(1) Agency. Any office, department, board, commission, or other entity that is part of the government of the City, including City Council.
(3) Board. Board of Ethics.
(4) Board or commission member. A member of any City of Philadelphia board or commission established by The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, The Philadelphia Code, or an Executive Order.
(5) Business. Any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, firm, enterprise, franchise, association, organization, self-employed individual, holding company, joint stock company, receivership, trust or legal entity organized for profit.
(6) City. City of Philadelphia.
(7) Commodity. Any movable or tangible thing that is produced or used as the subject of barter or sale.
(8) Family member. A parent, spouse, life partner, child, brother, sister or like relative-in-law.
(9) Financial Interest. An interest involving money or its equivalent or an interest involving any right, power or privilege that has economic value.
(10) Gift. A payment, subscription, advance, forbearance, rendering or deposit of money, services or anything of value given to, or for the benefit of, an officer or employee, unless consideration of equal or greater value is received. "Gift" shall not include a political contribution otherwise reportable as required by law, a commercially reasonable loan made in the ordinary course of business, or a gift received from a Family member of the individual or from a relative within the third degree of consanguinity of the individual or of the individual's spouse or Life Partner, or from the spouse or Life Partner of any such relative.
(11) Government entity. Any agency, office, department, board, commission, authority, or other entity that is part of the United States or a State, local, or foreign government.
(12) Income. Any money or thing or value received, or to be received as a claim on future services, whether in the form of a fee, salary, expense, allowance, forbearance, forgiveness, interest, dividend, royalty, rent, capital gain or any other form of recompense or any combination thereof.
(13) Indirect Interest in Real Estate. Any business entity the assets of which are eighty percent (80%) or more in real property.
(15) Major life event. Marriage, separation from City employment, birth or adoption of a child, death or serious illness of a family member, 25th or 50th wedding anniversary, a ceremony celebrating a religious or cultural life cycle event such as baptism, first communion, or bar mitzvah, or a similarly rare and significant event in someone's life.
(16) Money or monetary gifts. Cash, checks, money orders, or the equivalent, including pre-paid debit or gift or credit cards.
(17) Official action. An act or omission taken by an officer or employee in his or her official capacity that requires discretion and is not ministerial in nature.
(18) Officer or Employee. Any person who is elected or appointed to a position in any branch of the government of the City and/or County of Philadelphia or to any elected or appointed position which serves the City and/or County of Philadelphia including, but not limited to, members of agencies, authorities, boards and commissions however elected or appointed; persons serving full-time or intermittently; persons serving with or without compensation.
(19) Part-time Service. Service rendered by any City officer or employee who is not employed by the City on a full-time basis in any capacity. This shall include members of agencies, authorities, boards and commissions who are paid on the basis of each meeting attended.
(20) Person. A business, individual, corporation, non-profit, union, association, firm, partnership, committee, political committee, club, or other organization or group of persons.
(21) Reception. An afternoon or evening event at which only items such as appetizers, beverages, or light fare are served or a morning event at which items such as coffee, juice, pastries, or bagels are served.
(22) Relative within the third degree of consanguinity. An individual's family members and grandparent, grandchild, great-grandparent, great-grandchild, aunt who is a sister of a parent of the individual, uncle who is a brother of a parent of the individual, nephew who is a child of a brother or sister of the individual, or niece who is a child of a brother or sister of the individual.
(23) Security. Any contract, transaction or scheme whereby a person invests his money in a common enterprise and there is an expectation of profit solely through the efforts of a third party. The term security shall include, but not be limited to, any note, stock, treasury stock, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas or other mineral rights, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a "security", or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing.
(24) Solicit. To directly or indirectly request, ask, appeal for, or demand any gift, cash or otherwise, that falls within the confines and definitions of this Chapter.
(25) Subordinate. An officer or employee is the subordinate of his or her superior and of his or her superior's superiors.
(26) Superior. An officer or employee whose official duties include directing or evaluating the performance of an officer or employee and any superior of that officer's or employee's superior.
(27) Transactions Involving the City. Any proceeding, application, submission, request for a ruling, or other determination, contract, lease, claim, case, award, decision, decree, judgment or legislation including ordinances and resolutions or other particular matter which the City officer or employee in question believes, or has reason to believe (a) is or will be the subject of City action; or (b) is one to which the City is or will be a party; or (c) is one in which the City has a direct proprietary interest. This shall not include routine applications or requests for routine information or other matters which are of a ministerial nature and do not require the exercise of discretion on the part of any City officer or employee.
Notes
| 36 | Amended, Bill No. 140054-A (approved March 31, 2014). |