(a) Within thirty days of hire for any employee, or within thirty days of appointment or administration of the oath of office for any appointed or elected official, the Village of Yellow Springs shall provide a copy of Ohio's ethics laws to an employee or official in accordance with R.C. § 102.09(D). For employees, the Village Manager or designee shall obtain written acknowledgment of receipt, which shall be maintained with the employee's personnel file. For elected or appointed officials, including board and commission members, the Clerk shall obtain written acknowledgement of receipt and maintain it with other records pursuant to any applicable records retention schedule.
(b) Any person appointed, elected or employed by the Village may request advice from the Village Solicitor or the Ohio Ethics Commission. Such requests, and any legal opinions issued, may be subject to disclosure as public records.
(c) At the beginning of every new term of office for any elected official, that official may submit a financial disclosure form, modeled on the current Ohio Ethics Commission form, to the Village Solicitor and schedule an appointment to discuss potential conflicts of interest and recusal requirements. Although optional for elected officials, every member and alternate serving on the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals shall submit such forms within thirty days of appointment by Council. Financial disclosure forms submitted to the Solicitor for this purpose are deemed attorney-client privileged records not subject to public disclosure or records retention requirements.
(d) If any Village official or employee becomes aware of any potential violation of Ohio ethics law involving that person, or any other Village official or employee, the person is obligated to report that information to the Village Manager or designee for referral to the Ohio Ethics Commission for investigation unless reported directly. R.C. § 102.07 deems any complaints, charges, or investigations handled by the Ohio Ethics Commission private and confidential while the investigation is pending.
(e) No person may take or threaten to take, directly or indirectly, official or personal action, including but not limited to discharge, discipline, harassment, intimidation, or change in working conditions against any official, employee, or other person because that person reports, verbally or in writing an alleged violation to the Village, or files a complaint with the Ohio Ethics Commission, or is requested by the Village or Ohio Ethics Commission to participate in an investigation or legal action relating either to the alleged violation or to evidence presented or given as part of an Ohio Ethics Commission investigation or hearing.
(Ord. 2021-11. Passed 6-21-21.)