MINUTES OF THE PEORIA CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF PEORIA, ARIZONA
PINE ROOM
March 27, 2008


A Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Peoria, Arizona was convened at 8401 
West Monroe Street in open and public session at 4:03 p.m.


Members Present: Mayor Bob Barrett; Vice Mayor Cathy Carlat; Councilmembers Ron 
Aames, Joan Evans, Vicki Hunt, Carlo Leone and Dave Pearson.

Members Absent: None

Other Municipal Officials Present:  Terrence Ellis, City Manager; Carl Swenson, Deputy 
City Manager; Steve Burg, Chief Assistant City Attorney and Mary Jo Kief, City Clerk

Audience:  Three members of the public were present.


REGULAR AGENDA

NEW BUSINESS

1R	Ethics Training Session

City Council attendance and participation in a training session with Mr. 
Michael Josephson in fulfillment of their policy leadership role in the 2008 
City-wide Ethics Initiative

Terry Ellis, City Manager opened the meeting by providing an overview of the ethics 
training initiative recently launched in the City and told Council that all 1,250 city employees 
will be trained over the next couple months.  Mr. Ellis introduced the presenter, Michael 
Josephson, founder of the non-profit Josephson Institute of Ethics.  Mr. Josephson 
provided a brief summary of his background and how he formed the Josephson Institute of 
Ethics.

Mr. Josephson discussed how officials in each profession carry some particular ethical 
standards specific to their own area of expertise and those ethical standards carry some 
special obligations.  Mr. Josephson further discussed an ethical framework.  Mr. Josephson 
talked about how Councilmembers are the stewards of public trust.

Council took a short recess at approximately 5:30 p.m. and continued the meeting during a 
working dinner.

Mr. Josephson presented information to Council on the 2006 Report Card on Values and 
Conduct of American Youth.  The survey is conducted every two years and is given to 
35,000 students.  The survey covers a variety of topics related to ethical behaviors.

Mr. Josephson also discussed the importance of “screening” potential candidates for jobs 
and a process for “weeding” candidates as they may be hired by the City.

The Council took a short break at 6:35 p.m. and reconvened at 6:45 p.m.

Mr. Josephson further provided examples of different situations where “good people with 
good intentions sometimes do dumb things” and common problems with city councils.  Mr. 
Josephson discussed looking for the “best possible result” when making decisions.  Further 
discussion took place regarding what a “home run” would look like and what to do to get 
there.

Mr. Josephson further discussed the “quality of decisions” and advised Council that ethics 
is personal and provided some examples of unethical behavior.  Mr. Josephson also 
discussed loyalty to the institution.

Mr. Josephson presented the “Six Pillars of Character” – Trustworthiness, Respect, 
Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.  Discussion included public service ethics 
and the five principles of public service ethics including public interest; objective judgment; 
accountability; democracy and respectability.  Mr. Josephson further stated that the five 
principles of public service ethics come out of responsibility.

Mr. Josephson closed by reading a poem he had written entitled “What Will Matter.”


ADJOURNMENT:

	Being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was duly adjourned at 
8:00 p.m.



	______________________________________
	Bob Barrett, Mayor 
 




ATTEST:




______________________________________
Mary Jo Kief, City Clerk



CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the 
Special Meeting of the City Council of Peoria, Arizona held on the 27th day of March, 2008. 
 I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present.


Dated this  _____ day of __________, 2008.    

(Seal)



______________________________________
Mary Jo Kief, City Clerk