WHITE LAKE — The White Lake Town Council adopted a resolution on Tuesday for the creation of a Code of Ethics, according to Town Clerk Brenda Clark. Not in attendance were Councilmen James Melvin and Don Smith.

Session law 2009-403 enacts a new general statute, G.S. 160-A-83, which requires all North Carolina cities, counties, local boards of education, unified governments, sanitary districts and consolidated city-county governments to adopt a resolution of policy containing a code of ethics to guide actions by the governing body members in the carrying out of their duties. The resolution must be adopted on or before Jan. 1, 2011, according to the session law.

According to information provided in the agenda communique, the session law also requires the members of the governing board to receive at least two hours of ethics education within 12 months after being elected to office or appointed and again within 12 months of being re-appointment or re-elected. The ethics training must cover the laws and principles which govern conflicts of interest and ethical standards of conduct at the local government level.

The council also adopted a resolution concerning Halloween, said Clark. The resolution established the hours between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. for trick-or-treating activities on Saturday, Oct. 31.

In other business:

• The council voted in favor of a budget amendment to appropriate $32,241 in Powell Bill funds to complete Phase III of the Turtle Cove paving project, according to Clark.

• The council voted to approve a fire service contract between Bladen County and White Lake Volunteer Fire Department to furnish and provide continuing fire protection services to all properties lying within the boundaries of the White Lake Fire District, said Clark.