(a) No officer, employee or advisory board member shall knowingly:
(1) Accept or solicit, or knowingly allow his or her spouse or domestic partner to accept or solicit, any benefit from any person, group or business entity that might reasonably tend to influence the officer, employee or advisory board member in the discharge of his or her official duties;
(2) Grant in the discharge of his or her official duties any improper benefit to any person, group or business entity;
(3) Accept or solicit, or knowingly allow his or her spouse or domestic partner to accept or solicit, any benefit, including a promise of future employment, of sufficient economic value that it might reasonably tend to influence the officer, employee or advisory board member in the discharge of his or her official duties, from any person, group or business entity:
a. That is licensed or has a substantial interest in any business entity that is licensed by any city department, agency, commission or board on which the officer, employee or advisory board member serves; or
b. That has a financial interest in any proposed ordinance or decision upon which the officer, employee or advisory board member may or must act or make a recommendation; provided, however, that any officer, employee or advisory board member, and any spouse or domestic partner thereof, may accept travel and related expenses and attend ceremonial functions, provided that such acceptance and attendance have been approved by the city council prior to the occurrence of the ceremonial function.
(4) a. Disclose any confidential information gained by reason of the position of the officer, employee or advisory board member concerning the property, operations, policies or affairs of the city, or use such confidential information to advance any personal interest, financial or otherwise, of such officer, employee or advisory board member, or others.
b. This subsection (a)(4) shall not preclude disclosure of such confidential information in connection with any investigation or proceeding regarding whether there has been a violation of the standards of conduct set forth in this article.
(5) Use one’s position or office of employment, or city facilities, personnel, equipment or supplies for the private gain of the officer, employee or advisory board member, or for the private gain of his or her spouse or domestic partner.
(6) Engage or knowingly allow his or her spouse or domestic partner to engage in any exchange, purchase or sale of property, goods or services with the city, except:
a. Rendering services to the city as an officer, employee or advisory board member;
b. The paying of taxes, fines, utility service or filing fees;
c. Subject to restrictions contained in the City Charter, executing and performing any community facilities contract or plat in compliance with laws and regulations applicable to any person; provided, however, that if any city ordinance, rule or regulation allows any discretion by the appropriate officers or employees in the interpretation or enforcement of such ordinance, rule or regulation any such discretion shall be exercised in favor of the city in connection with any such community facilities contract or plat; and
d. Members of advisory boards who are not otherwise officers or employees of the city, may engage in any exchange, purchase or sale of property, goods or services with the city, or enter into a contract with the city, provided, however, that the board of which they are a member has no advisory function or cognizance, direct or indirect, present or prospective, with respect to the transaction in which such advisory board member engages or proposes to engage.
(b) No salaried officer or employee shall knowingly represent, directly or indirectly, any person, group or business entity:
(1) Before the city council or any department agency, board or commission of the city;
(2) In any action or proceeding against the interests of the city or in any litigation in which the city or any department, agency, board or commission thereof is a party; or
(3) In any action or proceeding in the municipal courts of the city which was instituted by an officer or employee in the course of official duties, or a criminal proceeding in which any officer or employee is a material witness for the prosecution.
(c) No member of a city board or commission, other than a task force, shall knowingly represent, directly or indirectly, any person, group or business entity:
(1) Before the board or commission of which he or she is a member;
(2) Before a board or commission which has appellate jurisdiction over the board or commission of which he or she is a member;
(3) Before the city council in a matter over which the board or commission of which he or she is a member has authority or an advisory function, direct or indirect, present or prospective, provided that a member of an advisory board who has been elected or appointed to serve as chair or acting chair may present a recommendation to the city council on a matter over which the advisory board has authority if a majority of the members of the advisory board have voted in favor of such recommendation;
(4) In any action or proceeding against the interests of the city or in any litigation in which the city or any department, agency, board or commission thereof is a party; or
(5) In any action or proceeding in the municipal courts of the city which was instituted by an officer or employee in the course of official duties, or a criminal proceeding in which any officer or employee is a material witness for the prosecution.
(d) No member of a task force shall knowingly represent, directly or indirectly, any person, group or business entity:
(1) Before a board or commission which has appellate jurisdiction over the task force of which he or she is a member; or
(2) Before the city council in a matter over which the task force of which he or she is a member has an advisory function, provided that a member of task force who has been elected or appointed to serve as chair or acting chair may present a recommendation to the city council on a matter over which the task force has authority if a majority of the members of the task force have voted in favor of such recommendation.
(e) The restrictions in this section do not prohibit the following:
(1) An employee or member of a city board or commission (other than city council), or his or her spouse or domestic partner, appearing before the city council or a city department, agency, board or commission to represent himself or herself in a matter affecting his or her property: provided, however, that no such person, or his or her spouse, shall appear before the board or commission of which he or she is a member;
(2) An employee or officer of an employee organization appearing before the city council or a city department, agency, board or commission to address employment matters;
(3) Otherwise eligible employees or their spouses or domestic partners from participating in federal or state-funded programs administered through the City of Fort Worth where the benefits of such programs are available to members of the general public and where the employee has no administrative, evaluative or decision-making authority concerning the program in which he or she wishes to participate;
(4) A partner, associate or relative of a member of the city council, or of a salaried officer or employee, from representing a person, group or business entity in an action or proceeding in the municipal courts of the city which was instituted by an officer or employee in the course of official duties, or in a criminal proceeding in which an officer or employee is a material witness for the prosecution; or
(5) A member of a task force from participating in or voting on any matter before the task force to which the member has been appointed, notwithstanding any other provision of this section.
(Ord. 20548-12-2012, § 1, passed 12-18-2012, eff. 12-22-2012)