[Ord. of 2-19-08(1); Ord. of 8-6-12]
(a) Composition and appointment: The Ethics Commission shall be composed
of five regular members, electors of the Town, who are known for their
personal integrity. The commission members shall be appointed by the
affirmative vote of all members of the Board of Selectmen. No more
than two members shall be from any one party. Three alternate members
shall also be appointed by such affirmative vote, not more than one
from the same party.
(b) Exclusions: No member of the commission may be a current elected
official, Town employee, current contractor, subcontractor or consultant
with the Town. No commission member shall be a current member of any
party's Town committee.
(c) Term limits: Members shall serve for three years and shall be eligible
for no more than two consecutive terms. Any elector appointed to fill
a vacancy of a regular or alternate position may serve two consecutive
terms of three years plus the remainder of the term to which such
elector has been appointed. To establish rotation, initial appointments
shall be: two members for three years, two members for two years and
one member for one year. Initial appointments for the alternates shall
be one alternate for three years, one alternate for two years, and
one alternate for one year.
(d) Filling vacancies: Any vacancy which occurs among the regular commission members shall be filled by one of the alternate members, who shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen within 60 days from the date such vacancy occurs and shall serve for the remainder of such regular member's term. The Board of Selectmen shall fill the vacant regular position and the newly vacant alternate position within 60 days, under the provisions of Subsections
(a),
(b),
(c) and
(d) above.
(e) Compensation: Members of the commission shall serve without compensation
for their services.
(f) Access to independent counsel: The commission shall have access to
legal counsel independent of Town counsel in those circumstances where,
in its sole discretion, it deems such independent counsel necessary
and appropriate.
(g) Reporting and disposition: Except as required by law to preserve
rights of confidentiality, the commission shall report to the Board
of Selectmen its findings as to whether or not a violation of the
code of ethics has occurred, together with recommendations as to the
disposition to be made. The Board of Selectmen shall thereupon take
such action as it may deem appropriate. In addition, the commission
may make public its findings with such deletions as may be necessary
in its discretion and as required by law.
(h) Public record: Except as required by law to preserve rights of confidentiality,
all opinions, findings and recommendations of the commission, which
are matters of public record, shall be kept on file in the office
of the Town Clerk.
(i) Conflict with statutory provisions: Should any provision of this
division or the code of ethics conflict with any provision of the
Connecticut General Statutes, the provisions of the latter shall prevail.