The possibility of forming an ethics commission, potentially on a permanent basis through an addition to the charter, is scheduled to be part of upcoming conversations by the Board of Selectmen (BOS), focused on how and when it might be formed, as well as its potential reach and responsibilities.

First Selectman Peggy Lyons said that while the need for a commission has not been as active a conversation as it was when she took office a little over a year ago, she wanted to bring the topic back as something that still needs to be addressed.

“We are also undertaking a charter review, and part of that charter review process could include forming that commission,” Lyons said.

“We’ve launched a lot of committees,” Lyons added. “So the question is, do we want to launch another one now, or do we just highly recommend that charter review process?”

The plan is to start by having a public conversation at an upcoming BOS meeting this month, according to Lyons, and see what other members want to do going forward. The town’s charter currently states somewhat vaguely that the BOS “may appoint an ethics commission consisting of no more than five members,” with no other details.

In 2019, the lack of an ethics commission in Madison became an issue due to a member of the Energy & Efficiency Committee’s relationship with a solar company that contracted with the town.

Though town lawyers had reviewed and signed off on the arrangement, the manner and timing of how it was disclosed raised questions about what was or was not being communicated to the public concerning local government.

Adding the commission through the charter by way of the year-long charter review process allows plenty of time to discuss the limitations or specific functions of an ethics commission—whether it would have any power to censure or investigate or function more in an advisory capacity—and also allows plenty of public input, Lyons said.

“I think it’s just, is this the best way to spend our time right now?” she said. “Or...do we feel that the committees that we’re doing right now are more priority needs?”

Lyons said she also saw a future ethics commission as something that will be important in the area of purchasing policy—how the town chooses vendors and suppliers. Last year before the pandemic, she had proposed hiring a full-time purchasing agent, though that had not gained much momentum due to the expense, which was estimated as somewhere in the area of a $70,000 annual salary plus benefits.

Though the pandemic has reduced discretionary purchasing, Lyons said she has been in touch with regional leaders about joint purchasing agreements and services that might need to be guided by certain ethical principles.

“I’m at least trying to tackle some of the areas where people have some concerns,” she said. “Overall I think it’s a positive thing for us to establish this. It’s just—I use this term a lot—it’s just the bandwidth right now.”