The Alpharetta City Council recently amended the city’s Code of Ethics and Conduct after determining the existing ordinance presented some difficulties with board composition and deadlines.

The amended ordinance calls for the Board of Ethics be composed of five individuals, who will serve four-year terms. Three members and one alternate must be attorneys, and two members and one alternate must be residents who have lived in the city for at least one year. In all cases, members cannot be, or ever have been, an employee or city official, and are not the spouse, parent, child or sibling of an existing or former employee or city official. Members, or their immediate family members, cannot be doing business with the city or any sitting council member.

The amended ordinance also outlines how quickly ethics complaints must be addressed.

The new ordinance will become effective immediately and the process of establishing ethics board members will begin.