WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Westerville City Council on Feb. 10 received dual training sessions on state ethics laws and Ohio’s public records and open meetings requirements, with presenters urging council members to err on the side of transparency and to consult legal staff before acting.

No formal votes were taken during the meeting, which was devoted entirely to the two presentations.

Susan Willockie, education and communications manager for the Ohio Ethics Commission, led the first session. A 20-year veteran of the commission and a Westerville resident, Willockie outlined the state’s ethics statutes covering conflicts of interest, gifts, public contracts and post-employment restrictions.

Willockie described the origins of Ohio’s ethics laws in the wake of the Watergate scandal, but emphasized that the statutes serve a broader purpose than punishing corruption.

“The real why of the ethics law is to protect the public’s trust,” she said, adding that the law applies to all public servants regardless of whether they are hired, elected or appointed.

She encouraged council members to use the commission’s resources, including fact sheets, webinars and a biweekly podcast that she hosts. “If you like true crime, or if you just like laughing self-righteously at those who made poor decisions, join us on our podcast,” Willockie said.

The second presentation focused on the Ohio Public Records Act and the Open Meetings Act. Law Director Andrew Nies and Assistant Law Director Josh delivered the training, covering digital communication best practices and real-world examples of violations.

Nies highlighted the Cincinnati “gang of five” case as a cautionary tale about serial meetings and consensus-building outside of public view. He warned that group texts, emails, chats and phone calls involving a majority of council members discussing public business could constitute an illegal meeting.

“If it’s anything that documents city activities, assume it may be a public record and subject to disclosure,” Nies said. “Anytime there’s a majority involved in discussing or deliberating public business, assume it’s a meeting.”

Council members were advised to use city accounts for city business and to consult the clerk or law department with questions about records or meeting requirements.

During a question-and-answer period, one council member asked whether mentioning the content of an attorney-client privileged email could waive that privilege. Nies said that simply referencing an email’s existence likely would not, but conveying specific legal advice could.

“If your spidey sense is tingling that this could be a public record that could portray you or the city in a negative light, think about it before you send it,” Nies said. “Or reach out to our phenomenal clerk, the public records designee, or your team in the law department.”

The meeting adjourned after the training sessions. Council members were encouraged to contact the Ohio Ethics Commission or the city’s law department with any further questions.