[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village
of Camillus 12-1-1970. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
The Fire Department of the Village of Camillus, including
the Camillus Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
[Added 12-6-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
Any Mayor, Trustee or Fire Commissioner of the Village of
Camillus who is also a member of the Camillus Fire Department, as
defined in the constitution or bylaws of the Camillus Fire Department,
other than members of the Fire Department who are honorary only.
[Added 12-6-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
Any board, commission, district, council or other agency,
department or unit of the government of the Village of Camillus.
Any officer or employee of the Village of Camillus, whether
paid or unpaid and whether serving in a full-time, part-time or advisory
capacity.
No Village employee shall have any interest, financial or otherwise,
direct or indirect, or engage in any business or transaction or professional
activity or incur any obligation of any nature which is in substantial
conflict with the proper discharge of his duties in the public interest.
A.
No Village employee shall accept other employment which will impair
his independence of judgment in the exercise of his official duties.
B.
No Village employee shall accept employment or engage in any business
or professional activity which will require him to disclose confidential
information which he has gained by reason of his official position
or authority.
C.
No Village employee shall use or attempt to use his official position
to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for himself or others.
D.
No Village employee shall engage in any transaction as representative
or agent of the Village with any business entity in which he has a
direct or indirect financial interest that might reasonably tend to
conflict with the proper discharge of his official duties.
E.
A Village employee shall not, by his conduct, give reasonable basis
for the impression that any person can improperly influence him or
unduly enjoy his favor in the performance of his official duties or
that he is affected by the kinship, rank, position or influence of
any party or person.
F.
Each Village employee shall abstain from making personal investments
in enterprises which he has reason to believe may be directly involved
in decisions to be made by him or which will otherwise create substantial
conflict between his duty in the public interest and his private interest.
G.
Each Village employee shall endeavor to pursue a course of conduct
which will not raise suspicion among the public that he is likely
to be engaged in acts that are in violation of his trust.
H.
No Village employee on a full-time basis nor any firm or association
of which such employee is a member nor any corporation of which a
substantial portion of the stock is owned or controlled directly or
indirectly by such employee shall sell goods or services to any person,
firm, corporation or association which is licensed or whose rates
are fixed by the Village in which such employee serves or is employed.
I.
Each Village employee shall, to the extent that he is cognizant thereof,
disclose any interest he may have in legislation before the Village
Board.
J.
No Village employee, within two years after the termination of his
service or employment with the Village, shall accept employment which
will involve contacts with the Village which can work to his special
advantage by virtue of his prior contact and relationship with the
Village.
K.
No Village employee shall disclose matters discussed in an executive
session of any public body of the Village of Camillus.
[Added 11-14-2000 by L.L. No.
4-2000]
[Added 12-6-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994[1]]
In view of firefighters' historic commitment to public service and to the maintenance and improvement of the public good and public welfare of the inhabitants of the Village of Camillus and in view of the fact that the Village of Camillus has a relatively small population base from which to draw its municipal officials and its firefighters, it is hereby determined that it is in the best interest of the Village of Camillus to encourage firefighters to take part in Village government and to not prohibit or inhibit the involvement of firefighters in Village government unless there exists a true conflict of interest that should prevent them from acting as Trustees or as Village employees or carrying out their duties as such. Accordingly, the following conflict-of-interest provisions, in addition to the standards of conduct set forth in § 11-3 of the Code of the Village of Camillus, shall be adhered to by each Trustee/firefighter when carrying out duties as an official of the Village of Camillus:
A.
No Trustee/firefighter who is an officer in the Fire Department nor
any other member of the Fire Department who is in a policy-making
position shall deliberate or vote on any matters relating to the Fire
Department.
B.
No Trustee/firefighter shall deliberate or vote on matters relating
to the Fire Department that may directly benefit him/her as a firefighter
either personally or financially, as for example in being appointed
as an officer in the Fire Department, or in regards to a proposal
for a service award program to be established for firefighters.
C.
Inactive or lifetime members of the Fire Department, as defined in
the bylaws of the Camillus Fire Department, may participate in deliberations
and vote on matters coming before the Trustees relating to the Fire
Department unless otherwise prohibited by the Code of Ethics of the
Village of Camillus or any other applicable law, rule or regulation.
D.
In all other situations, Trustee/firefighters may take part in deliberations
and vote on matters relating to the Fire Department as long as there
is no actual conflict of interest. However, if participation and voting
on a particular issue by the Trustee/firefighter will create an appearance
of impropriety or the appearance of a conflict of interest, then the
Trustee/firefighter shall recuse himself from deliberating and voting
on that issue; provided, however, that if such recusal would result
in a practical difficulty such as preventing a vote on the issue for
lack of a quorum, then in that case the Trustee/firefighter may deliberate
and vote, but only after stating publicly in an open Trustees meeting
specifically what is the impracticality which would result from his
recusal and why the apparent impropriety is not an actual impropriety
or conflict.
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision
of law, any Village employee who shall knowingly and intentionally
violate any of the provisions of this Code of Ethics may be fined,
suspended or removed from office or employment in the manner provided
by law.
The standards, prohibited acts and procedures established herein
are in addition to any prohibited acts, conflicts-of-interest provisions
or procedures prescribed by statute of the State of New York and also
in addition to common-law rules and judicial decisions relating to
the conduct of Village officers to the extent that the same are more
severe in their application than this Code of Ethics.
