Pursuant to § 806 of the General Municipal Law, the following
Code of Ethics is adopted for the Town of Somers.
No Town officer or employee or any member of the Town Board, Planning
Board, Zoning Board of Appeals or any other Town administrative board, commission
or agency shall, directly or indirectly, appear in behalf of any person, firm
or corporation in any matter under consideration by or within the jurisdiction
of any officer, board or agency of the Town of Somers.
Any Town officer or employee or any member of the Town Board, Planning
Board, Zoning Board of Appeals or any other Town administrative board, commission
or agency who shall have an interest in any legislation before the Town Board
shall disclose the nature and extent of such interest, in writing, to said
Town Board as soon as he or she shall have knowledge of such interest, either
actual or prospective. The term "interest" means a pecuniary or material benefit
occurring to such officer, employee or member or to any of the persons, firms
or corporations enumerated in § 800, Subdivision 3, of the General
Municipal Law as amended by Chapter 1043 of the Laws of 1965.
No Town officer or employee or any member of the Town Board, Planning
Board, Zoning Board of Appeals or any other Town administrative board, commission
or agency shall solicit, negotiate or accept employment or serve as an officer,
director or employee, as the case may be, of any person, firm or corporation,
which employment or service would or shall be incompatible with the proper
discharge of his or her duties as an officer or employee of the Town.
[Amended 12-12-2002 by L.L. No. 10-2002]
An advisory board of five members shall be appointed pursuant to § 808
of the General Municipal Law.
No Town officer or employee or any member of the Town Board, Planning
Board, Zoning Board of Appeals or any other Town administrative board, commission
or agency shall invest or hold any investment, directly or indirectly, in
any financial, business, commercial or other private transaction, which creates
a conflict with his or her official duties.
No Town officer or employee or any member of the Town Board, Planning
Board, Zoning Board of Appeals or any other Town administrative board, commission
or agency shall, after termination of service or employment with said Town,
appear before any board or agency of the Town of Somers in relation to any
case, proceeding or application in which he or she personally participated
during the period of his or her service or employment or which was under his
or her active consideration.
No Town officer or employee or any member of the Town Board, Planning
Board, Zoning Board of Appeals or any other Town administrative board, commission
or agency shall be a political committeeman, committeewoman or the chairperson
or vice chairperson of any political party.
[Added 6-13-1985]
Town Board and Planning Board members shall publicly disclose any significant
past or present financial or business relationship with any person or firm
appearing before the Town Board or Planning Board for a rezoning, special
exception use permit or other not-as-of-right land use decision. For the purpose
of this section, the word "significant" shall mean a financial or business
relationship involving $5,000 or more on an annual basis; "past" shall mean
within five years; and "publicly disclose" shall mean disclosure at a regularly
scheduled meeting of the Board.