Pursuant to the provisions of § 806
of the General Municipal Law, the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated
Village of Williston Park 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 our unit of local government. It is the purpose
of this chapter to promulgate these rules of ethical conduct to serve
as a guide for official conduct of the officers and employees of the
village. The rules of ethical conduct of this chapter as adopted shall
not conflict with but shall be in addition to any prohibition of Article
18 of the General Municipal Law or any other general or special law
relating to ethical conduct and interest in contracts of municipal
officers and employees.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
INTEREST
A pecuniary or material benefit accruing either directly
or indirectly to an officer or employee, unless the context otherwise
requires.
OFFICER or EMPLOYEE
An officer or employee of the village, whether paid or unpaid,
including members of any board, commission or other agency thereof.
VILLAGE
The Incorporated Village of Williston Park, Nassau County,
New York.
Every officer or employee of the village shall
be subject to and abide by the following standards of conduct:
A. Gifts. The officer or employee shall not directly
or indirectly solicit any gift or accept or receive any gift having
a value of $75 or more, whether in the form of money, services, loan,
travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise or any other
form, under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred
that the gift was intended to influence the officer or employee or
could reasonably be expected to influence the officer or employee
in the performance of his or her official duties or was intended as
a reward for any official action on his or her part.
[Amended 7-19-1999 by L.L. 1-1999]
B. Confidential information. The officer or employee
shall not disclose confidential information acquired by the officer
or employee in the course of his or her official duties or use such
information to further his or her personal interest.
C. Representation. The officer or employee shall not
receive or enter into any agreement, express or implied, for compensation
for services to be rendered in relation to any matter before any agency
of the village.
D. Disclosure.
(1) To the extent that he or she knows thereof, any officer
or employee, whether paid or unpaid, who participates in the discussion
or gives official opinion to the Board of Trustees, Planning Board
or Board of Appeals on any matter before it shall publicly disclose
on the official record the nature and extent of any direct or indirect
financial or other private interest he or she has in such matter.
(2) The officer or employee shall disclose to the Board
of Trustees, in writing, all real property owned by him or her situated
within the village or within 500 feet of the boundaries thereof and
any direct or indirect investment in any financial, business, commercial
or other private transaction which creates or may create a conflict
with his or her official duties. In the event that such a conflict
shall occur or appear which was not previously anticipated or reported,
the officer or employee shall forthwith report such conflict or potential
conflict. The Village Clerk shall provide to each officer and employee
at the beginning of each official year a form for purposes of disclosing
the information required by this subsection.
E. Private employment.
[Amended 5-21-2007 by L.L. No. 5-2007; 5-21-2007 by L.L. No.
12-2007]
(1) The officer or employee shall not engage in, solicit,
negotiate for or promise to accept private employment or render services
for private interests when such employment or service creates a conflict
with or impairs the proper discharge of his or her official duties.
F. Future employment. The officer or employee shall not,
after the termination of service or employment with the village, appear
before any board of the village in relation to any case, matter, proceeding
or application in which the officer or employee personally participated
during the period of his or her service or employment or which was
under his or her active consideration.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to bar or prevent
the timely filing by a present or former officer or employee of the
village of any claim, account, demand or suit against the village
on behalf of himself or herself or any member of his or her family
arising out of any personal injury or property damage or for any lawful
benefit authorized or permitted by law.
There is hereby established a Board of Ethics
consisting of three members who shall be appointed by the Board of
Trustees and who shall serve without compensation and at the pleasure
of the Board of Trustees. A majority of such members shall be persons
other than officers or employees of the village, but the Board shall
include at least one member who is an elected or appointed officer
of the village. The Board of Ethics shall have the powers and duties
prescribed by Article 18 of the General Municipal Law and shall render
advisory opinions to the officers and employees of the village with
respect to Article 18 of the General Municipal Law and to this Code
of Ethics, under such rules and regulations as the Board of Ethics
may prescribe. In addition, the Board may make recommendations with
respect to the drafting and adoption of a Code of Ethics or amendments
thereto upon request of the Board of Trustees.
[Amended 7-19-1999 by L.L. 1-1999]
The Mayor of the village shall cause a copy
of this Code of Ethics to be distributed to every officer or employee
within 30 days after the effective date of this chapter. Each officer
and employee elected or appointed thereafter shall be furnished a
copy thereof before entering upon the duties of his or her office
or employment. Failure to distribute any such copy or failure of any
officer or employee to receive such copy shall have no effect on the
duty of compliance with such code, nor the enforcement of provisions
thereof.
[Amended 7-19-1999 by L.L. 1-1999]
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision of law, any person who shall knowingly and intentionally violate any of the provisions of the Code of Ethics may be fined as provided in Chapter
1, §
1-18 of this Code, suspended or removed from office or employment, as the case may be, in the manner provided by law.