Who Needs a Code of Conduct?

The Richardson City Council has been deliberating a code of conduct for city officials (most recently discussed ). There have been three issues with the proposed draft that have received the most discussion: the statute of limitations, the confidentiality clause and the use of the city attorney as a so-called gatekeeper. But there's another issue that has been raised by more than one member of the public that hasn't gotten attention from the council - yet. That's the question of how far down the ranks of city officials and staff the code of conduct should apply.

After the jump, my thoughts.

Bob Macy Takes Responsibility

It's easy to lampoon Richardson City Council member Bob Macy. If superlatives are ever awarded for the 2009-2011 council, Bob Macy is a lock on the member most likely to say something unintentionally humorous or downright cringe worthy. So, it's only fair, when he stumbles onto a gem of wisdom, to give him credit.

After the jump, an example of both from Monday night's city council meeting.

What Hammurabi Says About Texas Open Meetings

What do you know of the Code of Hammurabi? You know, the set of ancient Babylonian laws dating to the second millennium B.C.? How many can you recite from memory? I'll spot you a few. Here, from Wikipedia, are some examples of the 281 laws that make up the famous code.

• If a man puts out the eye of an equal, his eye shall be put out.
• If a man knocks the teeth out of another man, his own teeth will be knocked out.
• If anyone strikes the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty blows with an ox-whip in public.
• If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off.
• If anyone steals the minor son of another, he shall be put to death.
• If anyone commits a robbery and is caught, he shall be put to death.
• If during an unsuccessful operation a patient dies, the arm of the surgeon must be cut off.
• If a government official actually answers a constituent's question, he shall be smitten.

OK, I made up that last one, but you get the point. Not only does Hammurabi tell us what's forbidden, he gives us a kind of ancient equivalent to the US government's federal sentencing guidelines.

Quiz: Does Hammurabi's Code remind you of any other ancient set of laws? After the jump, the answer.

Does Two of Something Make it Common?

The proposed code of ethics for the City of Richardson has a six month statute of limitations. In Monday's council work session, a city staffer explained to the council why this was included. In a PowerPoint presentation, the number one reason given was:

"The inclusion of a time limitation is a common [emphasis added] feature of other area cities' policies."

After the jump, an analysis of whether the math is compatible with the language.

Trash Talk

The last time we visited the project to rebuild and enlarge the Lookout Trash Transfer Station, it was to say little progress is evident in the talks between the city, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) and neighborhood groups opposed to the plans. In April, the city claimed that a deal was near. In June, a group called the Neighborhood Protection Alliance of Richardson last updated its website with a pessimistic outlook that any such deal was imminent. The NTMWD itself has not updated its website concerning the issue since September of 2009.

After the jump, what's new.