City Council is currently proposing significant changes to the Land Use Development Code and City Code, and with respect to vacation rentals, there appears to be a conflict of interest involving two councilors. They recently disclosed that they are involved in the business of vacation rentals (One is a principal in a vacation rental company doing business in Durango, and the other is in real estate that may handle vacation rentals in the city and has a significant other who is in the resort rental business in Durango).

They have both voted (even prior to disclosure) on the issue of vacation rentals. I am in the process of requesting an opinion and investigation from Colorado Ethics Watch, but in the meantime, request that, absent any explicit written policy on conflict of interest, the city follow the Colorado Constitution, which states: “A member who has a personal or private interest in any measure or bill proposed or pending before the general assembly, shall disclose the fact to the House and shall not vote upon such bill or measure.” There are also rules in the Constitution requiring not just disclosure but that members recuse themselves from voting.

It is regrettable that there is no written policy about such an important issue and, absent local guidance, I request that the state constitution guide the behavior of our legislators. I also request that a city policy be drafted and adopted after public input regarding ethical behavior including conflict of interest.

I ask the Herald to provide an opinion about the need for a written policy regarding ethical behavior and for our legislators to follow current state law.

The overall integrity of the legislative process is compromised significantly when our elected officials are not held to the highest ethical standards of behavior.

Joseph Gambone

Durango