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Lobbyist Ordinance <br />June 21, 2022 <br />Page 2 <br />2 <br />8 <br />0 <br />6 <br />Reporting requirements, such as the frequency of disclosures, registration fees, <br />and other prohibited activities; and <br />Fines or other penalties for failing to follow the ordinance. <br />Following the presentation, the Mayor and Council discussed the report and regulations <br />requiring registration by lobbyists in comparable cities and directed that a draft ordinance <br />be prepared for further consideration. <br />Major observations from the May 3, 2022, meeting which guided the development of the <br />draft ordinance, are provided below. <br />The Mayor and City Council support efforts to bring further transparency to <br />government decision-making. <br />Lobbyists can organize voices, build momentum for projects and issues, and <br />provide technical or specialized information, but these interests should be <br />balanced with the community’s right to know the interests that attempt to influence <br />decisions by government and to evaluate whether these interests create undue <br />influence over decision-makers. <br />In November 2021, the Mayor and City Council amended the City’s Sunshine <br />Laws. The initial draft of this ordinance included requirements related to lobbyist <br />registration and reporting that should be considered as a new proposed ordinance <br />as developed. <br />In defining “lobbyist,” emphasis should be placed on people, businesses and other <br />entities including non-profit organizations that are paid to engage decision-makers <br />in a manner to influence a position on an item. <br />The definition of “lobbyist” should be based on the amount of compensation <br />received rather than on the number of hours the lobbyist worked. This will facilitate <br />administration of the ordinance and avoid potentially burdensome timekeeping <br />requirements for lobbyists and City staff. <br />Residents, community groups, neighborhood associations, and other stakeholders <br />expressing their views to individual Council members or at public meetings should <br />be exempt from lobbyist regulations. <br />The names of city officials the lobbyist has spoken to should be disclosed. <br />Various penalty options should be considered including a fine as a first offense <br />with additional penalties accruing for flagrant or ongoing violations. <br />Language should be clear, and to the extent possible, easy for lobbyists to comply <br />with and for staff to administer. A goal is to ensure program costs are recovered <br />and the program is sustainable. <br />Lobbyist registration and reporting should continue to be discussed as a possible <br />Charter amendment. <br />As suggested, the initial draft of the ordinance that included regulations pertaining to <br />lobbyists developed by the City Attorney’s Office was used by Management Partners as <br />a starting point in drafting the new regulations for consideration. Also utilized were the <br />new article and numbering protocols identified therein. New or revised language was