A.
The purposes of this chapter are:
(1)
To establish high standards of ethical conduct for
officers and employees of the Village;
(2)
To afford officers and employees of the Village clear
guidance on such standards;
(3)
To promote public confidence in the integrity of the
governance and administration of the Village and its agencies and
administrative offices;
(4)
By requiring public disclosure of financial interests
that may influence or be perceived to influence the actions of Village
officers and employees, to facilitate consideration of potential ethical
problems before they arise, minimize unwarranted suspicion and enhance
the accountability of government to the people; and
(5)
To provide for the fair and effective administration
of this chapter.
B.
This chapter is enacted pursuant to § 806
of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York and § 10
of the Municipal Home Rule Law and is not intended to authorize any
conduct prohibited by Article 18 of the General Municipal Law. This
chapter also supplements other provisions of law regulating ethics
in local government, such as § 107 of the Civil Service
Law of the State of New York.
Unless otherwise stated or unless the context
otherwise requires, when used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Communicating in any form, including, without limitation,
personally, through another person, by letter or by telephone.
Any person to whom a Village officer or employee
has supplied goods or services during the previous 24 months having,
in the aggregate, a value greater than $1,000; or
Any person to whom a Village officer's or employee's
outside employer or business has supplied goods or services during
the previous 24 months having, in the aggregate, a value greater than
$1,000 but only if the officer or employee knows or has reason to
know the outside employer or business supplied the goods or services.
The Ethics Board of the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson established pursuant to § 18-17 of this chapter.
Includes any money, service, license, permit, contract, authorization,
loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality or any promise thereof, or
any other gratuity or promise thereof or anything of value. A financial
transaction may be a financial benefit but shall not be a gift unless
it is on terms not available to the general public. "Gift" and "financial
benefit" do not include campaign contributions authorized by law.
An action performed in a prescribed manner without the exercise
of judgment or discretion as to the propriety of the act.
"Outside employer or business" shall mean:
Any activity, other than service to the Village,
from which the Village officer or employee receives compensation for
services rendered or goods sold or produced.
Any entity, other than the Village, of which
the Village officer or employee is a member, officer, director or
employee and from which he or she receives compensation for services
rendered or goods sold or produced.
Any entity in which the Village officer or employee
has an ownership interest, except a corporation of which the Village
officer or employee owns less than 5% of the outstanding stock.
For purposes of this definition, "compensation"
shall not include reimbursement for necessary expenses, including
travel expenses.
Includes both individuals and entities.
A spouse, child, stepchild, brother, sister or parent of
the Village officer or employee, or a person claimed as a dependent
on the Village officer's or employee's latest individual state income
tax return.
Of a Village officer or employee, shall mean another Village
officer or employee over whose activities he or she has direction,
supervision or control, except those who serve in positions that are
in the exempt classification under § 41 of the Civil Service
Law of the State of New York or in the unclassified service under
Subdivisions (a) through (f) of § 35 of that law.
The Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, but shall not include
the Village Court.
Any officer or employee of the Village, whether paid or unpaid,
and includes, without limitation, the Village Attorney and all members
of any office, board, body, advisory board, council, commission, agency,
department, district, administration, division, bureau or committee
of the Village. "Village officer or employee" shall not include:
