Rochester Ethical Practices Board

Organization Information

Organization: Rochester Ethical Practices Board

Organization Mission: To further the goals of the established Code of Ethics, the City of Rochester Ethical Practices Board (Board) was formed via city ordinance in December 2008. The Board is comprised of five citizen members who are appointed by a committee consisting of the President of Rochester Community and Technical College, the Chancellor of the University of Minnesota Rochester and the highest ranking officer of the Olmsted County Bar Association not associated with the Rochester City Attorney’s Office. Members serve a three year term and may serve up to two consecutive terms.

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Enabling Legislation

Section 13.10, subd. 5(A) states that the Ethical Practices Board has the power to “establish, amend and repeal rules and procedures governing its own internal organization and operations in a manner and form consistent with this chapter.”  The Ethical Practices Board adopts these rules of procedure and operation pursuant to that legislative authority.

Policy and Purpose

It is imperative that all persons acting in the public service not only maintain the highest possible standards of ethical conduct in their transaction of public business but that such standards be clearly defined and known to the public as well as to the persons acting in public service.

 The proper operation of a democratic government requires that public officials be independent, impartial, and responsible to the people. Governmental decisions and policies must be made in the proper channels of the governmental structure. Public office may not be used for personal gain. Citizens must have confidence in the integrity of their government officials.

 Public officials are agents of public purpose and hold office for the benefit of the public. They are bound to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Minnesota, and to carry out impartially the laws of the nation, state and municipality so as to foster respect for all government. They are bound to observe in their official acts the highest standards of morality and to discharge faithfully the duties of their office regardless of personal considerations, recognizing that the public interest must be their primary concern.

In recognition of these goals, there is an established Code of Ethics for elected or appointed public officials, citizen volunteers, and candidates for public office. The purpose of the Code is to establish ethical standards of conduct for such persons by establishing acts which are incompatible with the City's best interests and requiring disclosure of private or financial interests in matters involving the City. The provisions and purposes of this Code of Ethics are declared to be in the best interests of the City of Rochester.

Ethical Practices Board

To further the goals of the established Code of Ethics, the City of Rochester Ethical Practices Board (Board) was formed via city ordinance in December 2008.  The Board is comprised of five citizen members who are appointed by a committee consisting of the President of Rochester Community and Technical College, the Chancellor of the University of Minnesota Rochester and the highest ranking officer of the Olmsted County Bar Association not associated with the Rochester City Attorney’s Office.  Members serve a three year term and may serve up to two consecutive terms.

Scope of Responsibility

The Code of Ethics pertains to and is applicable to public officials including elected officials and city employees (including department heads and supervisors) who have the authority to approve the expenditure of funds.  Also included, but not limited to, are members of the following boards and commissions:

• Airport Commission
• Building Code Board of Appeals
• Committee on Urban Design and Environment
• Downtown Development District Advisory Board
• Energy Commission
• Ethical Practices Board
• Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Board of Review
• Heritage Preservation Commission
• Housing Board of Appeals
• Library Board
• Mayo Civic Center Commission
• Music Board
• Park Board
• Planning and Zoning Commission
• Police Policy Oversight Commission
• Public Utility Board
• Zoning Board of Appeals

Related News and Status

Status Reports / News

Related PlanScape Status on: Best Practice, Diversity and Inclusion, Governance/Public Policy

Key reports on: Rochester Ethical Practices Board

January 21, 2025: 2024 – 2026 OLMSTED COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN (CHIP) A Collaborative Community Effort Led by: Olmsted County Public Health Services, Olmsted Medical Center, and Mayo Clinic The Community Health Assessment and Planning (CHAP) Process is about improving the health and well-being of residents in Olmsted County. Every three years the community conducts a health needs assessment to determine Olmsted County’s health priorities; formulate a plan to address the needs; and publish an annual progress report. Olmsted County Public Health Services, Mayo Clinic, and Olmsted Medical Center engage with diverse partners across our community to lead this process. Read more ... January 21, 2025: Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Guidebook W.K. Kellogg Foundation Publication: Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Guidebook: "Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) is a proven method for activating our collective dreams for our children. It enables communities to look at the root cause of the issues children and families face, namely racism; to begin healing from trauma and the embedded belief system that upholds racism; and to envision and build a more equitable future." Read more ... January 18, 2025: One Olmsted: Celebrating 2024 successes of diversity, equity, and inclusion One Olmsted – Olmsted County’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiative – is about envisioning and developing a workplace and community where everyone is treated equitably. Olmsted County staff continue to make progress toward this vision and some highlights of their work in 2024 are noted below. Read more ... January 16, 2025: Immigrant RIghts and immigration services Collection of Information regarding legal services for those who live or work in Southern Minnesota.  Read more ... January 13, 2025: CAAL Ignite Grant The Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) is thrilled to announce the launch of CAAL Ignite, a new grant program offering $10,000–$15,000 to individuals, nonprofits, and small businesses in Minnesota’s Asian American community. Read more ... January 11, 2025: $2.5 Million RAISE Grant Awarded for Planning and Design of South Broadway Avenue Improvements The City of Rochester has been awarded $2.5 million in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This grant will support the South Broadway Avenue Planning Project, which aims to improve safety and connectivity on South Broadway Avenue between 4th Street and 9th Street Southeast. The RAISE funding will be utilized for planning and design phases of the project. Read more ... January 08, 2025: Rise for Youth 2025 2025 Summer Program Application Open Read more ... December 14, 2024: City Housing Support Home Ownership Creation Program - Prairie Ridge: "NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Common Council of the City of Rochester, MN hereby approves the contribution of $4,000,000 to the Prairie Ridge development to support the creation of 201 for-sale homes via the Home Ownership Creation Program.  PB Reporting regarding TIF $14M Requests (Sherman and Prairie Ridge) 2024-12-14  Read more ... December 09, 2024: Mayo Platform: A wealth of data, but how is it protected? PB Reporting: Measuring the breadth of Mayo Clinic’s medical data abundance.  Researchers beyond Mayo Clinic’s walls might make use of the Mayo Clinic Platform. Its data network, Connect, uses millions of de-identified patient records, test results, imaging, pathology reports and more from Mayo Clinic and seven other large health care systems across the world. Read more ... November 19, 2024: Workforce Development, Inc. presents The Downtown Business Pitch Day 2024 John Marshall High School eleventh grade Economics students will take center stage at the Chateau Theatre for the Downtown Business Pitch Day!  Read more ... November 14, 2024: Restorative Practices Advisory Committee Press Release: Olmsted County residents encouraged to apply for Restorative Practices Advisory Committee (RPAC) This new RPAC will bring together residents, justice system representatives, and community organizations to promote and sustain restorative practices throughout Olmsted County.  Read more ... November 11, 2024: Rochester Public Schools Referendum Nov 2024 RPS Superintendent Video and Presentation Slides Referendum to support: Strong Communities; Strong Schools; Strong Young People PB Reporting on Referendum Efforts and Results Read more ... October 24, 2024: Rochester NAACP And Mayo Clinic AD MERG Love Wins: Community Empowerment Initiative Free Workshop and Community Townhalls Press Release Read more ... October 21, 2024: RPS Family Engagement Reports Oct 2024 Reports Reading Literacy Updates Read more ... October 17, 2024: Olmsted County shares update on opioid settlement fund use Support for: Drug and Alcohol Response Team (DART), CredibleMind, "Be in the Know Olmsted" Campaign   Read more ...

Community Anchor Participation:

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Organization Life Cycle Assessment (Pause, Startup, Steady, Isolated Impact, Collective Impact  Unknown)

Steady