Ethics Panel to Study Ways to Evaluate Administrators

Responding to criticism over its firing last fall of Executive Director Benjamin Bycel, the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission moved Thursday to establish new procedures for evaluating and removing top administrators of the watchdog agency.

The commission voted 3-1 to support an ordinance that would require it to conduct annual performance reviews of the executive director, and to give the director written notification of intent to fire him or her at least seven days before taking such action. That warning would also give the executive director a chance to present his or her side of the situation, although the commission would retain the right to fire the director without cause.

Bycel, the agency’s first chief, was ousted with little warning and without explanation last fall.

The legislation now returns to the City Council’s rules and elections committee.