All complaints of conflict of interest shall be made in writing in affidavit form and delivered to either the Law Director or the Clerk of Council. If a person so accused is an employee of the City, the Law Director shall cause a copy of the complaint to be served upon the accused and a copy to the Civil Service Commission. The Law Director shall investigate the truth of the charges and take such disciplinary action as the case may require. If the accused is an elected or appointed official of the City, the Law Director or Clerk of Council shall cause facsimile copies of the complaint to be distributed to members of Council and to the accused. Council shall, within thirty (30) days, conduct a preliminary hearing, in private, to determine whether there exists a probable cause to believe that the charges against the accused are true. If Council, by a three- fourths (3/4) margin, shall decide that there exists probable cause to believe the charges are true and are supported by reasonable and credible evidence, after giving the accused a full opportunity to be heard in reply, shall take such disciplinary action as the law permits, depending upon the circumstances of the case, to enforce the ordinances of the City and the laws of the State of Ohio relating to conflict of interest. Council shall, at the next regular Council meeting following such affirmative vote finding the probability of conflict of interest, make such notation, recommendation, resolution or ordinances as they shall desire at the Council meeting and have the same recorded upon the minutes. If Council shall not find the probability of a conflict of interest by such vote, then the accusation shall not be made public. During the pendency of such proceedings and unless and until the matter be recorded upon the minutes of Council during a regular meeting, no person shall cause to be made public any of the charges, replies or information obtained for or against the accused nor shall they invade the privacy of the accused pending a full and final determination by Council, except as otherwise provided by State law. Nothing in this section shall be determined to supersede the laws of the State of Ohio.
(Ord. 47-2007. Passed 4-24-07.)