TIDE ROLLS OVER LOWELL - See story and photos on pages 11-13
Vol. 26, No. 41
-FREE-
www.advocatenews.net
Free Every Friday
617-387-2200
Friday, October 13, 2017
Council nears vote on ethics and corruption policy By Brendan Clogston
T
he City Council is nearing a vote on a fraud and corruption policy that would pro-
vide for the first time a formal reporting structure for city employees. Some councillors are worried; however, that the policy would erode the separation
of powers in the city. The policy, first presented to the council by Chief Financial Officer Eric Demas earlier this year, provides a formal structure to how
FIXED RATE
MORTGAGES NO POINTS
15 YEAR
30 YEAR
3. . % % 3. 4. %
% RATE
APR*
the city deals with “fraudulent activity, misappropriation and corruption by City employees, agents, elected and appointed officials, Board and Committee members, and third parties,� including vendors, according to an unrevised copy of the document obtained by The Advocate. Many of the actions listed as “prohibited conduct� by the policy are already against the law, but perhaps more important is the reporting structure put in place for employees to report misconduct. “The primary purpose for this policy is twofold,� said Demas during a presentation
to the council Tuesday night. “One, management tone: to set a policy, not only with employees and elected officials, but also with vendors. This policy will go out with each of our new vendor policies. Number two: It produces a mechanism for employees to report, because right now that’s where our big hole is. Everything listed [in the policy] is against the law; we’re not rewriting criminal law. However, there is not current mechanism in place. If somebody in my office sees me doing something inap-
COUNCIL | SEE PAGE 14
APR*
Mortgage Department 617.381.3615 or 617.381.3616 419 Broadway • Everett 771 Salem Street • Lynnfield
For more rates visit our website at everettbank.com * "OOVBM 1FSDFOUBHF 3BUF "13 JT FòFDUJWF 0DUPCFS BOE JT TVCKFDU UP DIBOHF "MM 3BUFT BOE "13 T BSF DBMDVMBUFE CBTFE PO B MPBO GPS BO PXOFS PDDVQJFE TJOHMF GBNJMZ EXFMMJOH XJUI EPXO QBZNFOU 3BUFT BSF BMTP CBTFE PO -PBO UP 7BMVF BOE $SFEJU 4DPSFT 5IF NPOUIMZ QSJODJQBM BOE JOUFSFTU QBZNFOU GPS :FBS 'JYFE 3BUF .PSUHBHF JT QFS CPSSPXFE .POUIMZ QSJODJQBM BOE JOUFSFTU QBZNFOU GPS :FBS 'JYFE 3BUF .PSUHBHF JT QFS CPSSPXFE 5IFTF QBZNFOUT EP OPU JODMVEF UBYFT BOE JOTVSBODF :PVS QBZNFOU NBZ CF HSFBUFS JG UIF MPBO JT TFDVSFE CZ B mSTU MJFO -PBOT TVCKFDU UP DSFEJU BQQSPWBM /.-4
:H DFFHSW 0DVWHU&DUG 9LVD 'LVFRYHU
$
1.95 *$//21
RU D &RQWDFW XVD IWLRQ J OL E 1R 2
*DO 0LQ +U 6HUYLFH 3ULFH 6XEMHFW WR &KDQJH ZLWKRXW QRWLFH
tĂŜƚ ƚŽ ĹŹĹśĹ˝Ç ĆšĹšÄž ǀĂůƾĞ ŽĨ Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ ŚŽƾĆ?Äž Ĺ?Ĺś ƚŽĚĂLJ͛Ć? ĆŒÄžÄ‚ĹŻ ÄžĆ?ƚĂƚĞ ĹľÄ‚ĆŒĹŹÄžĆšÍ?
)5(( 0DUNHW $QDO\VLV 2I <RXU +RPH
Ä&#x201A;ĹŻĹŻ hĹśĹ?Ć&#x161;Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x161; Ć&#x152;ŽŏÄ&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ć? Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x161; ϲĎϳͲϰϲĎͲϰώϯϴ