Chapter X.
ETHICS

Section 1.  Personal Integrity

Elected and appointed officials, employees, board and commission members, and volunteers must maintain the utmost standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, honesty, and fairness in carrying out their public duties, avoid any improprieties in their roles as public servants, comply with all applicable laws, and never use their City position or power for improper personal gain.

Section 2.  Prohibited Activities

A.    No person shall be appointed to or removed from office, or unlawfully discriminated against in any other fashion, on the basis of any personal trait, characteristic, or class membership against which discrimination is prohibited by any state or federal law.

B.    Regarding any test, certification, or appointment, no person shall willfully make any false statement, certificate, mark, rating, or report, or in any manner commit or attempt to commit any fraud preventing the impartial execution of the personnel provisions, rules, and regulations.

C.    No person who seeks appointment or promotion to any City position or administrative office shall directly or indirectly give, render, or pay any money, service, or other valuable thing to any person for or in connection with their test, appointment, promotion, or proposed promotion, nor shall any City officer or employee ask or receive anything of value for aid or offer of aid in connection with any City appointment, employment, or promotion.

D.    No person shall knowingly or willfully solicit or assist in soliciting any assessment, subscription, or contribution for any political party or political purpose to be used in conjunction with any City election from any City employee.

E.    No person who holds any compensated appointive City position shall solicit or receive any contribution to the campaign funds of any candidate for City municipal office or take part in the management of a political campaign of any such candidate. This section shall not be construed to limit a person’s rights as a qualified elector.

Section 3.  Personal Interest

A.    Any member of the Council, or any officer or employee of the City who has, or whose relative has, a substantial interest in any contract, sale, purchase, or service to the City or a contractor supplying the City, shall make known that interest in the official records of the City and shall refrain from voting upon or otherwise participating in any manner as a Councilmember, officer, or employee in such contract, sale, or purchase.

B.    Any member of the Council, or any officer or employee of the City who has, or whose relative has, a substantial interest in any decision of the Council, or any board or commission of the City of which he is a member or to which he makes recommendations, shall make known such interest in the official records of such Council, board, or commission and shall refrain from participating in any manner as a Councilmember or an officer or employee in such decision.

C.    No member of the Council or any officer or employee of the City shall sell or supply to the City any equipment, material, supplies, or services, unless pursuant to an award or contract let after public competitive bidding.

D.    As used in this section, the following definitions apply:

“Relative” means the spouse and/or partner in a civil union, child, child’s child, or stepchild legally residing with the public officer, parent, grandparent, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood and their spouses and the parent, brother, sister, or child of a spouse and/or partner in a civil union. For this definition, “civil union” means a relationship between two individuals registered with a governmental agency or employer as a relationship for employer benefits and similar legal purposes.

“Substantial interest” shall have the meaning as defined in state statute.

Section 4.  Regulation of Lobbying

The Council shall prescribe rules and regulations governing efforts to influence the official action of the Council or any appointed public officer.

Section 5.  Enforcement

A.    The Council shall direct the City Manager and City Attorney to cooperate in providing programs on ethics and public service to inform elected and appointed City positions about the ethics provisions in this Charter, the City Code and City regulations, and state law.

B.    The Council shall prescribe by ordinance penalties for the willful violation of this Article.

Section 6.  Gifts

The Council shall, by ordinance, provide for the establishment of a system for accepting and disclosing receipts of gifts for elected and appointed officials, employees, and board and commission members in compliance with state law.