No public official shall engage in any business or transaction or shall have an interest which is incompatible with the discharge in the public interest of his/her official duties or which would tend to impair his/her independence of judgment or action in the performance of his/her official duties. Conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to the following:
A. Incompatible Employment: No public official shall engage in or accept private employment or render services for private interest when such employment or service is incompatible with the proper discharge of his/her official duties or would tend to impair his/her independence of judgment or action in the performance of those official duties.
B. Use of Information: No public official shall use any information gained exclusively from his/her public position or endeavors to in any way further his/her interests.
C. Disclosure of Confidential Information: No public official shall, without proper legal authorization, disclose confidential information concerning the property, governmental or other affairs of the City.
D. Gifts and Favors: No public official shall accept any gift of more than token value, whether in the form of a service, loan, thing or promise, from any person, firm or corporation which to the public official's knowledge is interested directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever, in business dealings with the City. Additionally, the public official shall not accept any gift, favor or thing of more than token value that may tend to influence him/her in the discharge of official duties or grant in the discharge of said duties, any improper favor, service or thing of more than negligible value. For purposes of this Section, "token value" shall mean a gift, favor or thing worth no more than twenty five dollars ($25.00).
E. Representation of Private Interests: No official whose salary is paid in full or in part by the City shall undertake any of the following actions.
1. Appearances Before City Agencies: Except as provided in subsection 1-7-7E4 of this Section, no public official shall appear on behalf of the private interests of any person or entity before any agency, board, committee, commission or other entity of the City.
2. Proceedings Involving the City: Except as provided in subsection 1-7-7E4 of this Section, no public official shall represent the private interests of a person or entity in any threatened or commenced legal action or legal proceeding in which the City is a party when such private interests are contrary to the interests of the City.
3. Consultation/Advice to Private Interests: No public official shall counsel or provide advice regarding the private interests of any person or entity with respect to a threatened or commenced legal action or legal proceeding in which the City is a party when such private interests are contrary to the City's interests.
a. The public official renounces his/her public position and authority at all times relevant to representation of his/her own interests; and
b. Such representation is limited to the public official's own interests and does not directly encompass representation of the private interests of another person or entity.
F. Contracts with the City: Except as otherwise provided in Minnesota Statutes, sections 471.87 through 471.89, no public official shall take part in the making of a sale, lease or contract for the City when he/she has an interest in the transaction; nor shall a member of the City be directly or indirectly interested in any contract the City Council makes.
G. Interest in Legislation: No public official shall use his/her official position with the City to influence the passage or defeat of legislation, whether at the Municipal or State level, in which the public official has an interest. (Ord. II.7, 6-1-93)