By Megan Kelley
Staff Writer
LAKE ORION — An ethics ordinance is officially in place for the village of Lake Orion.
During its meeting on Oct. 9, the village council voted 5-2 to approve the second reading and adopt the ethics ordinance. Council members Michael Lamb and Nancy Moshier cast the two no votes.
For months now, the village council has been working toward implementing an ethics ordinance.
In May, Chair of the City of Birmingham’s Ethics Board, James Robb gave an overview of what a proposed ethics ordinance would look like.
Robb explained that in Birmingham the Ethics Board consists of three members who, when a complaint is made, hold a hearing and issue an advisory opinion.
The ordinance approved by the Lake Orion village council notes that the three people selected to be on the board will be selected by a majority vote from council.
From there, the village council is responsible for issuing any sanctions for a violation and the village manager will be responsible for imposing any discipline for a violation, the ordinance states.
The ordinance sets a minimum standard of ethical conduct by which all village officials, appointees and employees, elected or appointed, paid or unpaid, are expected to abide.
Lamb and Moshier have consistently raised concerns about the ordinance, specifically the section regarding property disclosure, which calls for officials, employees and appointees to disclose property that they and their family own, as well as property interest, saying this could be harmful to business dealings that have nothing to do with the village as a government entity.
Despite Lamb bringing this up several times, the ordinance remained unchanged and the section outlining property disclosures was still included.
Councilmember Ken Van Portfliet, who was recently questioned about potential conflict of interest regarding a property sale, said he did not see an issue with that part of the ordinance and was inclined to approve the ordinance as presented.