Source: https://ecode360.com/12676982
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 17:03:49+00:00

Document:
§ 21-1 Findings and purpose.
§ 21-4 Prohibition on use of municipal position for personal or private gain.
§ 21-5 Disclosure of interest in legislation and other matters.
§ 21-5.1 Recusal and abstention.
§ 21-5.2 Prohibition inapplicable; disclosure, recusal and abstention not required.
§ 21-5.3 Investments in conflict with official duties.
§ 21-5.4 Private employment in conflict with official duties.
§ 21-5.6 Personal representations and claims permitted.
§ 21-5.7 Use of municipal resources.
§ 21-5.8 Interests in contracts.
§ 21-5.13 Board of Ethics.
§ 21-5.14 Posting and distribution.
Pursuant to the provisions of § 806 of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York, the Town Board of the Town of Naples, Ontario County, New York, recognizes that there are rules of ethical conduct for public officers and employees which must be observed if a high degree of moral conduct is to be obtained and if public confidence is to be maintained in the Town unit of local government. It is the purpose of this article to promulgate rules of ethical conduct for municipal employees and officers of the Town of Naples, Ontario County, New York.
The governing board of a municipality and any municipal administrative board (e.g., planning board, zoning board of appeals), commission, or other agency or body comprised of two or more municipal officers or employees.
A direct or indirect financial or material benefit, but does not include any benefit arising from the provision or receipt of any services generally available to the residents or taxpayers of the municipality or an area of the municipality, or a lawful class of such residents or taxpayers. A municipal officer or employee is deemed to have an interest in any private organization when he or she, his or her spouse, or a member of his or her household is an owner, partner, member, director, officer, employee, or directly or indirectly owns or controls more than 5% of the organization's outstanding stock.
The Town of Naples. The word "municipal" refers to the municipality.
A paid or unpaid officer or employee of the Town of Naples, including, but not limited to, the members of any municipal board.
A spouse, parent, step-parent, sibling, step-sibling, sibling's spouse, child, step-child, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin, or household member of a municipal officer or employee, and individuals having any of these relationships to the spouse or household member of the officer or employee.
This Code of Ethics applies to the officers and employees of the Town of Naples, and shall supersede any prior municipal code of ethics. The provisions of this Code of Ethics shall apply in addition to all applicable state and local laws relating to conflicts of interest and ethics including, but not limited to, Article 18 of the General Municipal Law and all rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the Town of Naples.
No municipal officer or employee shall use his or her municipal position or official powers and duties to secure a financial or material benefit for himself or herself, a relative, or any private organization in which he or she is deemed to have an interest.
Whenever a matter requiring the exercise of discretion comes before a municipal officer or employee, either individually or as a member of a board, and disposition of the matter could result in a direct or indirect financial or material benefit to himself or herself, a relative, or any private organization in which he or she is deemed to have an interest, the municipal officer or employee shall disclose in writing the nature of the interest.
The disclosure shall be made when the matter requiring disclosure first comes before the municipal officer or employee, or when the municipal officer or employee first acquires knowledge of the interest requiring disclosure, whichever is earlier.
In the case of a person serving in an elective office, the disclosure shall be filed with the governing board of the municipality. In all other cases, the disclosure shall be filed with the person's supervisor or, if the person does not have a supervisor, the disclosure shall be filed with the municipal officer, employee or board having the power to appoint to the person's position. In addition, in the case of a person serving on a municipal board, a copy of the disclosure shall be filed with the board. Any disclosure made to a board shall be made publicly at a meeting of the board and must be included in the minutes of the meeting.
No municipal officer or employee may participate in any decision or take any official action with respect to any matter requiring the exercise of discretion, including discussing the matter and voting on it, when he or she knows or has reason to know that the action could confer a direct or indirect financial or material benefit on himself or herself, a relative, or any private organization in which he or she is deemed to have an interest.
If the power or duty is vested in a municipal officer individually, then the power or duty shall be exercised or performed by his or her deputy or, if the officer does not have a deputy, the power or duty shall be performed by another person to whom the officer may lawfully delegate the function.
Which comes before a municipal officer when the officer would be prohibited from acting by § 21-5.1 of this code and the matter cannot be lawfully delegated to another person.
Investments that would otherwise impair the person's independence of judgment in the exercise or performance of his or her official powers and duties.
Requires representation of a person or organization other than the municipality in connection with litigation, negotiations or any other matter to which the municipality is a party.
No municipal officer or employee may ask for, pursue or accept a private post-government employment opportunity with any person or organization that has a matter requiring the exercise of discretion pending before the municipal officer or employee, either individually or as a member of a board, while the matter is pending or within the 30 days following final disposition of the matter.
No municipal officer or employee, for the two-year period after serving as a municipal officer or employee, may represent or render services to a private person or organization in connection with any matter involving the exercise of discretion before the municipal office, board, department or comparable organizational unit for which he or she serves.
No municipal officer or employee, at any time after serving as a municipal officer or employee, may represent or render services to a private person or organization in connection with any particular transaction in which he or she personally and substantially participated while serving as a municipal officer or employee.
Municipal resources shall be used for lawful municipal purposes. Municipal resources include, but are not limited to, municipal personnel, and the municipality's money, vehicles, equipment, materials, supplies or other property.
Except as otherwise required by law, no municipal officer or employee, either individually or as a member of a board, may participate in any decision specifically to appoint, hire, promote, discipline or discharge a relative for any position at, for or within the municipality or a municipal board.
No municipal officer or employee may act or decline to act in relation to appointing, hiring or promoting, discharging, disciplining, or in any manner changing the official rank, status or compensation of any municipal officer or employee, or an applicant for a position as a municipal officer or employee, on the basis of the giving or withholding or neglecting to make any contribution of money or service or any other valuable thing for any political purpose.
For purposes of this section, a gift includes anything of value, whether in the form of money, service, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise, or in any other form. The value of a gift is the gift's fair market value, determined by the retail cost of the item or a comparable item. The fair market value of a ticket entitling the holder to food, refreshments, entertainment, or any other benefit is the face value of the ticket, or the actual cost to the donor, whichever is greater. Determination of whether multiple gifts from a single donor exceed $75 must be made by adding together the value of all gifts received from the donor by an officer or employee during the twelve-month period preceding the receipt of the most recent gift.
Presumption of influence and reward.
There is hereby established a Board of Ethics for the municipality. The Board of Ethics shall consist of three members, a majority of whom shall not be officers or employees of the municipality, but at least one of whom must be a municipal officer or employee. The members of such Board of Ethics shall be appointed by the Town Board, serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority, and receive no salary or compensation for their services as members of the Board of Ethics.
The Board of Ethics shall render advisory opinions to the officers and employees of the Town of Naples with respect to Article 18 of the General Municipal Law and this code. Such advisory opinions must be rendered pursuant to the written request of any such officer or employee under such rules and regulations as the Board of Ethics may prescribe. The Board of Ethics shall have the advice of legal counsel employed by the Board or, if none, the municipality's legal counsel. In addition, the Board of Ethics may make recommendations with respect to the drafting and adoption of a Code of Ethics, or amendments thereto, upon the request of the Town Board.
The Town Supervisor shall promptly cause a copy of this code, and a copy of any amendment to this code, to be posted publicly and conspicuously in each building under the municipality's control. The code must be posted within 10 days following the date on which the code takes effect. An amendment to the code must be posted within 10 days following the date on which the amendment takes effect.
The Town Supervisor must promptly cause a copy of this code, including any amendments to the code, to be distributed to every person who is or becomes an officer and employee of the Town of Naples.
Every municipal officer or employee who receives a copy of this code or an amendment to the code must acknowledge such receipt in writing. Such acknowledgments must be filed with the Clerk of the Town of Naples who must maintain such acknowledgments as a public record.
The failure to post this code or an amendment to the code does not affect either the applicability or enforceability of the code or the amendment. The failure of a municipal officer or employee to receive a copy of this Code of Ethics or an amendment to the code, or to acknowledge receipt thereof in writing, does not affect either the applicability or enforceability of the code or amendment to the code.
Editor's Note: Former Art. II, Board of Ethics, adopted 12-15-1970 by L.L. No. 2-1970, which immediately followed this article, was superseded 9-13-2010 by L.L. No. 3-2010. See now § 21-5.13.

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