To: Members of the Ethics Commission
From: LeeAnn Pelham, Executive Director
Subject: Agenda Item 9 – Executive Director Report for July 2022
Summary and Action Requested
This report provides various programmatic and operational highlights since the last Executive Director’s
Report. No action is required by the Commission, as this item is for informational purposes only.
Chair Lee’s June 10 Statement on Status of Commission’s Ethics Reform Work
As discussed at last month’s meeting following the Commission’s closed session item on the status of the meet and confer process on the Commission’s proposed ballot measure and regulation amendments to strengthen those laws in the wake of recent corruption scandals, Commission Chair Lee issued a statement designed to report back to the public on the status of that work. A copy of Chair Lee’s June 10 statement appears on the Commission’s news page. The Chair’s statement also ran as a June 14 opinion piece in the Wind Newspaper, an English Chinese bilingual newspaper serving the San Francisco Bay Area.
Staff News
I am happy to announce that Peter Lauterborn will be joining the Commission staff this month as our new Ethics@Work Training & Outreach Manager. As you know, we are building this program to help more broadly equip those involved in City decision-making with practical knowledge and skills to effectively navigate ethical challenges in public service. Through strategic communications, in-person and online workshops, and focused outreach, this new program will be designed to engage and inform city officials, employees, contractors, and other key stakeholders to raise awareness, develop common understanding, and improve compliance with government ethics laws. As a member of the staff senior leadership team, and in leading a team of three Ethics@Work outreach and training specialists, Peter will develop and execute strategic communication and training plans, design learning content, and deliver practical training for a diverse range of audiences and organizations.
Peter brings over 14 years of professional experience in civic and public sector engagement, communications and training to his new role with the Ethics Commission. For the past five years, Peter has been with Civic Edge Consulting, where he led project management for stakeholder outreach across multiple public-sector client teams, conducted in-person facilitation, and also directed the company’s pivot to remote training, workshops and webinars at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Peter has most recently served as the company’s Vice President for Civic Engagement and Planning, where he managed multiple cross-disciplinary project teams and was the point person for supporting executive-level public sector clients and their programmatic campaigns. Peter’s prior experience also includes City service as Legislative Aide to former Supervisor Eric Mar, where his portfolio included the areas of education, environment, public transit and utilities, and as Youth Vote Coordinator for the Department of Children, Youth & Their Families, where he directed the city education programs’ educational curriculum. Peter holds a BA in History from San Francisco State.
We look forward to welcoming Peter on his first day with the Commission on July 25 and to providing further updates on our Ethics@Work team hiring progress at next month’s Commission meeting.
FY23-24 Budget
On June 15, the Board of Supervisors’ Budget and Appropriations Committee heard a presentation on the Ethics Commission’s FY23 departmental budget. Following the Staff presentation the Committee did not discuss the Commission’s budget and did not have questions for Staff. The City’s new budget for the fiscal year is expected to be adopted this month.
Lobbying Data
During the Commission’s discussion of the Executive Director’s report at its June meeting, Commissioner Bush asked if the staff could provide information at the July meeting regarding certain lobbyist disclosures required to be reported monthly under the City’s Lobbying ordinance.
- What are the total amount of payments promised to clients of Lobbyists reported to date in 2022?
$5.38 reported million in calendar year 2022 as of May 31, 2022 - What is known about lobbying contacts and the purpose of those contacts during this time?
A large portion of the 1,600+ reported contacts were with City staff reported by Permit Consultant/Contact Lobbyists, as well as many by persons who reported contacts with City staff at the San Francisco Employee Retirement System (SFERS) regarding Assembly Bill 1743.
Revenues Report
The table below reflects revenues received by the Commission for Fiscal Year 2022 as of June 30, 2022.
| Account Description | FY21-22 Original Budget | FY21-22 Actuals as of 6/30/2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Other General | $2,450 | $500 |
| Campaign Disclosure Fines | $50,000 | $15,331 |
| Lobby Fines | $2,000 | $8,800 |
| Campaign Consultant Fines | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Economic Interest Fines | $1,250 | $170 |
| Other Ethics Fines | $7,500 | $54,067 |
| Lobbyist Registration Fee | $85,000 | $125,500 |
| Campaign Consultant Registration Fee | $7,000 | $11,600 |
| Total | $157,200 | $218,968 |
I look forward to answering any questions you may have at the upcoming Commission meeting.