Lawrence ethics policy up for debate; restrictions on hiring relatives also to be discussed

Lawrence city commissioners will soon consider various updates to the city’s ethics policy, which has not been updated in nearly 30 years.

At its meeting Tuesday, the commission will consider adopting a revised ethics policy for city employees, elected officials and appointed officials. City Manager Tom Markus is proposing the updates to the policy, which was originally created in 1991.
Markus said the proposed changes aren’t the result of a recent incident, but that such policies simply need to be reviewed and updated every so often. He said the update creates transparency and dialogue, and also serves as a public message to everyone regarding how city business is to be conducted.