In order to avoid becoming involved or implicated in a conflict
of interest or impropriety or, just as important, an appearance of
conflict of interest or impropriety, elected officials, appointees
and Town employees shall not:
A. Knowingly use their office or position for personal or family gain or profit, or participate in any matter in which a family member, as defined in §
15-3G below, is involved;
B. Act officially in a matter in which the official or a family member
is privately interested;
C. Accept transportation, lodging, food, beverages, or anything else
of more than token value offered because the official holds a Town
position;
D. Solicit or accept rewards or items or services likely to influence
the official;
E. Offer or provide influence in exchange for campaign contributions,
gifts or other benefits;
F. Use Town-owned property or Town services for personal or family gain
or profit;
G. Use information acquired in confidence by reason of their official
position from a Town customer, supplier, lessee or contractor for
other than Town purposes; or
H. Engage in discrimination or retaliation as defined herein.
Elected and appointed officials, appointees and Town employees
shall not, directly or indirectly, solicit any gift or accept or receive
any gift, whether it be money, services, loan, travel, entertainment,
hospitality, promise, or any other form, under the following circumstances:
A. It could be reasonably inferred or expected that the gift is intended
to influence them in the performance of their official duties; or
B. It could be reasonably inferred or expected that the gift was intended
to serve as a reward for any official action on their part. Elected
officials, appointees and Town employees may not accept meals or beverages
from Town businesses but may accept de minimis gifts such as, but
not limited to, calendars, coffee mugs, flowers, candy, and other
similar items that are given as a customary business practice and
have no material significance to the recipient, with such gifts from
any one source not to exceed $50 in value in any twelve-month period.
Town officials and employees shall report any gift to their immediate
supervisor or the Town Manager.
C. This section shall not apply to:
(1) Meals and beverages consumed in the presence of the donor or sponsoring
entity;
(2) Ceremonial gifts or awards that have insignificant monetary value;
(3) Unsolicited gifts of nominal value that do not exceed $20 in cost
or trivial items of informational value;
(4) Reasonable expenses for food, travel, lodging, and scheduled entertainment
of the official or the employee at a meeting which is given in return
for the participation of the official or employee in a panel or speaking
engagement at the meeting;
(5) Gifts of tickets or free admission extended to an elected local official
to attend a charitable, cultural, or political event, if the purpose
of this gift or admission is a courtesy or ceremony extended to the
elected official's office;
(6) A specific gift or class of gifts that the Commission exempts from
the operation of this subsection upon a finding, in writing, that
acceptance of the gift or class of gifts would not be detrimental
to the impartial conduct of the business of the Town and that the
gift is purely personal and private in nature;
(7) Gifts from a person related to the official or employee by blood
or marriage, or any other individual who is a member of the household
of the official or employee;
(8) Honoraria for speaking to or participating in a meeting, provided
that the offering of the honorarium is in not related in any way to
one's official position; or
(9) Gifts made to the Town as an entity. All such gifts shall be given
to the Town Manager for official disposition.
Other than in the discharge of official duties, an elected or
appointed official or employee may not disclose or use confidential
information that the official or employee acquired by reason of the
official's or employee's public position and that is not
legally disclosable or available to the public.
If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase
of this chapter is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional,
such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity
or constitutionality of the remaining portions of this chapter.