[Ord. No. 91-1 § 1]
The proper operation of the municipal government of the Town
of Brooklyn requires that all public officials and municipal employees,
whether elected or appointed, paid or unpaid, shall be impartial and
responsive to the public interest; that public office and employment
should not be used for personal gain of advantage; and that the public
have confidence in the integrity of municipal government. Public official
and municipal employees should not place themselves in positions where
private interests conflict with public duty. The administration of
legislative or quasi-judicial power demand the highest public confidence.
Anything which tends to weaken such confidence and to undermine the
sense of security of individual rights which the citizen is entitled
to feel is against public policy.
[Ord. No. 91-1 § 1]
As used in this section:
Shall mean any information concerning the property, business
or affairs of the Town not generally available to the public.
Shall mean disqualification in matters involving a personal
or proprietary interest. No employee or official shall participate
in the hearing or decision of the Board or Commission of which he
is a member upon any matter in which he is directly or indirectly
interested in a personal or financial sense. In the event of such
disqualification, such fact shall be entered on the records of the
Commission or Board. No employee or official shall appear for or represent
any person in any matter pending before the Commission or Board of
which he is a member. Nothing contained herein shall be construed
as to prevent any elected or appointed official or employee from any
Commission, Board or Agency of the Town provided such person does
not violate this section.
Shall mean that no official or employee shall disclose or
use any confidential information obtained in an official capacity
for the purpose of advancing the financial or personal interest of
himself or others.
Shall mean any official or employee who has, or feels he
has a real, pecuniary or personal beneficial interest in any matter
coming before any Board, Commission, or Agency of the Town shall make
the same known to such body and such interest shall be disclosed on
the records of such body.
Shall mean any person receiving a salary, wages or compensation
from the Town for services rendered.
Shall mean that no official or employee shall grant or accept
any special consideration, treatment or advantage to or from any person
beyond that which is available to every other person.
Shall mean no official or employee or member of his immediate
family shall solicit or accept any gift having a substantial value,
whether in the form of service, loan, thing, promise or any other
form, from any person or persons who to his knowledge is interested
directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever in business dealings
with the Town.
Shall mean any person holding elective or appointive Town
office including members and alternate members of Town Agencies, Boards,
and Commissions, and Committees appointed to oversee the construction
or improvement of Town facilities, or any other Board, Commission
or Agency that exercises legislative or judicial functions or financial
authority.
Shall mean no official or employee shall appear on behalf
of private interests before any Board, Commission or Agency of the
Town, nor shall represent private interests in any action or proceeding
against the Town in any litigation when such appearance or representation
would be in conflict with or would impair his independence of judgment
on an action in the performance of his official duties as such officer
or employee.
Shall mean that no official or employee shall solicit any
business, directly or indirectly, from another official or employee
over whom he has any direct or indirect control or influence with
respect to tenure, compensation or duties.
Shall mean that no official or employee shall use or permit
the use of Town funds, services, property, equipment, owned or leased
vehicles, or materials for personal convenience or profit, except
when such services are available to the public generally or are provided
in conformance with established Town policies for the use of such
officials or employees.
[Ord. No. 91-1 § 2]
a.
A Board of Ethics shall be established by the Board of Selectmen
constituting five members; no more than two shall be of the same political
party.
b.
Terms of office shall be three years.
c.
Such Board shall elect a Chairperson and a Secretary and shall establish
its own rules and procedures in conformance with applicable State
laws.
d.
Powers and Duties. The Board of Ethics shall render advisory opinions
with respect to the applicability of this Code of Ethics to specific
situations to any agency, or any officer, official, employee or individual
pursuant to a written request or upon its own initiative. The Town
Board of Ethics may also issue guidelines on such issues for example,
ex parte communication. The Board may make available to the public
advisory opinions which do not invade an individual's privacy, and
take other appropriate steps in an effort to increase public awareness
of this Code of Ethics.
The Board of Ethics shall establish procedures by which the
public may initiate complaints alleging a violation of this Code.
The Board of Ethics itself may also initiate such a complaint. The
Board of Ethics shall have the power to hold hearings concerning the
application of this Code and its violation and may administer oaths
and compel the attendance of witness by subpoena. Such hearings shall
be closed to the public unless the respondent requests otherwise.
If the Board of Ethics determines the respondent has, in fact, violated
the provisions of this Code, it shall file a memorandum of decision
which may include a recommendation for action with the Board of Selectmen
or the appropriate Agency, Board or Commission. In the case of a consultant,
it shall also be filed with the contracting agency. The recommended
action may include reprimand, public censure, termination or suspension
of employment, removal or suspension from appointive office, or termination
of contractual status, except that no action may be recommended which
would violate the provisions of the State or Federal law. In the case
of union employees, such recommended action does not constitute a
unilateral change in conditions of employment. No such recommendation
shall limit the authority of the Board of Selectmen under the Charter
of the Town or under any ordinance, Statute, or any other law, and
the actions hereunder shall be supplemental to any authority the Board
of Selectmen have under any ordinance, Statute, or any other law.
Any discussion by the Board of Selectmen or other Agency, Board or
Commission or contracting agency of an individual affected by the
affected requests that such discussion be held in open session.
[Ord. No. 91-1 § 3]
The enforcement of policy shall be the responsibility of the
Chief Administrative Officer of the Town in conjunction with the Board
of Ethics.
[Ord. No. 91-4 § 1;
Ord. 7/16/12; amended 4-7-2022]
Purchases for the Town of Brooklyn shall be made under the following
rules:
All purchases of goods or services shall be governed by and
comply with the requirements of a written "Purchasing Procedure" to
be adopted and amended from time to time by the Board of Selectmen,
with the advice of the Board of Finance, provided that the maximum
amount of a contract that may be let without Town approval at a Town
Meeting be no more than $20,000 without amending this section.
[Ord. No. 07-01 § 1]
a.
The First Selectman as the Chief Executive Officer of the Town of
Brooklyn is authorized to declare a local disaster emergency in accordance
with the provisions of Connecticut General Statutes §§ 28-8(a)
and 28-1(8).
b.
Upon the declaration of a local disaster emergency by the First Selectman
of the Town of Brooklyn, the First Selectman or his designee, and
the local Emergency Management Director, shall exercise all powers
and authority granted to the municipality and/or its Chief Executive
Officer under Title 28 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
c.
In terms of serious disaster or civil emergency, the First Selectman
of the Town of Brooklyn, or his designee, is authorized to activate
the municipal Emergency Operation Center. The Commanding Officer of
the Connecticut State Police — Troop D, the Chiefs of the municipal
Fire Departments, the Director of the Northeast Department of Health,
the Emergency Management Director, or their representatives, shall
assist the First Selectman in evaluating the need for the declaration
of a Local Disaster Emergency.
d.
In times of serious disaster or civil emergency, the First Selectman
of the Town of Brooklyn, or his designee, will coordinate his or her
responsive activities with the appropriate area coordinator from the
Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
[Ord. No. 97-5 §§ 1-5; Ord. No. 08-01 §§ 3,4]
a.
Pursuant to the authority of Connecticut General Statutes 7-131r
and 7-131q, there is hereby established the Brooklyn Land Acquisition
Fund (hereinafter referenced to as the "Fund") to be used for the
purposes of the preservation of open space or agricultural land, the
acquisition of land (or any interest in land, including but not limited
to easements and development rights) to be used for open space and
for recreation or agricultural purposes. The Fund shall not lapse
at the close of the municipal year.
b.
There shall be appropriated into the Fund such sums as the Town may
appropriate for that purpose. There shall also be deposited into the
Fund all payments in lieu of the provision of open space made pursuant
to any regulations adopted by the Planning and Zoning Commission under
the authority of Connecticut General Statutes 8-25 and 8-25b, and
any other funds acquired by the Town, whether by gift, bequest, grant
or otherwise, for the purpose to be served by the Fund.
c.
Expenditures shall be made from the Land Acquisition Fund only in
accordance with the following procedures and requirements:
1.
Expenditures shall be made exclusively for the appraisal, acquisition
and preservation costs relating to the purchase of parcels of land
or any easements, interests or rights therein, the use of which shall
be limited to retention of the parcel in its natural condition or
the protection of natural resources for passive recreational or agricultural
purposes.
2.
Recommendations for the appropriation of funds to be used for the
acquisition of any parcel and/or easement, right, or interest therein,
including the sum to be expended, shall be approved by a vote of the
Brooklyn Conservation Commission and forwarded to the Planning and
Zoning Commission Board for a report in accordance with Section 8-24
of the Connecticut General Statutes.
3.
Following a report by the Planning and Zoning Commission and incorporation
of any changes approved by the vote of the Conservation Commission,
any recommendations for the appropriation of funds shall be forwarded
to the Board of Selectmen for their consideration and upon their approval,
to the Board of Finance.
4.
Following the approval of such recommendation by the Board of Finance
for the appropriation of funds, the Board of Selectmen shall schedule
a duly-warned and noticed Town Meeting for consideration by the Town's
legislative body.
5.
Upon recommendation of the Chair of the Conservation Commission,
the Board of Selectmen shall have the authority to expend up to $6,000.00
from the land acquisition fund for each potential acquisition, the
expenditure to be used to defray the expenses incurred in investigating
the suitability of any parcel of land for acquisition by the Town
of Brooklyn. Such expenses shall include but not be limited to payment
for the services of real estate appraisers, soil scientists and environmental
planners.
d.
Any monies generated from timber sales from Town-owned open space
properties will be deposited into this fund.
[Ord. 8/1/13; Ord. 1/8/14]
Town Meeting approval shall be required before the Town of Brooklyn
sells, leases or transfers any real property owned by the Town of
Brooklyn.
[Ord. 8/1/13]
Pursuant to the provisions of § 7-157(b) of the Connecticut
General Statutes, any ordinance enacted by the Town of Brooklyn legislative
body shall be published within 10 in summary form in a newspaper having
a general circulation in the Town. Each summary shall bear a disclaimer
as follows. "This document is prepared for the benefit of the public,
solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation.
This document does not represent the intent of the legislative body
of the Town of Brooklyn for any purpose."
The Town Clerk shall make a copy of such ordinance available
for public inspection and shall, upon request, mail a copy of the
ordinance to any person requesting a copy at no charge to such person.
Every ordinance, unless specifying a later date, shall become effective
on the 15th day after such publication following passage of the ordinance.
Any ordinance making or requiring an appropriation of funds must be
published in full.
[Ord. 8/16/16]
Pursuant to Section 12-129 of the Connecticut General Statutes
of the State of Connecticut, the Tax Collector for the Town of Brooklyn
is hereby authorized to retain payments in excess of the amount due
provided the amount of the excess payment is less than $5.00.
[Ord. 8/16/16]
Pursuant to Section 12-144c of the Connecticut General Statutes
of the State of Connecticut, the Tax Collector for the Town of Brooklyn
hereby waives all taxes due in the amount less than $10.00 provided
that the original bill does not exceed $10.00.
