including a proposed one-year bar on filing new complaints by complainants whose cases are deemed frivolous, expedited hearings for election-period complaints, and a staff request to return with ordinance redlines.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6635018,"Denton Board of Ethics weighs rules for member contact with city council",2708,47605,2755815,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3730915-57f2b75650c8c108a6f92625ec1a774d&start=47&end=2755","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3730915-57f2b75650c8c108a6f92625ec1a774d/thumbnail_47605.jpg","/articles/6635018/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Denton-Board-of-Ethics-weighs-rules-for-member-contact-with-city-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6635018-0973f649ecb8ea8e5954cb34ecd12536/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201267&Signature=QmE7M3pmdpwb~fahy0HINv8wqTn4cLpvGMYlaXoqKnHWEtLdHrn~NGEAqLS0JC-Fln9HiN-c~L0V4xF4SfbAKztIDJCVU9oFtpIhBI19fboyXg8SNwvkq3jq7Gc0M98I7-sV34URRc35bFN1N4IhabNfZoHkgMS6KHRmFOy29xgCJVgMdzMeILwnjHjnXEk35ofh1~HV0v1tXOMfOrczoE5vzQdAQe9IvWBcjfdoRX9qPorL~gTUA4xTn9A7hQ1rnmI1H1pTyC8YvvWFmDHOo9RHWP4ApysN5ZZ5xQVnRVqwRdw~KbpzRbchHEvYxoKM~fKh6RkKyybD8m2TzIoSyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Denton City Board of Ethics discussed whether and how board members should communicate outside meetings with city council members during its regular meeting on July 9.

Board members described several instances where post-meeting or outside communications with council members led to confusion or public criticism of the board's work. Members said the board's ethics ordinance already contains an ex parte restriction that bars discussing pending complaints with city officials who are parties to those complaints, but they said guidance is otherwise limited.

Board members and staff discussed avenues for clearer coordination. Staff noted that a formal advisory opinion from the city attorney would need to be requested through the board's advisory-opinion process. Members suggested practical options including asking for a joint work session or inviting council members to a board meeting when the board prepares a package of recommendations so both bodies can discuss the reasoning behind those recommendations before council acts.

Several members said informal updates from council members had felt intimidating in at least one past instance and that better face-to-face dialogue could reduce misunderstandings. Staff cautioned that any recurring meetings involving subsets of council members would need to comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act; a joint meeting posted for both bodies and run by the mayor would avoid open-meetings conflicts, staff said.

No formal rule change or advisory opinion was adopted at the meeting. The board asked staff to explore the logistics of a potential joint session with city council, to report back on the feasibility of scheduling a joint meeting, and to include that status in a future management report.","At its July 9 meeting the Denton City Board of Ethics discussed limits on communications between board members and city council, reviewed the ordinance's ex parte rule for pending complaints, and asked staff to pursue options for joint sessions when the board sends recommendations to council.","actionData","errors"]

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Board of Ethics schedules follow-up on expedited election complaints and possible joint meeting with council

Board of Ethics debates sanctions for frivolous complaints; asks staff to draft redlines

Denton Board of Ethics weighs rules for member contact with city council