The Fond du Lac city council held it’s first meeting this week after one of it’s members was found in violation of one section of the city’s ethics code and there was no mention of the matter. Earlier this month the city’s Ethics Board said council member Ben Giles violated the Dedicated Service section of the Ethics Code when he sought outside counsel after the city attorney’s advised him not to participate in council debates and votes concerning the Lakeside Park Master plan. But city manager Joe Moore says the Board left it up to the council to decide if Giles would face any penalty. There was no discussion at this week’s city council meeting and Giles declined comment when asked about it after the meeting. The board says Giles kept the council and city officials in the dark when he attempted to create a back channel to obtain an opinion favorable to his desired outcome putting the city at risk of liability. The Board found that Gileswas not in violation of the Code’s sections of Fair and Equal Treatment and Conflict of Interest.
