A. Financial And Personal Interest Prohibited: No official or employee, whether paid or unpaid, shall engage in any business or transaction or shall act in regard to financial or other personal interest, direct or indirect, which is incompatible with the proper discharge of official duties in the public interest contrary to the provisions of this chapter or which would tend to impair independence of judgment or action in the performance of official duties.
B. Definitions:
ANYTHING OF VALUE: Any gift, favor, loan, service or promise of future employment, but does not include reasonable fees and honorariums, or the exchange of seasonal, anniversary or customary gifts among relatives and friends.
BUSINESS: Any corporation, partnership, association, organization, self-employed individual or any other legal entity which engages in profit making activities.
FINANCIAL INTEREST: Any interest which shall yield, directly or indirectly, a monetary or other material benefit to the officer or employee or to any person employing or retaining the services of the officer or employee.
PERSON: Any person, corporation, partnership or joint venture, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or other entity.
PERSONAL INTEREST: The following specific blood or marriage relationships:
1. A person's spouse, mother, father, child, brother or sister; or
2. A person's relative by blood or marriage who receives, directly or indirectly, more than one- half (1/2) support from such person or from whom such person receives, directly or indirectly, more than one-half (1/2) of his or her support.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE: Any person excluded from the definition of "public official" who is employed by the village.
PUBLIC OFFICIAL: Those persons serving in statutory elected or appointed offices provided for in chapter 61 of the Wisconsin statutes and all members appointed to boards, committees and commissions established or appointed by the village president or village board pursuant to this city code, whether paid or unpaid.
SIGNIFICANT INTEREST: Owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, at least ten percent (10%) or five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) of the outstanding stock of any business.
C. Specific Conflicts Enumerated:
1. Incompatible Employment: No official or employee shall engage in or accept private employment or render service, for private interest, when such employment or service is incompatible with the proper discharge of official duties or would tend to impair independence of judgment or action in the performance of official duties, unless otherwise permitted by law and unless disclosure is made as hereinafter provided.
2. Disclosure Of Confidential Information: No official or employee shall, without proper legal authorization, disclose confidential information concerning the property, government, or affairs of the village, nor shall such information be used to advance the financial or other private interest of the official or employee or others.
3. Gifts And Favors: No official or employee shall accept any gift, whether in the form of service, loan, thing or promise, from any person which may tend to impair his or her independence of judgment or action in the performance of his or her duties. No official or employee shall grant in the discharge of his or her duties any improper favor, service or thing of value. Any official who receives, directly or indirectly, any gift or gifts within any calendar year from any person who is known by said official or employee to be interested directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever in business dealings with the village upon which the official or employee has any influence or input or over which the official or employee has any jurisdiction, discretion or control, shall disclose the nature and value of such gifts to the village board by January 20 next following the year in which the gift or gifts are received.
No official or employee may solicit or accept, either directly or indirectly, from any person or organization, money or anything of value if it could reasonably be expected to influence the employee's official actions or judgments or be considered a reward for any action or inaction on the part of the official or employee.
An official or employee is not to accept hospitality if after consideration of the surrounding circumstances it could reasonably be concluded that such hospitality would not be extended were it not for the fact that the guest or a member of the guest's immediate family was a village official or employee. Participation in celebrations, grand openings, open houses, informational meetings, and similar events is excluded from this prohibition. This paragraph further shall not be construed to prevent candidates for elective office from accepting hospitality from citizens for the purpose of supporting the candidate's campaign.
Gifts received by an official or employee under unusual circumstances should be referred to the village board or designee within ten (10) days of receipt for recommended disposition.
4. Representing Private Interests Before Village Agencies Or Courts: No officer or employee shall appear on behalf of any private person (other than himself or herself, his or her spouse or minor children) before any village agency or municipal court. However, members of the village board may appear before village agencies on behalf of constituents in the course of their duties as representatives of the electorate or in the performance of public or civic obligations.
D. Contract With The Village: No village officer or employee who in his/her capacity as such officer or employee participates in the making of a contract in which he/she has a private pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, or is authorized or required by law to participate, or performs in regard to that contract some function requiring the exercise of discretion on his part, shall enter into any contract with the village unless within the exceptions of section 946.13, Wisconsin statutes.
E. Disclosure Of Interest In Legislation: Any member of the village board who has a financial interest or personal interest in any proposed legislation before the village board shall disclose on the records of the village board the nature and extent of such interest.
Any other official or employee who has a financial interest or personal interest in any proposed legislative action of the village board or any board, commission or committee upon which the official or employee has any influence or input or of which the official or employee is a member that is to make a recommendation or decision upon any item which is the subject of the proposed legislative action, shall disclose on the records of the village board or the appropriate board, commission or committee the nature and extent of such interest. (Ord. 2006-3, 8-21-2006)