Broadened Ethics Code sure to play well with public

An editorial from the Marietta Daily Journal on Monday, February 11, 2007

After a year in which much of the media's coverage of Congress focused on ethics issues- i.e., Jack Abramoff and the congressional page scandal - it is hoped the public has a sharper understanding of the role ethics should play in public life.

And with that in mind, it was refreshing to learn last week that the Cobb County Board of Commissioners are in the process of broadening the sweep of the county's Ethics Code.

At present, that code affects only the five-person commission itself. But Chairman Sam Olens is behind a move to draft a new ordinance that would also take in members of the county's planning and zoning commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the newly appointed parks bond advisory committee, the body set up to make recommendations about which tracts the county should buy with proceeds from the $40 million parks bond passed by voters last summer.

The code prohibits officials from revealing confidential information, from receiving gifts worth more than $101 and from doing anything else that would be considered unethical.

"I was alerted a couple of months ago that the planning commission wasn't subject to the ethics code, and I felt strongly that wasn't appropriate," Olens said. "Due to the emphasis put on the parks board and the (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) advisory committee, they should be subject to the same regimen as well as maybe one or two of our other boards."

The commission is expected to take up the matter at its Feb. 27 meeting, although for now the expanded code would include only the planning commission. But once the code provision is approved, it could easily be amended via agenda item to provide for the code to cover additional boards, such as the SPLOST and transit authorities, Olens said.

It's a good move, one we're sure the public will approve of and one that we hope will be copied by other political jurisdictions in the county.

Cobb parks committee chooses leadership

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Saturday, February 10, 2007, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

MARIETTA - Kolb Farm Coalition member John A. Pape Jr. and Joni House Cope - each an integral part of the effort to save east Cobb's Hyde Farm - were chosen to lead Cobb's parks advisory committee in expending $40 million to buy land for future parks.

Pape, who served on the Cobb Parks Coalition to gain voter support for the bond, will serve as chairman of the 15-member body while Ms. Cope, president and owner of The Grayfen Group, will serve as vice chairwoman.

"We talked about it, and I wanted someone who had been involved in the campaign to serve as chairman," Pape said. "On that basis, I was willing to do it; if anyone else had stepped forward with a burning desire, that would have been fine with me. You're speaking to a man who has no burning political ambitions, but I am excited about the committee."

Pape, an attorney with Allstate Insurance, is an avid hiker and spends at least one vacation each summer camping at his favorite spots in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming or Montana.

He also was a key participant in the Kolb Farm Coalition, which bought 4.3 acres on Powder Springs Street using private donations and government funding to save the historic tract from development. The land was deeded to the National Parks Service and turned over to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in 2002 after a two-year battle.

"I have professional experience with John," Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said. "I litigated against John, and he used to regularly beat me. He's an excellent trial lawyer and trial lawyers have excellent skills with regard to negotiations, so I think his legal skills will serve the committee very well.

"He's got the tools to be a great chairman as well with regard to experience with greenspace issues," Olens said.
Ms. Cope, who continues to work on Hyde Farm, provides technology, project management and business consulting services for major corporations through her company, The Grayfen Group.

"I was really honored to be appointed to the committee by Commissioner Joe Lee Thompson and I'm also honored that my very honorable peers have elected me to support their work on the committee through the vice chair position," Ms. Cope said.

"The Hyde Farm project taught me a lot about working to fulfill community needs through greenspace and parks, and I hope to bring that to serve the county on this committee."

According to Olens, "she has excellent organizational skills and a drive to be result-oriented. She's just not interested in the process; she's interested in the result.

"The leadership she's shown to save Hyde Farm shows us she has a needed attribute with the process."

acasciaro@mdjonline.com

Parks committee member resigns from post

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, February 8, 2007, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

MARIETTA - Cobb commissioners are drafting a new ordinance that would bring planning commissioners, members of the Board of Zoning Appeals and the newly appointed parks bond advisory committee under the County Ethics Code, officials said Wednesday.

The commission now is the only body subject to the code, which prohibits officials from receiving gifts worth more than $101, revealing confidential information or any other unethical behavior.
Across the metro area in Gwinnett County, "any member of any county board or authority" is subject to the code of ethics.

Marietta's Code of Ethics applies only to elected officials, not boards or appointed committees.

"I was alerted a couple months ago that the planning commission wasn't subject to the ethics code, and I felt strongly that wasn't appropriate," Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said. "Due to the emphasis put on the parks board and the (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) advisory committee, they should be subject to that same regiment as well as maybe one or two of our other boards."

Commissioners are scheduled to approve the new ordinance, which includes only the planning commission, as part of their annual code amendments Feb. 27.

Other boards such as the SPLOST and transit authorities could be added after that with a simple agenda item, Olens said. Once that occurs, elected officials still would be the only Cobb board members required to file financial disclosures.

When commissioners first appointed the parks advisory committee Nov. 28, commissioners said it would be subject to the County Ethics Code and conduct business in accordance with Georgia's Sunshine Laws.

That stipulation has resulted in the resignation of one parks committee member, who is serving as a homeowner representative on the Cobb Board of Ethics.

Carol Brown, an appointee of Olens, has elected to give up her seat on the parks committee to complete a four-year term on the ethics board.

"I don't really think it was an issue of me choosing because I was elected back in 2005 by homeowner leadership to serve a four-year term. I wasn't appointed; I was elected, and I felt I should honor that commitment, Ms. Brown said.

"It had been suggested that if an allegation or complaint was filed with the parks committee, I could have recused myself and stayed on, but I don't think that would have sent the right message. We felt this was the best thing to do."

Olens is scheduled to replace Ms. Brown with Larry Ceminsky, a member of the Cobb Parks Coalition and employee of Marietta-based Bomber Battery. He will make the appointment at Tuesday's 9 a.m. commission meeting.

"The first (parks committee) meeting I went to Larry was there just as an interested observer," Olens said. "By appointing Larry, I'm not only appointing someone who's interested in the process, but I'm appointing someone who didn't have any down time."

acasciaro@mdjonline.com