OR 2022-1576 Special Legal Counsel & Ethics Review PanelPage | 1
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AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS
ORDINANCE NO. 2022-1576
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS,
AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING CHAPTER 2
‘BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS’ BY ADDING NEW ARTICLE 2-10
‘SPECIAL LEGAL COUNSEL/ETHICS REVIEW PANEL’ TO ESTABLISH
AN ETHICS REVIEW PANEL; PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE;
PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to establish Panel of qualified persons to administer as
special counsel and panel members; and,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF COPPELL, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. That Chapter 2, “Boards and Commissions” of the Code of Ordinances is
hereby amended by adding a new Article 2-10 “Special Legal Counsel / Ethics Review Panel” to read
as follows:
“CHAPTER 2 – BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
ARTICLE 2-1 – LIBRARY BOARD
. . . . .
ARTICLE 2-10 - SPECIAL LEGAL COUNSEL/ETHICS REVIEW PANEL
Sec. 2-10-1.- Special Ethics Legal Counsel
The special ethics legal counsel shall be appointed to serve at the pleasure of the City
Council and shall be a resident of the city and licensed in good standing to practice law
in the State of Texas; and shall not be in arrears in the payment of taxes or other liability
to the city or have been a party to or represented any party to any litigation involving
and/or with adverse interests to the city. The special counsel shall be selected to act on
any complaint under Chapter 1A on a rotation basis from a list of such attorneys
established by the city council for these purposes; said attorney(s) shall have all the
powers of investigation as are given to the city council by reason of the City Charter
when discharging their duties under said article.
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A request for participation of who is a resident of the City and is a registered voter to
serve on the Special Legal Counsel under this article and qualified to serve as special
counsel, shall be placed on the city website, official newspaper or through social media.
Applications for such participation shall be filed with the city secretary at the same
time the city council seeks applicants for boards and commissions. Applicants shall be
interviewed in the manner adopted by the city for the interviewing of such applicants.
Sec. 2-10-2. –Ethics Review Members/Appointment
City Council shall appoint three (3) to nine (9) persons to be eligible for selection to an
Ethics Review Panel who shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council to hear
complaints under Chapter 1A-1 of the Coppell Code of Ordinance.
No citizen who is in arrears in the payment of any taxes or other liability due the city
or who has been a party to litigation involving and/or with adverse interests to the city
is eligible to serve on the Ethics Review Panel. The mayor, or the mayor pro tem in the
mayor's absence, shall serve as the chairperson. In the event the complaint concerns the
mayor or mayor pro tem, such person or persons shall be replaced by a member of the
city council drawn by lot. In the event the mayor and mayor pro tem are replaced, the
senior councilmember(s) shall serve as the chairperson and/or vice chairpersons.
A request for participation of who is a resident of the City and is a registered voter to
serve on the Special Legal Counsel under this article and qualified to serve as special
counsel, shall be placed on the city website, official newspaper or through social media.
Applications for such participation shall be filed with the city secretary at the same
time the city council seeks applicants for boards and commissions. Applicants shall be
interviewed in the manner adopted by the city for the interviewing of such applicants.
Sec. 2-10-3. – Ethics Review Panel
The Ethics Review Panel shall hear any compliant as authorized under Chapter 1A and
shall be comprised of the mayor, the mayor pro tem, and three (3) members of Ethics
Review Membership selected by random lot of the appointees to serve on the ethic
review panel and shall conduct those responsibilities as set forth in said article.”
SECTION 2. That the provisions of this ordinance shall only apply to the terms which begin
after the effective date of this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That all provisions of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Coppell, Texas,
in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance be, and the same are hereby, repealed, and all other
provisions not in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance shall remain in full force and effect.