All town officials as defined in this subchapter shall be subject to and abide by the following standards of conduct.
(A) Interest in contract or agreement. No town official, as above defined, shall have or hereafter acquire an interest in any contract or agreement with the town other than an employment agreement with the town.
(B) Use of official position. No town official shall use his or her official position or the town’s facilities for his or her private gain, nor shall he or she appear before or represent any private person, group or interest before any department, agency, commission or board of the town except in matters of purely civic or public concern. The provisions of this division (B) are not intended to prohibit speaking before neighborhood groups, nonprofit organizations or political organizations or gatherings.
(C) Use and disclosure of information. No town official shall use or disclose confidential information gained in the course of or by reason of his or her official position to advance or promote his or her interest nor the interest of a member of his or her household or of any other person or business entity.
(D) Incompatible service. No town official shall engage in, or accept, private employment or render service for private interests, when such employment or service would be incompatible with the proper discharge of official duties or would tend to impair independence of judgment or action in the performance of official duties.
(E) Gifts. No town official shall directly or indirectly solicit any gift, or accept or receive any monetary gift in any amount nor any other gift having a value of $25 or more, whether in the form of services, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise, or any other form, under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred that the gift was intended to influence him or her, or could reasonably be expected to influence him or her in the performance of his or her official duties or was intended as a reward for any official action on his or her part. A town official may solicit money for a recognized charity, educational institution or eleemosynary organization. Legitimate political campaign contributions or solicitations shall not be considered as gifts or solicitations under the provisions of this division (E).
(F) Special treatment. No town official shall grant any special consideration, treatment or advantage to any citizen beyond that which is available to every other citizen. It is the obligation of every elected official to ensure that every citizen receives a fair and impartial hearing on any matter coming before the Town Council.
(G) Town employees and equipment. No town official shall solicit, seek or demand any gift, favor or service from any employee of the town nor the use of any town equipment, machinery, building or property. Use of town property or buildings, but not machinery or equipment, may be obtained on the same basis that any non-town official could obtain such use.
(H) Obedience to applicable laws. All Town Council members shall obey all applicable laws regarding official actions taken as a member of the Council.
(I) Performance of duties. All town officials shall faithfully perform the duties of their office.
(J) Open and public manner. Except as provided by law authorizing closed sessions, the members of the Town Council shall conduct the affairs of the Council in an open and public manner and shall comply with all applicable laws governing public records.
(Ord. passed 10-6-2009)