(A) Purpose. Decisions about hiring, promoting, evaluating, awarding salary increases, job assignments, terminating employees, and the awarding of contracts for goods and services, and public works projects should be based on qualifications, performance, and ability of the employee or contractor. Every attempt to avoid favoritism and conflicts of interest in employment-related and contractual decisions promotes confidence in the electorate in its leaders and government. The purpose of this policy is to prohibit certain individuals from being employed by the town in such a position in which a relative, as defined below, provides direct supervision. Additionally, this policy regulates contracting with relatives of individuals employed by, or elected to, represent the town for goods, services, and public works projects.
(B) Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
BREAK IN EMPLOYMENT. Termination, retirement, or resignation of an employee from the town. A BREAK IN EMPLOYMENT does not occur due to absence form the workplace while on paid or unpaid leave, including, but not limited to, vacation, personal days, sick or family medical leave, or worker’s compensation leave, or if the employment is terminated followed by immediate re-employment by the town without loss of payroll time.
DIRECT LINE OF SUPERVISION. An elected officer or employee who is in a position to affect the terms and conditions of another individual’s employment. Such affect may include, but is not limited to, making decisions about work assignments, compensation, grievances, advancement, or performance evaluation. Decisions and action taken by the Town Council regarding the passage of annual salary ordinances, annual budgets, and personnel policies are excluded from this definition.
ELECTED OFFICIAL. The Town Council and the town’s Clerk-Treasurer.
EMPLOYED. An individual who works for, or is appointed to, any department or board of the town on a full-time, part-time, temporary, intermittent, seasonal, hourly, or contractual basis.
MEMBER OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. The Fire Chief and any firefighter appointed to the Town Fire Department or Township Fire Department.
MEMBER OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. The Police Chief and any police officer appointed to the Town Police Department.
RELATIVE. Any of the following: spouse; parent or step-parent, grandparent or step-grandparent; child or step-child (includes an adopted child); sister, brother, step-sister, step-brother (includes sister or brother by half-blood); niece or nephew; aunt or uncle; daughter-in-law or son-in-law; sister-in-law or brother-in-law; and first cousin.
TOWN. The Town of Georgetown, Indiana and its boards and departments.
(C) Employment policy.
(1) Individuals who are relatives, as defined in division (B) above, of existing employees may not be employed by the town in a position that results in one relative being in the direct line of supervision of the other relative.
(2) An individual who was employed by the town on July 1, 2012, is not subject to this nepotism policy unless the individual has a break in employment, as defined herein, with the town.
(3) If an individual is employed by the town and the individual’s relative begins serving a term of elected office, the individual may continue his or her employment with the town and retain his or her position or rank even if that individual’s position or rank would be in the direct line of supervision of the individual’s relative.
(4) While an individual who is employed by the town and the individual’s relative begins serving a term of elected office may continue his or her employment with the town, that individual may not be promoted to a position or rank if the new position or rank would place that individual within the direct line of supervision of the individual’s relative.
(D) Contracting policy. The town may enter into or renew a contract for the procurement of goods, services, or public works projects with a relative of an elected official or a business entity in which a relative has an ownership interest if:
(1) The elected official files with the town a full disclosure which must be:
(a) In writing;
(b) Describe the contract or purchase to be made by the town; and
(c) Describe the relationship the elected official has to the individual or business entity that provided the contract for goods, services, or public works.
(2) The appropriate town board or department must:
(a) Issue a certified statement that the contract amount or purchase price was the lowest amount or bid price offered; or
(b) Issue a certified statement detailing the reasons why the particular vendor or contractor was selected.
(3) The town must satisfy all other requirements of the state’s public purchasing or public works projects statutes.
(4) (a) Compliance with state codes. The elected official complies with the disclosure provisions of I.C. 35-44.1-1-4 and 36-1-21-5.
(b) Submission of compliance statements. In addition to any other disclosures or certifications required by this section, the following actions must be taken.
1. The annual report filed by the town with the State Board of Accounts under I.C. 5-11-13-1 must include the Clerk-Treasurer’s statement that the town has implemented a nepotism policy with regard to employment matters and the contracting for the procurement of goods and services.
2. Prior to December 31 of each year, each elected officer shall submit to the Clerk-Treasurer a certification, in writing, subject to the penalty of perjury, that said officer has not violated the provisions of the town’s nepotism policy with regard to employment matters and the contracting for the procurement of goods and services.
(E) Repeal. All existing employment policies, employee handbooks, and all other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this section are hereby repealed.
(F) Retroactive. This section is retroactive to July 1, 2012.
(Ord. G-13-02, passed 2-19-2013)