[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village
of Norwood 2-11-1975. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Norwood, County of St. Lawrence,
recognizes that there are state statutory provisions mandating that villages
establish rules and standards of ethical conduct for their 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 Village 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 violations of such standards and to create a Board of Ethics
to render advisory opinions to the Village's officers and employees as provided
for herein.
The standards, prohibited acts and procedures established herein are
in addition to any prohibited acts, conflicts of interest provisions or procedures
prescribed by statute of the State of New York and also in addition to common
law rules and judicial decisions relating to the conduct of Village 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:
Any board, commission, district, council or other agency, department
or unit of the government of the Village of Norwood, St. Lawrence County.
Any officer or employee of the Village of Norwood, County of St.
Lawrence, whether paid or unpaid, whether serving in a full-time, part-time
or advisory capacity.
No Village 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.
No Village employee shall accept other employment which
will impair his independence of judgment in the exercise of his official duties.
B.
No Village 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.
C.
No Village employee shall use or attempt to use his official
position to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for himself or others.
D.
No Village employee shall engage in any transaction as
representative or agent of the Village 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.
E.
A Village 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.
F.
Each Village 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.
G.
Each Village employee shall endeavor to pursue a course
which will not raise suspicion among the public that he is likely to be engaged
in acts that are in violation of his trust.
H.
No Village employee employed on a full-time basis nor
any firm or association of which such employee is a member nor corporation,
a substantial portion or the stock of which is owned or controlled directly
or indirectly by such employee, shall sell goods or services to any person,
firm, corporation or association which is licensed or whose rates are fixed
by the Village in which such employee serves.
I.
Each Village employee shall, to the extent that he is
cognizant thereof, disclose any interest he may have in legislation before
the Board of Trustees of the Village of Norwood.
J.
No Village employee, within two years after the termination
of his service or employment with the Village, shall accept employment which
will involve contacts with the Village which can work to his special advantage
by virtue of his prior contact and relationship with the Village.
K.
No Village officer or employee shall directly or indirectly
solicit any gift or accept or receive any gift having a value of $75 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.
[Amended 4-21-1997by L.L. No. 1-1997]
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provisions of law,
any such Village 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.
A.
There is hereby established a Board of Ethics consisting
of three members to be appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Village of
Norwood, all of whom reside in the Village of Norwood, County of St. Lawrence,
and who shall serve without compensation and at the pleasure of the Board
of Trustees of the Village of Norwood, County of St. Lawrence. A majority
of such members shall be persons other than Village employees but shall include
at least one member who is an elected or appointed Village employee of the
Village of Norwood, County of St. Lawrence.
B.
The Board of Ethics established hereunder shall render
advisory opinions to Village employees upon written request and, upon request
of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Norwood, make recommendations to
such Board of Trustees as to any amendments of this chapter. The opinions
of the Board of Ethics shall be advisory and confidential, and in no event
shall the identity of the Village employee be disclosed except to authorized
persons and agencies. Such opinions shall be on the advice of counsel employed
by the Board of Ethics.
C.
Such Board of Ethics, upon its information, shall promulgate
its own rules and regulations as to its form and procedures and shall maintain
appropriate records of its opinions and proceedings.
Upon the adoption of this chapter, the Norwood Village Clerk shall cause
a copy thereof to be distributed to every Village employee of the Village
of Norwood. Failure to distribute any such copy or failure of any Village
employee to receive such copy shall have no effect on the duty of compliance
with this code, nor the enforcement of provisions hereof. The Village Clerk
shall further cause a copy of this chapter to be kept posted conspicuously
in each public building under the jurisdiction of the Village. Failure to
so post this chapter shall have no effect on the duty of compliance herewith
nor the enforcement provision hereof.
Within 30 days of the adoption of this chapter, the Norwood Village
Clerk shall file a copy thereof in the office of the State Comptroller.
Within 30 days after the establishment of the Board of Ethics, the Norwood
Village Clerk shall file in the office of the State Comptroller a statement
that the Village of Norwood has established a Board of Ethics in accordance
with § 808 of the General Municipal Law and the composition of such
Board.
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Norwood may appropriate moneys
from the general Village funds for the maintenance of and for personal services
to the Board of Ethics established hereunder, but such Board of Ethics may
not commit the expenditure of Village moneys except within the appropriations
provided herein.
