Assistant town attorney provides ethics training to Stratford zoning commissioners

Assistant Town Attorney Brian (identified in the transcript as "Brianlair") gave a formal ethics training to the Stratford Zoning Commission after the May 27 agenda items. He reviewed the town charter requirement for an ethics code, the town ordinance provisions, and relevant state statutes that restrict officials from representing parties before the commission.

Brian summarized core rules: officials must avoid conflicts of interest and disclose any potential conflicts on the record; recusal requires abstaining from both deliberation and voting when a financial or personal interest exists; gifts, loans and quid-pro-quo offers are prohibited and, if a gift cannot be refused, it must be turned over to the town clerk for disposal; confidential information obtained in an official capacity may not be used for private gain.

He described the ethics commission's process: complaints must be sworn and filed in writing (within four years of an alleged violation), an initial confidential review decides timeliness and jurisdiction, and probable-cause findings trigger a public hearing with rights for respondents to counsel and cross-examine witnesses. He said the ethics commission may investigate, subpoena witnesses and documents, and recommend discipline including censure, fines or referral for prosecution.

Brian handed out the charter provision, the town ordinance, and the official complaint form and asked commissioners to sign an attendance sheet acknowledging the training. "If it sounds wrong, step back, think about it," he told the commission, summarizing the practical approach officials should take to avoid ethics violations.

The training concluded with commissioners'questions about confidentiality during probable-cause reviews; Brian explained those phases remain confidential to protect against politically motivated or baseless accusations. The training materials will be available to commissioners for reference.