(A) Conflict of interest.
(1) A person governed by this Code shall not engage in or participate in any business or transaction, nor have an interest, direct or indirect, which is incompatible with the proper discharge of his or her official duties in the public interest, or would tend to impair his or her independent judgment or action in the performance of his or her official duties.
(2) A person governed by this Code shall not be financially interested or have any personal beneficial interest, in any contract or purchase order for any supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services furnished to or used by the board, agency or commission of which he or she is a member, or of which he or she is an employee. Notwithstanding the above, no member of the Board of Selectmen and no member of the Board of Finance shall be financially interested, or have any personal beneficial interest, either directly or indirectly, in any contract or purchase order for any supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services furnished to or used by any board, agency or commission of the town.
(a) A town official, officer or employee shall refrain from voting upon or otherwise participating in any matter if he or she, or a member of his or her immediate family, has a financial or personal interest in the transaction or contract, including, but not limited to, the sale of real estate, material, supplies or services to the municipality.
(b) Notwithstanding the prohibition in division (A)(2)(a) above, a town official, officer or employee may vote or otherwise participate in a matter if it involves a determination of general policy and the interest is shared with a substantial segment of the population of the town.
(3) Any public official or public employee who has a conflict of interest, direct or indirect, in any contract, transaction or decision within the purview of his or her official responsibilities shall disclose that conflict of interest. Such disclosure shall disqualify the public official or public employee from participation or deliberation in the matter, transaction or decision. Such disclosure shall be made in executive session of an agency at the request of the public official or the public employee.
(B) Financial interest. A person governed by this Code who has a financial or personal interest in any transaction or contract with the town, including, but not limited to, the sale of real estate, materials, supplies or services to the town, in which he or she may be called upon to act in his or her official capacity shall not vote or otherwise participate in the transaction on behalf of the town. That person shall declare on the record that he or she has a conflict of interest that disqualifies him or her from participating and voting.
(C) Town-owned property. A person governed by this Code shall not request or permit the use of town-owned vehicles, equipment, facilities, material or property for personal convenience or profit, except when such town property is available to the general public as a result of a policy adopted in the interest of the town.
(D) Appearance of impropriety.
(1) No public official or public employee shall accept a gift or engage in private employment or render services when the gift, employment or services:
(a) Are incompatible with the proper discharge of the official duties of the public official or public employee; or
(b) Could tend to impair independence of judgment or action by the public official or public employee, in the performance of his or her official duties.
(2) To avoid even the appearance of impropriety or creation of a situation that would be contrary to the declared policy and purpose of the Code, a public official or public employee, not otherwise restrained by the code, shall exercise care when appearing before other agencies and shall disclose whether he or she is appearing in his or her official capacity or as a private citizen.
(Ord. passed 8-2-2007)