7: Ethics Flashcards
Are social media posts public record?
Unclear; consult state and local regulations to determine if social media posts are considered public record.
What to do if data seems older for some high need neighborhoods and if a project seems to be near the planning directors house
Contact your Ethics Officer for the best course of action.
Jeff resigned his position as the City Planner for Plannersville two years ago to take a position with a local developer. Jeff is now responsible for presenting a case before the Planning Commission to rezone a property from single family to commercial for a shopping mall. While Jeff was a city planner, he worked hard to prevent regional shopping in this area of the city. Is Jeff acting ethically by presenting this case to the commission?
No, because he is in violation of the AICP Code of Ethics.
We shall not accept an assignment from a client or employer to publicly advocate a position on a planning issue that is indistinguishably adverse to a position we publicly advocated for a previous client or employer within the past three years unless
Can you discuss rezoning cases during non-office times in public locations?
“We shall not engage in private discussions with decision makers in the planning process in any manner prohibited by law or by agency rules, procedures, or custom.” It is customary to engage in discussions about rezoning cases during office hours. It would be inappropriate to discuss this at a party in a public location
Conflicts of interest AICP Code of Ethics
- Reviewing a rezoning case for a property your brother owns
- Accepting a bribe from a homeowner
- Working for a developer who has a case before your employer
If you notice a planner on your staff who has violated the AICP code of ethics - what should you do?
Sit down with the employee and discuss the ethics issue, that this represents a violation of the AICP Code of Ethics and explain your reporting obligation.
Situation - 3 friends who worked for a developer before they worked for the city. One of the planners returns to the development firm. How does this change the personal and professional relationship to the planner?
It will change because the director will need to make sure that permitting cases from the developer are assigned to him rather than the staff planners who are friends.
Can planners work on a staff report for a development, recommending NO to rezone. & then 2 years later accept position with the developer for that project?
NO - unethical - should have waited 3 years to accept that position because it’s advocating for a different position than you had initially advocated for.
Does AICP code of ethics prohibit political involvement?
NO
You are a county planner and you submit a draft plan to the plan commission. But you do not inform them that the draft is largely based on another county’s plan. At a county board meeting, a resident makes a charge of plagiarism. The board chair defends the plan, noting that copying from other public documents is standard practice.
Did you violate the ethics code?
Yes. You committed a wrongful act reflecting adversely on her professional fitness (Rule 25), and you will most likely receive a Confidential Letter of Admonition.
You would like to run for city council in the city where you live. You work as a planner in a neighboring town. Does that raise an ethical issue?
It is OK to run for office, but you should request written permission from the town manager. You should be very careful to recuse yourself from issues that could be perceived as conflicts of interest where you work.
You are a senior planner and an alumni group from the planning school that you graduated from is raising money for a scholarship fund. The group has asked you to solicit donations from consulting firms, many of which have worked on city projects with your department. What should be your response?
Suggest that the alumni group ask another alum—perhaps someone in the private sector (or a retired planner)—to solicit donations from consulting firms.
You are a salaried employee at a large planning consulting firm. A small landscape design firm has asked you to be a sub-consultant on a subdivision proposal it is submitting to a local government. Is it OK to accept the sub-consulting job, according to the AICP Code of Ethics?
Yes, but only if you receive written permission from your main employer, per Rule of Conduct #4.
You are a staff planner working on a rezoning proposal for a transit-oriented development (TOD) corridor, in accordance with a new subarea plan. A member of the public tells you that you have a conflict of interest since you live two blocks from the TOD corridor—and the rezoning could increase the value of your own house. You ask your supervisor if another staff planner could work on the project. Your supervisor says that, due to staff constraints, you need to work on the project. But, he says, you should disclose this potential conflict of interest at all public meetings.
Will you be accused of violating the AICP Ethics Code?
No, since you advised your supervisor and fully disclosed your ownership interests at all public meetings.
You are a staff planner for a city and you live 30 miles away in a different city. The mayor of the city where you live asks if you would be willing to serve on your city’s Plan Commission. There are no extraterritorial jurisdiction issues between the two communities—and they also are located in two different counties. Would serving on the Plan Commission of your home city be an ethical problem?
No, since membership on the Plan Commission is not considered “employment.”
