[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village
of Solvay 2-9-1971 by resolution. Sections 15-2 and 15-3 amended during codification;
see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II. Other amendments noted where
applicable.]
This chapter, applicable to village officers and employees of
the Village of Solvay, is adopted as a supplement to the provisions
of Article 18 of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York
for the purposes described in such Article, and it shall be construed
to give effect thereto.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Includes any board, commission, authority, office, committee,
department, branch, bureau or other administrative subdivision of
the Village of Solvay or the Village Trustees.
Any officer or employee, elected or appointed, of the Village
of Solvay, and any member of any agency of the village or anyone acting
as advisor, consultant, counselor or counsel to such agency, paid
or unpaid. No person shall be deemed to be an "officer" or "employee"
of the village solely by reason of being a volunteer fireman or civil
defense volunteer, except a Fire Chief of Assistant Fire Chief.[1]
The Village of Solvay.
No officer or employee of the Village of Solvay shall:
A.Â
Directly or indirectly solicit any gift or accept or receive any
gift having a value of $25 or more, whether in the form of money,
service, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise
or in 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.
B.Â
Disclose confidential information acquired by him in the course of
his official duties or use such information to further his personal
interests.
C.Â
Receive or enter into any agreement, express or implied, for compensation
for services to be rendered in relation to any matter before any municipal
agency of which he is an officer, member or employee or of any municipal
agency over which he has jurisdiction or to which he has the power
to appoint any member, officer or employee.
D.Â
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 his municipality whereby his compensation is to be dependent or
contingent upon any action by such agency with respect to such matter,
provided that this action shall not prohibit the fixing at any time
of fees based upon the reasonable value of the services rendered.
A.Â
There is hereby established and adopted a Code of Ethics containing
standards of conduct for officers and employees of the Village of
Solvay.
B.Â
Every officer or employee of the Village of Solvay shall adhere to
the following standards:
(1)Â
No officer or employee shall accept other employment or engage in
any business transactions, directly or indirectly, which might tend
to affect his judgment in any official act or create a conflict with
his official duties.
(2)Â
No officer or employee shall knowingly invest or hold any investment
or interest, legal or beneficial, directly or indirectly, in any property,
real or personal, in conflict with his official duties.
(3)Â
No person who has served as an officer or employee of the Village
of Solvay shall, after the termination of such service or employment,
appear before any board or agency of the village nor render services
on behalf of any person, firm, corporation or association in relation
to any case, proceeding or application with respect to which such
officer or employee was directly concerned or in which he personally
participated during the period of his service or employment or which
was under his active consideration, until such case, proceeding or
application has been finally disposed of, nor shall said officer or
employee receive or agree to receive any compensation with respect
to such matter.
(4)Â
To the extent that he knows thereof, a member of the Village Board
of Trustees and any officer or employee of the Village of Solvay who
participates in the discussion of or gives any official opinion to
the Village Board of Trustees on any legislation before the Village
Board of Trustees shall disclose the nature and extent of any direct
financial or other private interest he has in such legislation.
This chapter shall not be deemed in any way to conflict with
or modify any Act of the Legislature of the State of New York relating
to the civil service rights, privileges or status of any employees
of the village, and the provisions hereof shall not apply wherever
and to the extent that the effect thereof would be to repeal or modify
any such act or portion thereof.
A.Â
There is hereby created and established a Board of Ethics consisting
of three members, all of whom shall reside in the village and who
shall serve without compensation.
B.Â
All members of such Board shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees.
Members shall be appointed for a period of two years.
C.Â
At least one member of such Board shall be an officer or employee
of the Village of Solvay, but a majority of such members may not be
officers or employees of the village.
D.Â
The Board shall render advisory opinions to officers and employees
of the village.
E.Â
The Board shall render advisory opinions, in writing, to officers
and employees who are subject to this chapter with respect to the
Code of Ethics. Such opinions shall be rendered only upon written
request by the officer or employee concerned with the subject of the
inquiry.
F.Â
The Board shall prescribe rules and regulations establishing its
procedures and the rendering, filing and promulgation of its opinions.
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision
of law, any officer or employee who shall knowingly and intentionally
violate any of the provisions of this chapter may be fined, suspended
or removed from office or employment in the manner provided by law.
