No officer or employee of the city or the Commission who, in the course of employment duties is required to participate in the determination of abandoned urban property or blighted property or deteriorated property, or the issuance of notices on violations which may lead to a determination of abandoned urban property or blighted property or deteriorated property, shall acquire any interest in any property declared by the Commission or the City Council to be abandoned urban property or blighted property or deteriorated property, if such officer or employee owns or has a financial interest, direct or indirect, in any property certified to be abandoned urban property or blighted property or deteriorated property, he or she shall immediately disclose in writing such interest to the Commission and to the City Council and that disclosure shall be entered in the minutes of the Commission and of the City Council. Failure to so disclose such interest shaft constitute misconduct in office. No payment shall be made to any officer or employee for any property or interest therein acquired by the city from such officer or employee unless the amount of such payment is fixed by court order in eminent domain proceedings or unless payment is unanimously approved by the City Council otherwise, such payment shall be escrowed by the City Clerk for distribution to such unaffiliated person or persons as may be determined by court order to be persons with a lawful interest in such property free of any conflict of interest under this subchapter.
(Ord. 150.20, passed 2-14-2005)