Agenda Item No. 8i_attach4
Meeting Date: January 28, 2025
From:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Date:

Josh Friedmann
Hart, Michelle
Ramels, Pete; Pritchard, Aaron
[EXTERNAL] Ethics Chair"s Report to Governance Committee
Friday, November 15, 2024 6:13:31 PM

WARNING: External email. Links or attachments may be unsafe.

Dear Governance Committee Members:
My name is Josh Friedmann, and I am the current chair of the Port of Seattle's Board of Ethics
("Ethics Board").
Your three-member Ethics Board has reviewed the Port's existing Code of Ethics and the staff
team's draft package of recommended amendments to that Code. We reviewed the documents
in detail, and also held an open public meeting about them on November 11, 2024.
At this meeting, we studied the staff team's draft amendment package in detail, and had the
opportunity to ask numerous questions to the Port's legal and administrative staff about key
aspects of the amendments. Informed by our own experiences and professional backgrounds,
the Ethics Board members also suggested a few minor additions to this draft package.
At the time of the Ethics Board's November 11 meeting, no formal motion was needed, but
I'm pleased to report that we found the staff's draft to be very thoughtful and generally
excellent in quality. There may yet be places where additions or minor revisions are suggested,
but as a general matter, we commend this draft to you without reservations or concerns.
Josh Friedmann
Seattle, Wash.