Council Finishes Interviews for Ethics Commission

Greenbelt City Council has made no indication about when it will select the three residents to sit on the city's new ethics commission, said City Clerk Cindy Murray on Thursday. But council has finished interviewing applicants, according to Murray.

The issue is not on council's April 9 agenda, she said, adding that it is possible council could make the determination at its April 23 or May 14, meeting.

The commission was formed so that was passed in 2010. The law established mandatory ethics standards for elected officials and other representatives at the county and municipal level. It also requires a local ethics commission or an appropriate entity to annually certify that a municipality is in compliance with the requirements for local officials.

Bill Orleans Interview Remained Closed

Council interviewed homeless Greenbelt resident Bill Orleans on Monday night in the Municipal Building's library. Murray said that was the last day that council held interviews. Prior to his interview, for residents to attend, despite council's determination that ethics commission interviews would be closed.

Councilmember Rodney Roberts said he would support Orleans having an open interview, but that no one normally showed up to the interviews for boards and commissions. He couldn't recall a time when they did. Orleans’ case proved no exception. Orleans and Patch were the only non-council members who showed up.

On Monday, council did allow Orleans an interview outside of executive session. But once Orleans was called into the chambers, he made no request of council to open up his meeting to the public.

Orleans told Patch that had citizens shown up, he probably would have asked council to let them attend.