The following rules govern any challenges to the city manager's or member of the city council's participation in the review and recommendation motion, or hearings regarding demands:
A. Any factual information obtained by the manager or a member of the city council outside the information provided by city staff, or outside of the formal written comments process or hearing will be deemed an ex parte contact. The manager or a member of the city council that has obtained any material factual information through an ex parte contact must declare the content of that contact, and allow any interested party to rebut the substance of that contact. This rule does not apply to contacts between city staff and the manager or member of the city council.
B. Whenever the manager or a member of the city council, or any member of their immediate family or household, has a financial interest in the outcome of a particular demand or lives within the area entitled to notice of the demand, that manager or member of the city council shall not participate in the deliberation or decision on that application.
C. All decisions on demands must be fair, impartial and based on the applicable review standards and the evidence in the record. Any manager or member of the city council who is unable to render a decision on this basis must refrain from participating in the deliberation or decision on that matter. (Ord. 606-04, 11-11-2004, eff. 12-2-2004)