[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village
of Ravena 12-17-1991 as L.L. No. 4-1991. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Officers and employees — See Ch. 15.
The proper administration of the government of the Village of
Ravena requires its officers and employees, whether elected or appointed,
paid or unpaid, including members of any village administrative board,
commission or other agency, to be impartial and free from conflicts
of interest in fulfilling their public responsibilities. The purpose
of this chapter is to state for these officers, employees or appointees
of the Village of Ravena and for the citizens of the village standards
of conduct necessary to assure this, in addition to the standards
prescribed in Article 18 of the General Municipal Law.
A.
A
local Board of Ethics is hereby established, pursuant to § 808
of Article 18 of the General Municipal Law, to be composed of three
members appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Ravena
for six-year terms, except that the first three members shall be appointed
for terms of two, four and six years, respectively. No member of such
Board of Ethics shall be an officer, employee or appointee of the
Village of Ravena. No recognized political party, as defined in the
Election Law of the State of New York, § 1-104, Subdivision
3, shall be represented by more than two registrants as members of
the Board of Ethics.
B.
The
Board of Ethics shall select its own counsel, who shall not be the
Village Attorney and need not be a resident of the Village of Ravena,
and compensation for such attorney shall be as provided by the Board
of Trustees of the village.
C.
The
local Board of Ethics shall render advisory opinions to officers,
employees and appointees of the Village of Ravena with respect to
Article 18 of the General Municipal Law and this Code of Ethics. Such
advisory opinion shall be rendered pursuant to written confidential
request of any member of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Ravena
or by resolution of a majority of the Village Board. Such advisory
opinions may also be rendered pursuant to the written confidential
request of any officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena
or pursuant to the written request of any citizen of the Village of
Ravena, with the approval of two members of the Board of Trustees
of the Village of Ravena.
D.
Any
opinion of the local Board of Ethics expressing a finding of conflict
of interest shall be made public in accordance with the adopted rules
and regulations of said Board of Ethics and the guaranties of due
process.
E.
The
local Board of Ethics shall operate under such rules and regulations
as it deems advisable, such rules and regulations to guarantee due
process and be approved by counsel to said Board.
F.
The
local Board of Ethics shall have such other powers and duties as shall
be provided by or pursuant to Article 18 of the General Municipal
Law of the State of New York.
When used in this chapter and unless the context otherwise requires,
the words defined in § 800 of Article 18 of the General
Municipal Law shall have the meanings therein stated.
No officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena shall
use or permit the use of village property, including land, vehicles,
equipment, materials and any other property, for personal convenience
or profit, except when such use is available to citizens of the village
generally or is provided as a matter of village policy.
A.
No
officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena shall disclose
or use for profit for himself or other information about the property,
affairs, finances or government of the Village of Ravena that is not
generally available to the public.
B.
To
the extent that he knows thereof, any officer, employee or appointee
of the Village of Ravena who participates in the discussion of or
who gives official opinions to the Village Board on any matter or
legislation under consideration by that agency shall publicly disclose
for the official record the nature and extent of any direct or indirect
financial or other private interest he has in that matter or legislation.
No officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena shall,
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,
service, 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 him, or could
reasonably be expected to influence him, in the performance of his
official duties or was intended as a reward for any official action
on his part.
No officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena shall
invest or hold any investment, directly or indirectly, in any financial,
business, commercial or other private transaction which creates a
conflict with his official duties.
An officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena shall
treat all members of the public, whether a person, firm, corporation
or other organization, with equal consideration and without special
advantage.
No officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena shall
represent any private interest, person or entity (other than himself)
before any village agency or court in any transaction with the village
or any agency thereof. He shall not, after the termination of service
or employment with such municipality, appear before any board or agency
of the Village of Ravena in relation to any case, proceeding or application
in which he personally participated during the period of his village
service or employment or which was under his active consideration.
The Mayor of the Village of Ravena shall cause a copy of this
Code of Ethics and Article 18 of the General Municipal Law to be distributed
to every officer and employee of the Village of Ravena within 30 days
after the effective date of this chapter. Each officer and employee
elected or appointed thereafter shall be furnished a copy of this
Code of Ethics and Article 18 of the General Municipal Law. The Mayor
of the Village of Ravena shall cause a copy of this Code of Ethics
and Article 18 of the General Municipal Law to be kept posted in each
public building under jurisdiction of the Village of Ravena.
A violation of Article 18 of the General Municipal Law or any
provision of this Code of Ethics shall be grounds for suspension,
as the Village Board considers advisable.
The Village Attorney shall accept no employment from any person,
firm, partnership, corporation, municipality or other entity which
will create a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict
of interest with the interests of the Village of Ravena.
A.
Any officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena accepting
employment from any person, firm, partnership, corporation, municipality
or other entity that represents any private interest, person or entity
(other than himself) before any agency or court of the Village of
Ravena must disclose that employment to the Village Board.
B.
Any officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena accepting
employment from any person, firm, partnership, corporation, municipality
or other entity that is involved in any agency thereof must disclose
that employment to the Village Board.
C.
Any officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena accepting
employment from any person, firm, partnership, corporation, municipality
or other entity which may create a conflict of interest or the appearance
of such conflict with the interests of the Village of Ravena must
disclose that employment to the Village Board.
A.
Any person who holds an office or leadership position (defined as
chairman, president, vice chairman, vice president, treasurer, comptroller,
secretary or any other title or position of authority whose duties
include those commonly recognized as the duties of those official
titles or positions) in a political party, as defined in the Election
Law of the State of New York, § 1-104, Subdivision 3, specifically
excluding official positions and titles of authority in political
party structures on the county, state or national level, shall not
be eligible for appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals/Planning
Board or the Assessment Board of Review of the Village of Ravena.
[Amended 4-21-2015 by L.L. No. 3-2015]
B.
Any person who holds the chief executive position (defined as chairman,
president or any other title or position of authority whose duties
include those commonly recognized as the duties of those official
titles or positions) in any organization, a purpose of which is to
represent the interests of a geographic area that is inclusive of
part but not all of the Village of Ravena, shall not be eligible for
appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals/Planning Board or the Assessment
Board of Review.
[Amended 4-21-2015 by L.L. No. 3-2015]
C.
Any new advisory board or commission created by resolution of the
Village Board of the Village of Ravena shall fall under the restrictions
for membership eligibility prescribed by this Code of Ethics unless
specifically excluded by resolution of the Village Board.
A.
This Code of Ethics of the Village of Ravena, with all of its revisions,
is effective immediately upon filing thereof pursuant to § 27
of the Municipal Home Rule Law.
B.
Any officer, employee or appointee of the Village of Ravena who,
as a result of these revisions, is in violation of the duly adopted
revised Code of Ethics is directed to comply with all of its stipulations
and requirements within 60 days of the date of enactment.
C.
Any previous ordinances, local laws or resolutions of the Village
of Ravena establishing a Code of Ethics or Board of Ethics for such
village are hereby repealed.
