§ 2-82. Employee conflict of interest and general ethics.

(a)

Acceptance of gifts, gratuities, special privileges.

(1)

Employees shall not accept any gifts, loans, rewards, favors, or services that may reasonably tend to improperly influence them in the discharge of their official duties. This limitation is not intended to prohibit the acceptance of articles of negligible value which are distributed generally nor to prohibit employees form accepting loans from regular lending institutions. It is particularly important that employees guard against relationships which might be construed as or give the appearance of favoritism, coercion, unfair advantage or collusion.

(2)

Employees shall not use or attempt to use their positions to secure economic benefit or advantages, special privileges or exemptions for themselves or others including the use of knowledge obtained by through their employment or by virtue of their positions.

(3)

Employees shall not accept employment or engage in any business or professional activity which they may reasonably expect would require or induce them to disclose confidential information acquired by them by reason of their official position.

(4)

Employees shall not accept payment from outside sources for professional services (i.e., teaching, instructing, speaking engagements, consulting, honorariums) when such activities are done on city time or when such services pertain to the purchase or sale of city property.

(b)

Proprietorship of creations. All plans, designs, reports, specifications, drawings, devices, inventions, and other items produced or created by employees during working hours of through the use of city facilities or equipment or at the request of the city shall be and become the sole property of the city.

(c)

Confidential information. Employees shall not disclose confidential information gained by reason of their official position, nor shall they otherwise use such information for their personal gain or benefit.

(d)

Conflict of interest.

(1)

If an employee of the city is an officer, director, agent or member of, or owns interest any entity which is subject to the regulation of, or which has financial commitments with the city, they shall file a sworn statement to this effect with the city clerk.

(2)

Employees shall not transact any business in their official capacity with any business entity of which he or she is an officer, director, agent, member, or in which he or she owns a controlling interest, excluding civic, charitable or religious organizations.

(3)

Employees shall not have a personal investment in any enterprise which will create a conflict or a perceived conflict between their private interest and the public interest.

(e)

Political activity.

(1)

No person employed by the city shall either publicly or otherwise hold himself out as a candidate in any city election while holding employment with the city.

(2)

City employees shall not take part in any political management or political campaigns in election of mayor or any member of the city council during any period of time for which he is expected to perform work or receive compensation from the city.

(3)

No employee, official or other person shall solicit, orally or by letter, or be in any other manner concerned in obtaining any assessments, contributions, or services for any political party from any employee during his hours of duty, service, or work with the city.

(4)

Employees shall not represent the city by wearing any uniform or portion thereof that is issued by the city while he is participating in any campaign at any time.

(5)

The city in no way seeks to influence employees in their choice of party affiliations or candidates, recognizing that this is a matter for each person to decide. Therefore, nothing contained herein shall be construed to restrict the right of the employee to hold membership in and support a political party, to vote as he chooses, to express opinions on political subjects or candidates, to maintain political neutrality, to attend political parties after work hours, or to campaign actively during off duty hours in all areas of political activity.

(6)

Employees shall not utilize any city equipment or vehicles in support of any political campaign.

(Ord. of 8-21-2000, art. IV)