>> we are back in open session. and at this time, we need to make a decision on whether or not we are going to disclose any aspect of the evaluation of the executive director. >> do we have a motion? >> discussion? >> i think that we probably do not want to make personnel matters public. in general those are private universally, i would say, and i think that we agree with that. >> i will make the motion that the ethics commission, not

disclose its closed session deliberation for the public employee performance evaluation. >> second. >> discussions? >> all in favor? >> aye. >> we need to do public comment. >> public comment? >> there is no public here for comment. so we will move to the vote. all this favor? >> aye. >> aye. >> unanimously passed. >> i think we will move to... >> july minutes. >> well, no, also your... oh, yes, the minutes, sorry. >> approval of the minutes of the july meeting since we did not meet in august? >> were there any corrections or admissions to the minutes of the july meeting? >> remind me again, do i vote

if i was not there? >> you have to. >> okay. >> i move that we approve the july minutes as written. >> second. the motion. questions? there is no public comment. >> all in favor? >> aye. >> the minutes are approved. >> executive directary report, mr. st. croix. >> i just want to do one highlight about the attachment to the ed report on the open data, and this third party report about how expanded the excessbility and user friendliness of our campaign finance and other align data are. and this is a good testament, to the city and of course, to

the ethics commission, and making information easier to be available. to the public. and not just to reporters, but to everybody who is interested and to point out that because of the easy access, there is more interest than ever in the information that we have. and in the charts that we are generating that we did not have the capability before makes it much easier for the people to understand and comprehend. and so the user rated is increased at a rate that we can appreciate. >> and you know it seems like the public is really benefiting by this and because the people can report on the data easily because we may not necessarily get a lot of credit into the work that we are putting into it and it does allow the public a lot of access and information about the campaign information, particularly as it is happening. >> and it is going to keep getting better. >> yes. >> what is this publication?

>> this, open innovation. >> and the company or the builder that builds the software for the city's data system, originally did a safe, a case study, on the commission's use of campaign finance. and as a follow up to that is doing a new quarterly magazine, to publish the results of the work that they do with various entities including the city of san francisco, to help make people awarofthese enhanced capabilities. >> so this is a technology publication. >> yes. >> that goes to perhaps, the tech industry? >> yeah. >> and is this their own? >> yeah it is their own. >> but they get it out there. >> and the thing, you know that i just mentioned too that we have had little blurbs here and there in chicago and new york

and other city publications about these dash boards that people use and people like them and so we get a lot of people asking us. >> and i mean if it is an in-house publication, i think that it is a good story and it is something that we can use to promote have other publications and other media or reporters. so that people know what we are doing. >> and i would certainly advocate that. >> yeah. >> and i do think that some of the work that is getting out there, and earlier this year, the chicago ethics commission is looking for an on-line filing system and they looked all over the kointry and told us that they thought that we had the gold standard. and so, people are you know, doing the research, and stuff, and the results are showing. any other highlights on the executive director's report that you would like to point out to us? >> no. >> any questions about the

executive director's report this month >> i don't have a request about the report, but you know there is not... and i wanted to talk about the training. you know, this professional development is so important and it is such a high priority at least for me and positive resource center. and i... was there ever a training budget? was there ever a line item for it? >> yes, there was. the best practices and >> we had a training budget and it was never significant. and most of the staff that the members of the staff were attorneys, and have to give them credit and so they, they pursue the trainings that they need to do, and through a combination of our budget and the city offers when they will pay for those sort of things so they do get regular training, the city offers some pie quality training for all of the staffers and auditers and folks

on the occasional basis, there used to be a lot more and used to be a lot more management level training but again with how bad the budget has been, city offered the opportunities, and were fewer and the shared cost, went up. so it diminished some of our opportunities. but we do, send the staff for training when we can and seven our it got gets regular training and he finds quality stuff and that is the kind of thing that he benefits from and just helps to improve all of this. >> how specifically thinking of the one in canada for you. and >> that would be... >> logical that we would be sending our executive director to. >> and if i can go i will. i just, figured out that we figured out that we can hire the staff that we want, so we just kind of have to see what is left over after that and plan accordingly for the year. >> if we can make that a

priority we will. >> are there any items for future meetings that you want? >> all right, where are we with, i know that there is the proposed legislation lobby, and the legislation with (inaudible) and chiu and i know that there were a couple of community forums that were had, one with specifically with non-profits i know and a few others. and hearings. and yeah, i can answer that. we are in the process of revising the lobbyist ordinance, the one that was introduced based on some of the feedback that we have had on from the non-profits and other organizations so it is an ongoing process. i don't know what the... i don't know, right now, when, we will be reintroducing a second draft, but it is, we are

actively working on it. >> great, thank you. >> in view of the fact that there are no members of the public here, we have no public comment on future agenda items. >> before we adjourn, can i this has been a rough evening on the staff and mr. st. croix. and at least on behalf of myself as one of the commissioners i hope that the staff did not or does not take the criticism to heart because it is not the way that any of us feel or know what they are really doing. and one of the thoughts that i held as if we can come up with a some method to get the word out better to the public, and us and not leave an answered, the accusations that were being made by some of the members of

the public that this commission does nothing and that the staff does nothing, and that you are trying to exempt yourself from the ethics commission oversight, because i think that they were all unfounded and unfounded comments. and thank you, commissioner renne, well put and i think that we all heartly agree with what you have just said. and we want to congratulate you, mr. st. croix, for the hard work that you have done. >> thank you. >> and also, to you specifically not take such comments when they are so negative personally, nor to heart. thank you. very much. >> do i hear a motion to adjourn? >> so moved. >> second. >> all in favor? >> aye. >> the meeting of the ethics

commission is adjourned. until next month.