Centennial passes new ethics code: Revisions follow expensive hearing last summer

By Peter Jones

Almost one year after an expensive and oftentimes embarrassing ethics investigation of a city official, the Centennial City Council has approved a newly revised ethics code that will clarify the city’s procedures for future ethics investigations and better define what constitutes an ethical violation.

The code – approved by the council unanimously on April 16 – applies to all of the city’s paid “public servants,” including elected officials, senior management, municipal judges and city employees.

Having faced complaints about incidents ranging from a years-old traffic stop in southern Colorado to alleged political harassment, the council has tightened its criteria for what constitutes an ethical violation and instituted new policies to deal with complaints that meet the new