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TOWN EMPLOYEE Any member of a public board or commission, officer, employee, volunteer expressly authorized to participate in a publicly sponsored volunteer program or any other person holding a position by election, appointment or employment in the service of the Town of Red Hook. The term "town employee" shall not include an independent contractor. The term "town employee" shall include a former employee, the employee's estate or a judicially appointed personal representative.

The Town of Red Hook does recognize as in effect the Public Officers Law , including § 18, and will indemnify and defend all town employees should the need arise out of their acts as town employees.

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Red Hook 11-10-1987 ; amended in its entirety 4-11-2006 by L.L. No. 1-2006 . Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.] GENERAL REFERENCES Disaster plan — See Ch. 60 .

The Town Board of the Town of Red Hook does hereby establish the Disaster Preparedness Committee. A Chair shall be appointed, and the Committee membership shall include the Highway Superintendent, one representative from the Red Hook Fire Company, the Tivoli Fire Department, the RH Police Department or DC Sheriff's office, the Red Hook Central School, the Red Hook Ministerium, Bard College and three at-large members (residents of Red Hook).

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Red Hook 12-30-2008 by L.L. No. 9-2008 . [1] Amendments noted where applicable.] GENERAL REFERENCES Defense and indemnification — See Ch. 6 . Officers and employees — See Ch. 25 . [1] Editor's Note: This local law also superseded former Ch. 13, Ethics, adopted 10-11-2005 by L.L. No. 4-2005.

This chapter shall be known as the "Ethics and Disclosure Law of the Town of Red Hook."

The purposes of this chapter are to: A. Establish standards of ethical conduct for officers, employees and consultants of the Town; B. Provide officers, employees, and Board and committee members and consultants of the Town, whether elected or appointed, paid or volunteer, with clear guidance on such standards; C. Promote public confidence and integrity in the agencies and administrative offices of our local government; D. Facilitate the consideration of potential ethical problems before they arise, to minimize unwarranted suspicion, and to enhance the accountability of government to the people by requiring public disclosure of financial interests that may influence or be perceived to influence the actions of Town officers and employees; and E. Provide fo...

A. This chapter is enacted pursuant to § 10 of the Municipal Home Rule Law and is not intended to authorize any conduct prohibited by Article 18 of the General Municipal Law. B. The standards, prohibited acts and procedures established within this chapter 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. C. This chapter shall supersede and replace Chapter 13 , Ethics, of the Code of the Town of Red Hook (adopted 10-11-2005).

Unless otherwise stated or unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the meanings herein indicated:

APPEAR and APPEAR BEFORE Communicating in any form, including, without limitation, personally, through another person, by letter, by electronic device, or by telephone.

CUSTOMER or CLIENT Any person for whom a Town officer or employee has directly supplied contractual goods/services during the previous 24 months. "Contractual goods/services" means any work performed or goods delivered by the Town officer or employee to another person under mutual agreement of the two parties and provided the two parties have finalized the transaction, without dispute. Retail sales shall be excluded from this provision.

ETHICS BOARD The Ethics Board of the Town of Red Hook established pursuant to Article IV of this chapter.

FAMILY MEMBER For purposes of this chapter, a person who is a spouse, child or stepchild, sibling, parent or grandparent of the officer or employee, or a member of the household of the officer or employee.

GIFT and FINANCIAL BENEFIT Includes any money, service, license, permit, contract, authorization, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, or any promise thereof, or any other gratuity or promise thereof or anything of value. A financial transaction may be a financial benefit but shall not be a gift unless it is on terms not available to the general public. "Gift" and "financial benefit" do not include campaign contributions authorized by law.

MINISTERIAL ACT An action performed in a prescribed manner without the exercise of judgment or discretion as to the propriety of the act.

OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE Any of the following: A. A person who is employed by the Town, whether full- or part-time; and B. An elected or appointed official of the Town, including a compensated or uncompensated board member, who is required to take and file an oath of office under the Public Officers Law . Such boards include, without limitation, the Town Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Planning Board, the Ethics Board, and the Board of Assessment.

A. Conflicts prohibited. A Town officer or employee shall not use his/her official position or office or take or fail to take any action in a matter that he/she knows or has reason to know may provide a personal financial benefit or secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for any of the following persons: (1) A Town officer or employee; (2) His/her outside employer, employee or business; (3) A family member of the officer or employee; (4) A customer or client. B. Appearance of impropriety. A Town officer or employee must avoid circumstances that compromise his or her ability to make decisions solely in the public interest or that violate the spirit or intent of this Ethics Code. C. Recusal and disclosure. (1) A Town officer or employee shall promptly ...