It shall be a condition of employment of all housing authority officers and housing authority employees that they comply with the following standards of conduct for employment at all times while employed as a housing authority officer or housing authority employee:
(A) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee, or any family member, shall be employed by any business or have an interest in any business or engage in any transaction or activity which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of the housing authority officer's or housing authority employee's official duties or which might reasonably be expected to impair his or her objectivity or independence of judgment.
(B) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall solicit or intentionally use his or her position for the purpose of securing privileges or advantages for himself or herself or other persons which are not generally available to private citizens.
(C) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall accept compensation for the performance of the housing authority officer's or housing authority employee's official duties other than the salary and wages payable to him or her by reason of his or her position.
(D) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee, in the performance of his or her official duties, shall take, or fail to take, any action in order to obtain an economic opportunity for himself or herself, a member of his or her family, a business which the officer's or employee's family has an interest or any person with whom he or she maintains a close economic or personal association.
(E) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall represent, negotiate, or execute documents on behalf of a public housing authority in any transaction between a public housing authority and the officer or employee, or a member of the officer or employee's family, or a business in which the officer or employee or a member of the officer or employee's family has an interest, or a business with which the officer or employee is negotiating for or seeking a position of employment.
(F) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall directly or indirectly solicit or accept any gift under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred that the gift was intended to influence, or could reasonably be expected to influence, the housing authority officer or housing authority employee in the performance of his or her official duties. There shall be a presumption that the receipt by a housing authority officer or housing authority employee of any of the following is not in violation of this subsection:
(1) Political contributions, including the purchase of tickets to, or advertisements in journals for political or testimonial dinners, if such contribution is actually received and used for political or public purposes;
(2) A usual and customary commercial loan made in the ordinary course of business;
(3) An occasional non-pecuniary award publicly presented by a nonprofit organization in recognition of the performance of a public service; or
(4) Reasonable hosting, limited to meals or refreshments furnished in connection with public events, appearances, ceremonies, or charitable events.
(G) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall intentionally use or disclose information obtained in the course of his or her official duties, and not otherwise generally available, for the purpose of obtaining an economic opportunity for himself or herself or for any other person.
(H) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee, a member of his or her family or a business in which the housing authority officer or housing authority employee owns or controls an interest shall undertake, execute, hold or enjoy any contract for the purchase or sale of goods, services, or real or personal property made, entered into, awarded or granted by housing authority. This prohibition shall extend to the period of one year next subsequent to the termination of office or employment.
(I) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall participate as a bidder or purchaser in any auctions conducted by a public housing authority.
(J) No family member of a housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall be hired by the department in which the housing authority officer or housing authority employee serves, if the housing authority officer or housing authority employee has any management authority over the position. This provision shall not apply to any person employed prior to the effective date of this subchapter, nor to any contract entered into prior to that date.
(K) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall be prohibited from making an inquiry for information on behalf of another person, if no fee, reward or other thing of value is promised to, given to or accepted by the covered individual or family member, whether directly or indirectly, in return therefor.
(L) Nothing herein shall prohibit any housing authority officer or housing authority employee, or family member, from representing himself or herself, or themselves, in negotiations or proceedings concerning his, her, or their employment with any public housing authority.
(M) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall solicit, accept or agree to accept any economic opportunity upon an agreement or understanding that his or her vote, opinion, judgment, exercise of discretion or other action as a housing authority officer or housing authority employee will thereby be influenced.
(N) No housing authority officer or housing authority employee shall engage in conduct that constitutes a violation of the standards of conduct established by this section. It shall be the housing authority officer's or housing authority employee's duty to determine if a potential violation could occur, to avoid violating these standards of conduct, if possible, or where applicable, to disclose a violation or potential violation as follows:
(1) A housing authority officer or housing authority employee may seek an advisory opinion from the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Ethics Commission to determine whether a violation occurred or could occur.
(2) If the housing authority officer or housing authority employee determines that a violation or potential violation of these standards of conduct exists, that individual shall, if possible, be screened from participating in the matter and the matter shall be assigned to another individual those action in the matter would not constitute a violation of these standards of conduct.
(O) A housing authority officer or housing authority employee, other than in performing duties in making payments to other housing authority officers or housing authority employees as provided by law, shall not pay or offer to pay any housing authority officer or housing authority employee any compensation for the performance of official duties.
(Lou. Metro Ord. No. 72-2003, approved 4-16-2003; Lou. Metro Am. Ord. No. 52-2010, approved 3-25-2010) Penalty, see § 21.99