The following definitions shall be applicable in this chapter:
ANYTHING OF VALUE
Any gift, favor, loan, service or promise of future employment,
but does not include reasonable fees and honorariums, or the exchange
of seasonal, anniversary or customary gifts among relatives and friends.
BUSINESS
Any corporation, partnership, proprietorship, firm, enterprise,
franchise, association, organization, self-employed individual or
any other legal entity which engages in profit-making activities.
FINANCIAL INTEREST
Any interest which shall yield, directly or indirectly, a
monetary or other material benefit to the officer or employee or to
any person employing or retaining the services of the officer or employee.
PERSONAL INTEREST
The following specific blood or marriage relationships:
A.
A person's spouse, mother, father, child, brother, sister
or first cousin (natural or step); or
B.
A person's relative by blood or marriage who receives,
directly or indirectly, more than 1/2 support from such person or
from whom such person receives, directly or indirectly, more than
1/2 of his support.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE
Any person excluded from the definition of a public official
who is employed by the City.
PUBLIC OFFICIAL
Those persons serving in statutory elected or appointed offices
provided for in Ch. 62 of the Wisconsin Statutes, and all members
appointed to boards, committees and commissions established or appointed
by the Mayor and/or Common Council pursuant to this Code of Ordinances,
whether paid or unpaid.
SIGNIFICANT INTEREST
Owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, at least 10%
or $5,000 of the outstanding stock of at least 10% or $5,000 of any
business.
STAFF
Any full- or part-time employee of the City.
There are certain provisions of the Wisconsin Statutes which
should, while not set forth herein, be considered an integral part
of any code of ethics. Accordingly, the provisions of the following
sections of the Wisconsin Statutes, as from time to time amended,
are made a part of this code of ethics and shall apply to public officials
and employees whenever applicable, to wit:
A. Section 19.59, State ethics law.
B. Section 946.10, Bribery of public officers and employees.
C. Section 946.11, Special privileges from public utilities.
D. Section 946.12, Misconduct in public office.
E. Section 946.13, Private interest in public contract prohibited.
Public officials and employees are agents of public purpose
and hold office for the benefit of the public. They are bound to uphold
the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this
State and carry out impartially the laws of the nation, state and
municipality, to observe in their official acts the highest standards
of morality and to discharge faithfully the duties of their office
regardless of personal considerations, recognizing that the public
interest must be their prime concern. Their conduct in both their
official and private affairs should be above reproach so as to foster
respect for government.
When an official or employee has doubt as to the applicability
of a provision of this ethics code to a particular situation or definition
of terms used in this chapter, he/she should apply to the Personnel
Committee, which may ask the City Attorney for an advisory opinion
and will be guided by that opinion when given. The official or employee
shall have the opportunity to present his/her interpretation of the
facts at issue and of the applicability provisions of this chapter
before such advisory decision is made. This chapter shall be operative
in all instances covered by its provisions except when superseded
by an applicable statutory provision and statutory action is mandatory,
or when the application of a statutory provision is discretionary,
but determined by the City Attorney to be more appropriate or desirable.
Advisory requests and opinions shall be kept confidential, except
when disclosure is authorized by the requestor, in which case the
request and opinion may be made public.
In the event an employee, covered under a collective bargaining agreement, is allegedly involved in an ethics code violation, the terms and conditions set forth in the applicable collective bargaining agreement shall prevail in the administration and interpretation of this Chapter
43, Ethics.
No full-time officer or employee of the City shall engage in
any other remunerative employment in or out of the City; provided
that the Common Council may approve such outside employment or activity
if it finds that it does not interfere or conflict with such officer's
ability to perform his/her duties in an efficient and unbiased manner.
Violation of this provision shall be grounds for removal from office
of any such officer or employee.
A determination that a public official's or public employee's
actions constitute improper conduct under the provisions of this chapter
may constitute a cause for removal from office, termination of employment,
suspension, reprimand, removal from committee assignment, or other
appropriate disciplinary action. As an alternative or in addition
to sanctions imposed herein, any individual violating the ethics code
shall be subject to a nonreimbursable forfeiture of not less than
$10 nor more than $200 as determined by the City of Princeton Common
Council.