This article establishes a standard of conduct for officials and employees of the City of Springfield, consistent with MGL c. 268A, § 23.
A. 
The City Clerk shall keep a docket, which may be in the form of an electronic database. All information required to be filed under this article shall be organized into the docket and shall be posted on the City website and otherwise and be made available for public inspection during normal business hours.
B. 
Each municipal agent and lobbyist entity shall file an annual disclosure statement with the City Clerk on forms prescribed and provided by the City Clerk. The annual disclosure shall be completed not later than December 15 of the year proceeding the disclosure year.
C. 
A client retaining the services of a municipal agent or lobbyist entity shall also file an annual disclosure statement with the City Clerk on forms prescribed and provided by the City Clerk. The annual registration shall be completed not later than December 15 of the year proceeding the registration year.
D. 
A client or lobbyist entity hiring, employing or agreeing to employ a lobbyist entity or municipal agent after January 1 of the registration year shall, within 10 days after such employment or agreement, cause the name of the lobbyist entity or municipal agent to be registered with the City Clerk as provided in this section. Notice of termination of such employment shall also be filed promptly with the City Clerk by the client, municipal agent, or lobbyist entity.
E. 
The City Clerk shall assess each lobbyist entity an annual filing fee of $500 to register the entity on the docket. The City Clerk shall assess each municipal agent an annual filing fee of $100 upon entering the agent's name on the docket. The City Clerk may, in his/her discretion and upon written request, waive the filing fees for a not-for-profit client or a lobbyist entity which registers to exclusively represent not-for-profit clients.
F. 
Upon registration, the City Clerk shall issue to each municipal agent a nontransferable identification card that shall include the person's name and photograph. All municipal agents shall submit three passport-sized photographs to the City Clerk upon registration.
A. 
No person shall make any agreement whereby any compensation or thing of value is to be paid to any person contingent upon a decision as described in the definition of "municipal agent," or the passage or defeat of any permit, legislation or the approval or veto of any legislation or permit. No person shall agree to undertake to influence such a decision, or to communicate to influence such a decision or to promote, oppose or influence legislation or to communicate with members of the City Council, or to advocate approval or veto by the Mayor for consideration to be paid upon the contingency of the outcome of such a decision or that any legislation is passed or defeated. Determination of such shall render the legislation or permit null and void.
B. 
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any salesperson engaging in legitimate City business on behalf of a company from receiving compensation or a commission as part of a bona fide contractual arrangement with that company.
A. 
On or before the 15th day of July, complete from January 1 through June 30; and the 15th day of January, complete from July 1 to December 31 of the preceding year, every municipal agent appearing on the docket shall render to the City Clerk an itemized statement, under oath, listing all campaign contributions as defined in MGL c. 55, § 1, all expenditures, and the total amount thereof, incurred, contributed or paid during the reporting period in the course of his/her employment as a municipal agent and all expenditures made for or on behalf of City officials and City employees incurred or paid during the reporting period, except that the municipal agent shall not be required to report such expenditures not in the course of his/her employment made for or on behalf of the immediate family of such municipal agent or a relative within the third degree of consanguinity of the municipal agent or City employee or of his/her spouse or the spouse of any such relative; and except that in the case of all expenditures, the municipal agent shall not be required to itemize the expenditures of any one day in which the amount incurred or paid did not total $35 or more. Such itemized accounting shall include, but not be limited to, specific expenditures for meals, gifts, transportation, entertainment, advertising, public relations, printing, mailing and telephone; and shall also include the names of the payees and the amount paid to each payee; and shall further include the names of the candidate or political committee to whom or to which the contribution was made, the amount and date of each contribution, and the names of City employees and officials for whom payments have been made.
B. 
When such expenditure is for meals, entertainment or transportation, said expenditure shall be identified by date, place, amount, and the names of all persons in the group partaking in or of such meal, entertainment or transportation. No expenditure shall be split or divided for the purpose of evading any provision of this section. The City Clerk shall, within 30 days of receipt of such accounting, notify persons whose names appear therein as having received campaign contributions, meals, transportation or entertainment as to the nature of the contribution or expenditure claimed, the date and amount of the contribution or expenditure, and the person or persons who reported the contribution or expenditure.
C. 
Every municipal agent shall include in the statement required by this section a list of all matters the municipal agent acted to promote, oppose or influence during the reporting period in the course of his/her employment.
D. 
The City Clerk shall assess a penalty for any statement which is filed by a municipal agent later than the prescribed date or, if such statement has been filed by mailing, where the postmark on such mailing is later than the prescribed date. Said penalty shall be in the amount of $100 when such statement has been filed 10 days late or less, and in the amount of $200 when such statement is more than 10 days late.
E. 
The City Clerk shall prescribe and make available the appropriate statement forms, which shall be open and accessible for public inspection during normal working hours.
F. 
No municipal agent shall knowingly offer or knowingly give to any City official or City employee or to a member of such person's immediate family any gift of any kind or nature, nor knowingly pay for any meal, beverage, or other item to be consumed by such City official or City employee, whether or not such gift or meal, beverage or other item to be consumed is offered, given or paid for in the course of such agent's business or in connection with a personal or social event; provided, however, that a municipal agent shall not be prohibited from offering or giving to a City official or City employee who is a member of his/her immediate family or a relative within the third degree of consanguinity or of such agent's spouse or the spouse of any such relative any such, gift or meal, beverage or other item to be consumed.
No municipal agent shall knowingly or willfully offer or give to a City employee or City official or member of such City employee's or City official's immediate family and no City official or City employee or member of such City official's or City employee's immediate family shall knowingly and/or willfully solicit or accept from any municipal agent gifts.
A. 
Violation of any provision of this article shall be punished by a fine of $300. In addition, the City Clerk shall report all violations of this article immediately to the City Solicitor. Any person acting as a municipal agent who, after being afforded a hearing and due process, is found to have violated any provision of this article shall, in addition to such fine, be disqualified from acting as a municipal agent for a period of five years after such finding.
B. 
The City Clerk shall inspect all statements required by this article to be filed with him if it appears that any person has failed to file such statement as required by said sections, or if it appears to the City Clerk that any such statement filed with him does not conform to law, the City Clerk shall within a reasonable time notify the delinquent person, group or organization in writing.
C. 
Upon failure to file a statement within 14 days after receiving notice under this section, or if any statement filed after receiving notice indicates any violation of this article, the City Clerk shall within a reasonable time notify the District Attorney thereof and shall furnish him with copies of all papers relating thereto.
The above §§ 38-14 through 38-19, inclusive, shall not apply to employees or agents of the commonwealth or of the City, or of the City's Redevelopment Authority, Housing Authority or Water and Sewer Commission who are acting in their capacity as such employees or agents or to any person requested to appear before any committee or official of the City. See also exemptions included in the definition of "act to communicate directly with a covered City official to influence a decision concerning policy, permitting or procurement" contained in § 38-2.