The Town Board of the Town of Van Buren recognizes that there are statutory provisions mandating towns to establish rules and standards of ethical conduct for public officers and employees which, if observed, can enhance public confidence in local government. In the light of a tendency today on the part of some people to downgrade our local governments and to discredit our public servants and our free institutions generally, it appears necessary that every effort be made to assure the highest caliber of public administration of this town as part of our state's important system of local government. It is the purpose of this chapter to implement this objective through the establishment of standards of conduct to provide for punishment of violation of such standards and to create a Board of Ethics to render advisory opinions to the town's officers and employees as provided for herein.
The standards and prohibited acts and procedures established herein are in addition to any prohibited acts, conflicts of interest, provisions or procedures prescribed by statutes of the State of New York and also in addition to common law rules and judicial decisions relating to the conduct of town officers to the extent that the same are more severe in their application than this chapter.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
TOWN
Any board, commission, district, council or other agency, department or unit of the government of the Town of Van Buren.
TOWN EMPLOYEE
Any officer or employee of the Town of Van Buren, whether paid or unpaid, whether serving in a full-time, part-time, seasonal or advisory capacity, whether elected, appointed or hired.
[Amended 1-4-2011 by L.L. No. 1-2011]
No town 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. 
Two members of the same family shall not be employed within the same Town department as a Town employee at any one time. Spouses, children, siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and in-laws shall be considered members of the same family for the purpose of this section. This section shall not be retroactive from its date of adoption.
[Amended 1-4-2011 by L.L. No. 1-2011]
B. 
No town employee shall accept other employment which will impair his independence of judgment in the exercise of his official duties.
C. 
No town 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.
D. 
No town employee shall use or attempt to use his official position to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for himself or others.
E. 
No town employee shall engage in any transaction as a representative or agent of the town 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.
F. 
A town 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.
G. 
Each town 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.
H. 
No town employee shall engage in, solicit, negotiate for or promise to accept private employment or render services for private interest when such employment of service creates a conflict with or impairs the proper discharge of his official duties.
I. 
No town employee shall directly or indirectly solicit any gifts. No town employee shall accept or receive at any time any gift having a value of more than $25. No town employee shall receive any gift, whether in the form of money, services, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise, or any other form, under circumstances in which it could reasonably be expected to influence him in the performance of his official duties or was intended as a reward for any official action on his part.
J. 
No town employee shall, after the termination of service or employment with such municipality, appear before any board or agency of the Town of Van Buren in relation to any case, proceeding or application in which he personally participated during the period of his service or employment or which was under his active consideration.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to bar or prevent the timely filing by a present or former municipal officer or employee of any claim, account, demand or suit against the Town of Van Buren, or any agency thereof on behalf of himself or any member of his family arising out of any personal injury or property damage or for any lawful benefit authorized or permitted by law.
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision of law, any such town employee who shall knowingly and intentionally violate any of the provisions of this chapter may be fined, suspended or removed from office or employment in the manner provided by law.