Officers and employees of the Town of Hempstead hold their positions to serve and benefit the public, and not to obtain unwarranted personal or private gain in the exercise and performance of their official powers and duties. The Town of Hempstead recognizes that, in furtherance of this fundamental principle, there is a need for clear and reasonable standards of ethical conduct. This chapter establishes those standards.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
INTEREST
A direct or indirect financial or material benefit, but does not include any benefit arising from the provision or receipt of any services generally available to the residents or taxpayers of the Town or an area of the Town, or a lawful class of such residents or taxpayers. A Town officer or employee is deemed to have an interest in any private organization when he or she, his or her spouse, registered domestic partner or dependent, is an owner, partner, member, director, officer, employee, or directly or indirectly owns or controls more than 5% of the organization's equity or debt, whether in the form of outstanding stock or otherwise.
RELATIVE
A person's spouse, child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling or stepsibling, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle or first cousin.
[Amended 7-2-2019 by L.L. No. 52-2019, effective 7-18-2019]
A. 
This chapter applies to all officers and employees of the Town of Hempstead, whether paid or unpaid, including the members of any Town department, agency, board or commission.
B. 
Article II, § 38-10, Future employment, of this chapter applies to current and former officers and employees of the Town.
C. 
Article II, § 38-11, Independent contractors of this chapter applies to independent contractors of the Town.
D. 
Article II, § 38-12, Personal representations and claims permitted, and Article II, § 38-18, Inducement of others, of this chapter applies to officers and employees of the Town and independent contractors of the Town.
E. 
Article III, § 38-23 of this chapter, Applicant disclosure in land use applications, applies to applicants, petitioners or parties requesting a variance, amendment, change of zoning, approval of a plat, exemption from a plat or official map, license or permit, pursuant to the provisions of any local law, rule or regulation constituting the zoning and planning regulations of the Town.
F. 
The provisions of this chapter shall supplement all applicable state and local laws relating to conflicts of interest and municipal ethics including, but not limited to, Article 18 of the General Municipal Law and all related rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the Town of Hempstead.
G. 
The termination of an officer's or employee's term of office or employment with the Town shall not affect the jurisdiction of the Board of Ethics or the Town Board with respect to the requirements imposed by this chapter on the former officer or employee for his or her actions or interests while a Town officer or employee.