Sec. 15.108. - Annual continuing education and training.

(a) Council Members and Executive Council Assistants shall receive annual training on Government in the Sunshine, open meetings laws, ethics laws, and up to one hour devoted to updates on relevant changes to or interpretations or applications of such laws, if any, or other areas of emphasis as determined by the Office of General Counsel or the City Ethics Director. The Office of General Counsel, with the assistance of the City Ethics Director, the Director/Council Secretary and other supporting agencies, shall provide annual training to assist the Council Members and Executive Council Assistants in meeting this requirement. Such training may include annual in person/live training totaling 4 credit hours, four in person/live trainings of 1 credit hour each and in person, one-on-one training as follows: (1) Council Members and their Executive Council Assistants shall be required during the first year of a Council Member's term in office to attend in person, if possible, or if unable to attend in person, following the submission of a written excusal submitted to the Director/Council Secretary, to view the recording of the current year's training provided by the Office of General Counsel, the City Ethics Director and the Director/Council Secretary. (2) Thereafter, Council Members and their Executive Council Assistants may fulfill the requirement of this Section as follows: a. attending in person or viewing the recordings of the current year's trainings provided by the Office of General Counsel, the City Ethics Director and the Director/Council Secretary, including the annual training or other Office of General Counsel, City Ethics Director and Director/Council Secretary training sessions totaling 4 credit hours per year, or b. attending in person or viewing a recording of trainings offered by external organizations such as the Florida Association of Counties, the Florida League of Cities, the Florida Commission on Ethics, and the State of Florida Attorney General's Office, and also completing, by either attending in person or viewing a recording of the current year's training provided by the Office of General Counsel, the City Ethics Director, and the Director/Council Secretary of up to one hour regarding relevant updates and changes to or interpretations or applications of Government in the Sunshine, open meetings and ethics laws, or any areas of emphasis as determined by the Office of General Counsel or the City Ethics Director. Trainings provided by external organizations shall only satisfy the requirements in this Section if such training materials have been previously approved by either the Florida Commission on Ethics or the State of Florida Attorney General's Office, or upon review and approval by the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Oversight. (b) The date and time of the annual trainings offered by the Office of General Counsel, the City Ethics Director and the Director/Council Secretary as provided in subsection (a) shall be determined by the Director/Council Secretary, City Ethics Director, and Office of General Counsel. The format and duration of these trainings shall also be coordinated by the Director/Council Secretary, City Ethics Director and Office of General Counsel and shall be sufficient to fulfill the requirements of F.S. § 112.3142. The Office of General Counsel and City Ethics Director shall notify the Director/Council Secretary of any one-on-one trainings provided to individual Council Members and Executive Council Assistants. (c) All Council Members and Executive Council Assistants attending or required to attend the annual training provided pursuant to subsection (a) shall be provided materials in electronic format. (d) In addition to the aforementioned annual training, training on Government in the Sunshine, open meetings laws and ethics shall be provided upon special request. These presentations may be given at committee or Council meetings or at other times as may be directed by the Council President. (Ord. 2007-733-E, § 1; Ord. 2008-329-E, § 1; Ord. 2010-135-E, § 1; Ord. 2013-285-E, § 1; Ord. 2016-6-E , § 1; Ord. 2025-658-E , § 1)