[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Quogue 10-16-1970 by L.L. No. 1-1970. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Administration of government — See Ch. 5.
Administrator — See Ch. 9.
Building Inspector — See Ch. 15.
Ordinance Enforcement Officer — See Ch. 42.
Police Department — See Ch. 47.
A. 
The Board of Trustees does hereby adopt this Code of Ethics setting forth required standards of conduct for the municipal officers and employees of the Village of Quogue, New York, pursuant to the provisions of Article 18 of the General Municipal Law.
B. 
Unless otherwise expressly stated or unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions set forth in said Article 18 shall apply to this Code of Ethics.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See also § 31-5.
A. 
Except as provided in § 802 of the General Municipal Law, no such municipal officer or employee shall have an interest in any contract with the Village of Quogue when such officer or employee, individually or as a member of a board, has the power or duty to negotiate, prepare, authorize or approve the contract or authorize or approve payment thereunder, audit bills or claims under the contract or appoint an officer or employee who has any of the powers or duties set forth above.
B. 
No Village Treasurer or his deputy or employee shall have an interest in a bank or trust company designated as a depository, paying agent, registration agent or for investment of funds of the Village of Quogue.
C. 
The provisions of this section shall in no event be construed to preclude the payment of lawful compensation and necessary expenses of any municipal officer or employee in one or more positions of public employment, the holding of which is not prohibited by law.
Any such municipal officer or employee who has, will have or later acquires an interest in any actual or proposed contract with the Village of Quoque shall publicly disclose the nature and extent of such interest, in writing, to the Board of Trustees as soon as he has knowledge of such actual or prospective interest. Such written disclosure shall be a part of the official records of said Board. Once disclosure has been made by an officer or employee with respect to an interest in a contract with a particular person, firm, corporation or association, no further disclosures need be made by such officer or employee with respect to additional contracts with the same party during the remainder of the fiscal year.
No such municipal officer or employee shall:
A. 
Directly or indirectly, solicit any gift or accept or receive any gift having a value of $25 or more, whether in the form of money, service, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise or in any other form, under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred that the gift was intended to influence him or 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.
B. 
Disclose confidential information acquired by him in the course of his official duties or use such information to further his personal interests.
C. 
Receive or enter into any agreement, express or implied, for compensation for services to be rendered in relation to any matter before any municipal agency of the Village of Quogue of which he is an officer, member or employee or of any municipal agency over which he has jurisdiction or to which he has the power to appoint any member, officer or employee.
D. 
Receive or enter into any agreement, express or implied, for compensation for services to be rendered in relation to any matter before any agency of his municipality, whereby his compensation is to be dependent or contingent upon any action by such agency with respect to such matter, provided that this subsection shall not prohibit the fixing at any time of fees based upon the reasonable value of the services rendered.
E. 
Make any investments in the Village of Quogue, directly or indirectly, after becoming an officer or employee thereof, which create a conflict with his official duties.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
INTEREST
Includes the affairs of the officer's or employee's spouse, minor children and dependents; a firm, partnership or association of which such officer or employee is a member or employee; a corporation of which such officer or employee is an officer, director or employee; and a corporation, 5% or more of the stock of which is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such officer or employee.
Any such municipal officer or employee who has an interest in proposed legislation which he knows is being considered by the Board of Trustees (other than a general interest as a member of the community), which proposed legislation has been noticed for a public hearing, shall disclose his interest to the Board of Trustees in writing.
No person who has served as an officer or employee of the Village of Quogue shall, with respect to any case, proceeding, application or matter which was pending before a board, agency or department while he was serving as an officer or employee of such board, agency or department, within a period of six months after the termination of such service or employment, appear before any such board, agency or department or act as counsel, attorney or agent with respect to any such case, application or matter.
No person who is in the business of developing land in the Village of Quogue shall be a member of any administrative board appointed by the Board of Trustees.
A. 
There is hereby created and established a Board of Ethics, consisting of three members to be appointed by the Board of Trustees, to serve without compensation. Of the members first appointed to the Board, one shall hold office for a term ending at the end of the current official year, one for a term ending at the end of the next official year and the third for a term ending at the end of the next succeeding official year. Their successors shall be appointed for three-year terms. The members of the Board of Ethics shall elect a Chairman annually. One member of the Board of Ethics shall be an elected or appointed officer or employee of the Village of Quogue. The other two members shall not otherwise be officers or employees of such municipality.
B. 
The Board of Ethics shall render advisory opinions to officers or employees of the Village of Quogue with respect to this Code of Ethics and the provisions of Article 18 of the General Municipal Law. Such advisory opinions shall be rendered pursuant to the written request of any such officer or employee under such rules and regulations as the Board may prescribe and shall have the advice of counsel employed by the Board or, if none, the Village Attorney.
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision of law, any person who shall knowingly and intentionally violate this Code of Ethics may be disciplined, suspended or removed from office or employment in the manner provided by law.