Sacramento Ethics Commission Meeting – March 23, 2026
Sacramento Ethics Commission Meeting – March 23, 2026
The Sacramento Ethics Commission met on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 5:30 PM in the City Hall Chamber. Commissioners present: Annette Emery, Maikhou Thao, and Chair Alan LoFaso. Commissioners Michael Kelly and Nicole Velasquez were absent. The meeting included a land acknowledgement, pledge of allegiance, approval of the consent calendar, discussion of the 2025 Annual Report, and a presentation on community outreach strategies. No public comments were received. The meeting adjourned at 6:31 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Ethics Commission Meeting Minutes (Feb. 23, 2026) – Approved unanimously (3-0).
- Ethics Commission Complaint Log – Approved unanimously.
- Sacramento Ethics Commission Follow-Up Log – Received and filed unanimously.
Discussion Items
- City of Sacramento Ethics Commission 2025 Annual Report (File 2026-00675) – Commissioners reviewed the report, which had been continued from the previous meeting. Two amendments were made: (1) changing the fifth outreach bullet from “Notomas Community Association” to “North Natomas Coalition” (per Commissioner Emery), and (2) adding the October 2025 no‑cause hearing and its evaluator costs to the list of commissioner deliberations (per Chair LoFaso). The commission voted 3‑0 to forward the amended report to the Personnel & Public Employees (P&PE) Committee for consideration and approval, with the report not requiring return to the Ethics Commission.
- Sacramento Ethics Commissioner Community Outreach Program Strategies (File 2026-00683) – Commissioner Emery and Chair LoFaso presented their experiences conducting community outreach presentations in 2025. Key points included: the need to clarify the commission’s jurisdiction (e.g., not parking tickets), the difficulty of the complaint flow chart on small screens, and the importance of encouraging citizens to file complaints. Commissioner Thao suggested adding direct language about why the commission exists, targeting a broader range of community organizations beyond neighborhood associations, and making materials available in languages other than English (currently only English). City Clerk Mindy Cuppy noted that the PowerPoint is customizable and that the NDAT Community Ambassador Program could assist with translations. The commission discussed several outreach strategies proposed by Lynette Hall (June 2025), including podcast appearances, a feature in the city’s monthly communication toolkit, tabling at events, and ongoing visibility through the city’s link tree. Chair LoFaso expressed interest in a podcast, and Commissioner Emery supported the idea. Commissioners agreed to continue outreach efforts and to track pending presentations under Commissioner Comments. No formal vote was taken; the item was received and feedback provided.
Commissioner Comments – Ideas and Questions
- Commissioner Emery shared a historical note about Luella Johnston, the first woman elected to a citywide office in California (1912), for whom the meeting room is named. She highlighted the unethical tactics used against Johnston and the importance of ethics in government.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved 3‑0.
- 2025 Annual Report amended and forwarded to P&PE Committee (3‑0).
- Outreach Strategies – received and discussed; no action required. Staff will follow up on podcast and translation opportunities.
- No public comments were made.
Note: The meeting transcript incorrectly states the date as May 23, 2026; the official agenda and minutes confirm March 23, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening everybody and welcome to the Monday, May 23, 2026 meeting of the City of Sacramento Ethics Commission. The meeting is now called to order. Thank you, Chair. Members, please unmute your microphones. Commissioner Kelly is absence. Commissioner of Velasquez is currently absent. Commissioner Tao. Here. Commissioner Emery? Here. And Chair La Faso. Here. Thank you. We have quorum. Excellent. Thank you. I'd like to remind members of the public and chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip before the item begins. I believe are on a table outside, just outside the door of the chambers. After the item is called, we will no longer accept speaker slips. Uh once you were called upon. We will now proceed with today's agenda. And we will start with the land acknowledgement and pledge of allegiance. Please rise if you are able for the opening acknowledgement in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands. To the original people of the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains, Miwok, Putwin Winton peoples, and the people of Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people's history contributions and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Under God. One, I had the unenviable task of listening to myself from the tape of the last meeting, and I saw lots of heads moving and lots of voices going in and out of the microphone. So I'm going to endeavor to keep my mouth closer to the microphone, and I'm letting you all know about that. Secondly, um like they do at City Council, I thought I might invite other members to do to get to to lead in the uh the the tribal recognition and the pledge of allegiance. Nobody has to do if they don't want to. Uh we can uh work with that at the next meeting. With that, uh next is the approval approval of the consent calendar. Mr. Chair, if I may. Yes, sir. Just as to what you brought up about the microphones. Yes. Just from prior experience, I find that they pick up best if they don't have the dip, but it are literally on a straight slant towards the mouth, more like clerk here. Okay, good practice tips. Thank you. Uh clerk, any members of the public who wish to speak on the consent calendar? Thank you, Chair. I have no speaker slips for the consent calendar. Thank you. Are there any commissioners who wish to speak on this item before we uh Commissioner Emory? Yeah. You know, I was reading through the complaint log. And I noticed that so then I went because there's one that is very similar to a bunch we had last year about cannabis donations and whether this affects council meetings, stuff like this.
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