(A) A member of the Planning Commission should abstain from voting on a matter if he or she has a bona fide conflict of interest, which conflict shall be disclosed to the Planning Commission before the member casts a vote on the matter.
(B) A conflict of interest shall include:
(1) The Planning Commission member or an immediate family member is involved in a request for which the Planning Commission is asked to make a decision. IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER is defined as the Planning Commission member’s spouse, the member’s or the member’s spouse’s children (including adopted) and their spouses, grandchildren and their spouses, parents and step-parents, brothers and sisters and their spouses, grandparents, parents in-law, grandparents in-law or any person residing in the Planning Commission member’s household;
(2) The Planning Commission member has a business or financial interest in the property which is the subject of the request or has a business or financial interest in the applicant’s company, agency or association;
(3) The Planning Commission member owns or has a financial interest in any property immediately adjoining the property involved in the request; and
(4) There is a reasonable appearance of a conflict of interest, as determined by the Planning Commission member declaring such conflict or by the remaining members of the Planning Commission as provided below.
(C) In the event of a conflict of interest, the Planning Commission member should individually decide to abstain from any discussion or votes relative to the matter that is the subject of the conflict. Alternatively, the member declaring a conflict may ask the remaining Planning Commission members to decide if the Commissioner should abstain. Abstention is required if a majority of the remaining Planning Commissioners agree that the Commission member may be reasonably considered to have a conflict of interest or if there is a reasonable appearance of a conflict of interest. The member declaring or determined to have a conflict must step apart from the other Planning Commission members and may absent himself or herself from the room during the relevant discussion. He or she should not make any presentations to the Planning Commission as a representative of the proposal.
(Ord. 11-01, passed 6-9-2011)