Source: https://www.ecode360.com/10320182
Timestamp: 2019-01-19 05:03:51
Document Index: 90522670

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 17']

Township of Mansfield, NJ Ethics, Code of
§ 17B-1 Title.
§ 17B-2 Purpose and authority.
§ 17B-3 Definitions.
§ 17B-4 Ethical standards.
§ 17B-5 Financial disclosure statements.
§ 17B-6 Award of public professional services contracts.
§ 17B-7 Process for award of professional services contracts.
§ 17B-8 Antinepotism policy.
§ 17B-9 Solicitation or acceptance of gifts.
§ 17B-10 Enforcement.
Chapter 17B Ethics, Code of
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Mansfield 5-9-1991 by Ord. No. 1991-10. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Municipal Attorney and Engineer — See Ch. 8.
Indemnification of employees — See Ch. 25A.
Local Assistance Board — See Ch. 27B.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Mansfield Township Ethics Code."
It is the purpose of this chapter to provide a method of assuring that standards of ethical conduct and financial disclosure requirements for officers and employees of the Township of Mansfield shall be clear, consistent, uniform in their application and enforceable and to provide those officers or employees with advice and information concerning possible conflicts of interest which might arise in the conduct of their public duties.
This chapter is enacted under the authority of the Local Government Ethics Law (P.L. 1991, c. 29)[2] and under the further authority granted to the Township by the provisions of Titles 40 and 40A of the New Jersey statutes.
The Local Government Ethics Law (P.L. 1991, c. 29).
Any agency, board, governing body, including the chief executive officer, office, commission or other instrumentality within the Township and any independent local authority created by or appointed under the authority of the Township which performs functions other than of a purely advisory nature.
The Mansfield Township Ethical Standards Board, which is created by this chapter pursuant to the provisions of the Act.
Any person, whether compensated or not, whether part-time or full-time, who is one of the following;
Township Administrator/Manager.
Deputy Township Administrator/Manager.
Construction Official and inspectors.
Superintendent, Department of Recreation.
Township Engineer (as well as inspectors, engineering assistants and engineering consultants).
Deputy Court Clerk.
Member of Planning Board.
Planning Board Solicitor.
Member of Zoning Board of Adjustment
Zoning Board of Adjustment Solicitor.
Board of Fire Commissioners Solicitor.
Director of Public Library.
Ambulance corps officers.
Township Forester.
Members of Ethical Standards Board.
Any other person who is a managerial, executive or confidential employee, as defined in Section 3 of the New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act (N.J.S.A. 34:13A-3), of the Township of Mansfield or of any agency created under the authority of or appointed by the Township of Mansfield.
An officer or employee of the Township or of an agency under the authority of or appointed by the Township.
The Township of Mansfield, in the County of Burlington and State of New Jersey.
No officer or employee shall use or allow to be used his/her public office or employment or any information not generally available to the members of the public which he/she receives or requires in the course of and by reason of his/her office or employment for the purpose of securing financial gain for himself/herself, any member of his/her immediate family or any business organization with which he/she is associated.
No officer or employee or any business organization in which he/she has an interest shall represent any person or party other than the Township in connection with any cause, proceeding, application or other matter pending before any agency of the Township. This provision shall not be deemed to prohibit an employee from representing another employee where the representation is within the context of official labor union or similar representation or responsibility; nor shall this provision be applicable to the Township's Public Defender with respect to representation of defendants in the Municipal Court.
Each source of income, earned or unearned, exceeding $2,000 received by the officer or member of his/her immediate family during the preceding calendar year. Individual client fees, customer receipts or commissions on transactions received through a business organization need not be separately reported as sources of income. If a publicly traded security is the source of income, the security need not be reported unless the officer or member of his/her immediate family has an interest in the business organization.
Each source of gifts, reimbursements or prepaid expenses having an aggregate value exceeding $400 from any single source, excluding relatives, received by the officer or member of his/her immediate family during the preceding calendar year.
The Ethical Standards Board shall prescribe a financial disclosure statement form for filing purposes. If a financial disclosure statement form has been promulgated by the New Jersey Local Finance Board, in accordance with the Act, then that form shall be used. The Municipal Clerk shall make the forms available to the officers and employees required by this chapter and general law to file a financial disclosure statement
The original statement shall be filed with the Clerk not later than August 21, 1991, and all subsequent statements shall be filed on or after April 30 of each year. A copy of the statement shall be filed with the Board.
[Added 4-27-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-8[1]; amended 9-25-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-8]
It is the purpose of this section that, notwithstanding that professional services contracts are exempt from the competitive bidding requirements of the Local Public Contracts Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq., the Township Committee deems it appropriate, in order to avoid any public perception that professional services contracts are awarded in consideration for, e.g., political contribution or other considerations, said contracts, consistent with the provisions of enacted New Jersey legislation, shall henceforth be awarded through a competitive, quality-based, fair and open process.
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former § 17B-6 as § 17B-10.
[Added 4-27-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-8; amended 9-25-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-8
No professional services contracts, as that term is used in the Local Public Contracts Law, shall be awarded after the date of the adoption of this section, unless the following competitive, quality-based, fair and open process is followed:
Professional services may be awarded by virtue of a publicly advertised request for qualifications (RFQ) which will be issued for those appointments which are made on an annual basis, such as, but not limited to, the positions of Township Attorney, Township Engineer, Township Planner, Planning Board Attorney, Planning Board Engineer, and such similar statutory and/or ordinance public positions.
Awarded and disclosed under criteria established in writing by the Township of Mansfield prior to the solicitation of proposals or qualifications; and
Publicly announced when awarded; and as to those RFQ's which prove to be unsuccessful, the Municipal Clerk shall retain a copy of same on file for a period of not less than 60 days.
For contracts which arise on an occasional basis, such as appraisals needed for the acquisition of farmland and/or open space, as well as title searches, surveying, and similar work associated with same, and similar projects of this type, professional services shall be awarded only after receipt of publicly advertised RFQs, after which a limited number of the best qualified vendors would be identified, and proposals would then be solicited therefrom.
A review of RFQs by Departmental Review Committees. A Departmental Review Committee shall be established consisting of not less than two persons to prepare, process and evaluate any RFQ issued pursuant to the professional services contracting procedures set forth above. Each Departmental Review Committee must prepare, prior to an RFQ, a written cost estimate in order to allow for proper evaluation of the fee aspect of proposals. Moreover, said Committee shall evaluate the respective qualifications and proposals, taking into consideration the designated qualifications and/or performance criteria, experience, quoted fee and other relevant factors in making a recommendation of award to the Township Committee; and the Departmental Review Committee may, in its sole discretion, conduct negotiations with qualified vendors after receipt of proposals, in order to achieve the best possible contract terms and conditions for the Township and its taxpayers.
Emergency exceptions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Township Committee recognizes that the New Jersey Legislature has provided for the occurrence of certain emergencies, and further recognizes that, therefore, the procedure outlined above might not be capable of being achieved in the event of an emergency or similar time constraints. Thus, should such a situation arise, and time does not permit resort to this procedure, and the immediate performance of services is necessary, then an award for same may be made in accordance with the provisions of the Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-6) relating to emergency contracts, and such rules and regulations as may be promulgated, from time to time, by the Township Committee with regard to same. No such emergency contracts, however, may be awarded without submission to the Township Clerk of a certification establishing the basis for the deviation from the procedures outlined herein.
[Added 4-27-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-8; amended 3-24-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-2; 10-9-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-9]
Elected officials, department heads, managerial executives and supervisory employees. Any person who is a member of the immediate family of an elected official, department head, managerial executive and supervisory employee shall not be appointed, hired, employed or permitted to work for the municipality in any position.
Existing employees. If any existing employee of the Township becomes subject to this policy as a result of the election of a relative, or because of changes in marital, domestic partner/cohabitant or relationship status, one of the related persons must resign their position within 90 days. During the ninety-day period, nonrelated supervisory person(s) shall be assigned to supervise the related employee. It shall be the affirmative duty of a related elected official, department head, managerial executive, or supervisory employee to immediately disclose any circumstances which may constitute a violation of this policy. Failure to do so will result in appropriate disciplinary and/or legal action.
Definitions. "Immediate family" means the spouse and/or dependent child of a local government officer or employee residing in the same household (N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.3i); any relative residing in the same household; and/or any living arrangement among unmarried persons substantially similar to that of a marital relationship, regardless of either person's gender.
[Added 4-27-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-8; amended 10-9-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-9
[Amended 2-10-1993 by Ord. No. 1993-3]
The Township Committee hereby declares that the Local Government Ethics Law shall be enforced by the State of New Jersey, Department of Community Affairs, Division of Local Government Services, as provided in the Local Government Ethics Law, P.L. 1991, c. 29.[1] Ethics complaints shall be filed and processed in accordance with the administrative regulations adopted by the Division of Local Government Services in accordance with the aforementioned Local Government Ethics Law.[2]
Editor's Note: Former §§ 17B-7 through 17B-13, which immediately followed this section, were repealed 2-10-1993 by Ord. No. 1993-3.