Kennewick council argues over conduct and ethics. Petty and embarrassing, say members

The newest member of the Kennewick City Council said their infighting makes them look “ridiculous” as this week’s council meeting ended with strong comments over their conduct and ethics.

One Kennewick city councilmen asked three others to withdraw their ethics complaint against Mayor Don Britain.

At the same meeting, Kennewick resident Jerry Martin called on Britain to resign immediately. Paperwork has been filed to start a recall petition.

Earlier this month the council, in a 4-3 vote, elected Britain to serve another term as mayor.

The vote came after Britain was fired in October from his Washington state Department of Social and Health Services following a Washington State Patrol civil investigation that confirmed he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a female client.

The three council members who did not vote for Britain for mayor filed an ethics complaint against him.

Jim Millbauer, who was elected to the council in November and sworn in later that month, asked for the withdrawal of the ethics complaint.

Millbauer said Britain is seeking due process under the terms of his union’s collective bargaining agreement.

“He is innocent until proven guilty,” Millbauer said, contending the ethics complaint should be withdrawn at least until the collective bargaining agreement process is completed.

More ethics allegations made

“I can tell you that is not going to happen,” said Councilman Bill McKay, who organized the signing of the ethics complaint. Councilmen John Trumbo and Brad Beauchamp also refused to withdraw their complaint.

“I don’t know of a business in the whole United States that would make Mr. Britain their face and I’m not sure why Kennewick did,” McKay said.

Millbauer also questioned whether Beauchamp and McKay were ethically above reproach because of the way they handled the ethics complaint.

McKay initially said at the Jan. 7 meeting that he approached all council members to ask if they wanted to sign the ethics complaint, but then corrected himself at the time and said he misspoke. He said he only contacted the council members on the board before the November election.

Millbauer continued to accuse McKay on Tuesday of making an untrue statement.

Millbauer also questioned the ethics of Beauchamp for signing the ethics complaint at the dais after being sworn into office and just before it was handed to the city clerk during the meeting.

Beauchamp said, “I am extremely ashamed to be sitting in a group of people that are going through this, that have been going through this well before I decided to run.”

He said infighting does not provide the leadership the city needs, and makes us look “completely ridiculous.”

He said he did not take signing the ethics complaint lightly, but concluded that “right is right and wrong is wrong.”

Where he signed it made no difference, and his signature was not needed to make it go forward, he said.

Ethics policy complaints

Beauchamp was concerned when the ethics code was passed last year, that the council should instead continue to resolve issues among members as it had in the past without filing formal complaints.

There also has been an ethics complaint filed against Trumbo under the new policy.

Under the new policy an ethics complaint must be signed by two council members, and an outside ethics officer determines whether the complaint is sufficient to move forward. If it is, a public hearing is scheduled and then the council may consider possible sanctions.

Beauchamp said he will be open to results of the ethics complaint against Britain.

Trumbo said, “Integrity matters.”

The issue is not whether Britain loses or retains his job, but the respect of the citizens, he said.

Councilman Charles Torelli, who voted for Britain for mayor, accused McKay of violating the open public meetings law, by in effect holding a serial public meeting by holding private discussions on the ethics complaint rather than holding discussions in an open session.

He said he’s concerned about the new ethics policy and how it differentiates between actions as a council member and actions taken unrelated to the city.

Torelli wrote the ethics complaint against Trumbo.

Grandstanding and political theater

It questioned whether Trumbo had inappropriately identified himself as a council member when he was making calls on a matter that did not appear to be related to city business.

A hearing on the ethics complaint against Trumbo is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at City Hall.

“I agree with Councilman Beauchamp. We need to get over the clown car mentality,” Torelli said. “Fortunately, the city seems to work well in spite of us.”

Grandstanding and political theater — such as submitting an ethics complaint to the clerk during a council meeting — trivialize the council, Torelli said.

Mayor Pro Tem Steve Lee did not weigh in, instead using his comment time to praise the recent snow removal in the city.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Jerry Martin said Britain should spare the city further embarrassment and step down.

The new ethics policy calls for personal integrity and for the conduct of a council member to be above reproach to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, Martin said.

Britain said that “when the facts are presented, Mr. Martin will be back up here offering an apology.”

“Truth matters,” Britain said. He is entitled to due process, but in the meantime is limited in what he can discuss, he said.

Ethics complaint tied to investigation

The state patrol investigation indicated that Britain had signed an apartment lease with one of his DSHS clients, and neighbors said that Britain, the client and her children appeared to be living in the apartment.

He used his airline miles to buy his client a ticket to Hawaii when he also went to Hawaii.

He also was involved in the process of getting benefits for his client, including a replacement gas card, a replacement nutrition benefit card, and supplies and equipment for a welding program that she was taking.

The investigation looked into the supplies approved, which included items not on the required list for the class and 12 pairs of welding gloves in a range of sizes.

Britain contends the relationship with the client was not romantic and said that was why he had not notified supervisors. He just wanted to help out the woman, he said.

Both the recall petition and the ethics complaint used the civil investigation to allege felony theft, among other allegations, because of Britain’s role in helping his client receive $2,500, most of it for the welding program.

The Washington State Patrol investigation found no criminal wrongdoing.

This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 12:50 PM.