No public official or employee of the City shall knowingly:
1. Engage in any business or transaction or have a financial or other personal interest, direct or indirect, which is incompatible with the proper discharge of his or her official duties or would tend to impair his or her independence of judgment or action in the performance of his or her official duties;
2. Engage in or accept private employment or render services for private interests when such employment or service is incompatible with the proper discharge of his or her official duties or would tend to impair his independence of judgment or action in the performance of his or her official duties;
3. Disclose confidential information concerning the property, government or affairs of the governmental body for which he or she serves or is employed without proper legal authorization, or use such information to advance the business, financial or other private interests of himself or herself or others. Information shall be deemed confidential if it is not subject to disclosure pursuant to the Kentucky Open Records Act at the time of its use or disclosure;
4. Accept any valuable gift, whether in the form of service, loan, thing or promise, from any person, firm or corporation which to his or her knowledge is interested directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever in business dealings with the City; provided, however, that any such public official or employee who is a candidate for public office may accept campaign contributions and services in connection with any such campaign;
5. Represent private interests in any action or proceeding before the governmental body for which he or she serves or is employed without consulting and receiving written consent from the City. This standard of conduct shall not be construed to prevent a public official or employee from appearing, without compensation, before any governmental body of the City to express his or her personal views as a private citizen. No public official shall be prohibited from making any inquiry for information on behalf of a constituent, if no compensation, reward or other thing of value is promised to, given to, or accepted by the public official, whether directly or indirectly, in return for the inquiry;
6. Use or attempt to use his or her official position to secure special privileges, exemptions, personal or financial gain, or to avoid consequences of illegal acts for himself or herself, any family member, or others;
7. Become delinquent for a period of more than 45 days to the City or to any city board or agency; or
8. Vote to be reimbursed for funds expended in the performance of duties related to the City or City Agency; or,
9. Engage in illegal or unethical behavior, whether committed on or off duty, including, but not limited to:
a. conduct that violates a federal, state or local law or ordinance, (excluding traffic violations) whether or not the violation relates directly to the duties of the public official;
b. conduct that violates City policies related to theft or misuse of public funds or property; or
c. conduct that violates City ordinances and regulations applicable to the general public including, but not limited to, the property maintenance code, the zoning ordinance and the payment of property tax, net profit license fees and occupational license fees.
(Ord. BG94-52, 12/13/94; Ord. BG96-5, 2/20/96; Ord. BG99-53, 10/19/99; Ord. BG2008-48, 9/16/2008; Ord. BG2011-50, 12/20/2011; Ord. BG2020-31, 10/20/2020)