Reports to the Executive Director
Seattle Mun. Code ch. 4.20, subch. III, § 4.20.830
in effect4.20.830 - Reports to the Executive Director
The following applies to any report of improper governmental action made to the Executive Director.
A. Reports. A report of improper governmental action should be made within 12 months of when a reasonable person similarly situated to the reporting employee would have become aware of the occurrence. The Executive Director may initiate an inquiry of an occurrence falling outside of this time limitation if he or she believes that doing so is in the public interest.
B. Inquiry. Within 14 days after receiving an assertion of alleged improper governmental action, the Executive Director shall conduct a confidential preliminary inquiry to determine if the facts as asserted would constitute improper governmental action. The Executive Director shall communicate the results to the reporting individual along with the actions, if any, that will be taken. If, after a preliminary inquiry, the Executive Director determines that the facts as asserted would constitute improper governmental action, the Executive Director shall make a mandatory or discretionary referral, or may open an investigation.
C. Mandatory and discretionary referral
1. Mandatory referral. The Executive Director shall refer an employee making the following allegations as follows:
a. Sexual harassment to any management representative, the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Washington Human Rights Commission, or other governmental official as set out in the City's adopted procedure for reporting sexual harassment complaints;
b. Violations of the Fair Employment Practices ordinance to the Office for Civil Rights;
c, Allegations regarding misconduct by Seattle Police Department personnel to the Seattle Police Office of Professional Accountability; or
d. Allegations of violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct to the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
2. Discretionary referral. The Executive Director may refer a report to the chief elected official of the branch of government named in the allegation or to other governmental agencies the Executive Director believes better suited to investigate the allegation.
a. When the Executive Director makes a discretionary referral pursuant to this chapter, the cooperating employee shall be notified before the referral is made.
b. Within 60 days of a discretionary referral being made by the Executive Director, the City official or agency head receiving the referral shall personally or through their designated representative, respond to the Executive Director with the agency's plan to investigate and/or resolve the concern. If the Executive Director does not receive an agency's plan or, if within a reasonable time the agency does not complete the plan, the Executive Director may alert the Mayor and the City Council.
D. Investigation
1. The Executive Director shall investigate alleged violations of the Elections Code according to Section 2.04.070 and the Ethics and Election Commission's Administrative Rules; alleged violations of the Ethics Code according to Section 4.16.090 and the Ethics and Election Commission's Administrative Rules; and, alleged violations of the Lobbying Code according to Chapter 2.06 and the Ethics and Election Commission's Administrative Rules.
2. Investigations of improper governmental action that do not assert violations of the Ethics, Election or Lobbying Code shall be completed within a period of six months. If an investigation cannot be completed within that time the Executive Director must inform the employee who reported the concern as to the reason why and estimate the completion date of the investigation.
3. Completion and Reports. Upon completion of the investigation, the Executive Director shall issue a report summarizing the facts and determining whether there is reasonable cause to believe that improper governmental action occurred.
4. If the Executive Director determines there is reasonable cause to believe an improper governmental action has occurred, the Executive Director shall report the nature and details of the activity to the reporting employee; the head of the agency with responsibility for the action; and, if an agency head is implicated, to the Mayor and City Council, and such other governmental officials or agencies as the Executive Director deems appropriate.
E. Response by the City agency. The head of the agency in which the conduct took place, or their designated representative, shall report to the Executive Director within 60 days what action was taken to address the conduct. The Executive Director shall report the resolution to the reporting employee. If the Executive Director determines that satisfactory action to follow up the report is not being taken, the Executive Director shall report his or her determination to the Mayor and the City Council.
F. Closure. The Executive Director may close an inquiry or investigation at any time he or she determines that no further action is warranted and shall so notify the reporting employee.
G. Decisions of the Executive Director under this section are not appealable to the Ethics and Elections Commission.
(Ord. 124362, § 5, 2013; Ord. 117039, § 1(part), 1994; Ord. 116368, § 92, 1992; Ord. 116005, § 11, 1991; Ord. 115464 § 1(part), 1990.)
Source: City of Seattle, Seattle Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT4PE_CH4.20COWOCOGE_SUBCHAPTER_IIIREHIPR_4.20.830REEXDIFetched: 11/1/2026