The final, or fifth section, of the "City of Coronado Administrative Procedures on Code of Ethics" discusses items which could be considered "Conflicts of Interest":
"No City official or employee, whether paid or unpaid, shall engage in any business or transaction, or shall have a financial or other personal interest, direct or indirect, which is incompatible with the duties in the public interest or would tend to impair his independence of judgment or action in the performance of his official duties. Personal, as distinguished from financial, interest includes an interest arising from blood or marriage relationships or close relationships in business or political association.
Special conflicts of interest are enumerated below for the guidance of officials and employees:
1. Incompatible Employment. No official or employee shall engage in or accept private employment or render services for private interests when such employment or service is incompatible with the proper discharge of his official duties or would tend to impair his independence of judgment or action in the performance of his official duties. See also Section 2ll, "Outside Employment.”
2. Representing Private Interests Before City Agencies or Courts. No official or employee whose salary is paid in whole or in part by the City shall appear in behalf of private interests before any agency or the City. He shall not represent private interests in any action or proceeding against the interests of the City in any litigation to which the City is a party. This paragraph shall not be construed as prohibiting the appearance of officials or employees when subpoenaed as witnesses by parties involved in litigation that also may involve the City of Coronado.
3. Business Solicitation During Working Hours. Employees of the City of Coronado are expected to perform a full day’s work for their salaries. This does not allow time for personal business during working hours. Therefore, all salesmen are prohibited from soliciting personal business from City employees during working hours. Any employee who receives or does business with salesmen during working hours will be subject to disciplinary action.
4. Disclosure of Confidential Information. No City official or employee shall, without prior formal authorization of the public body having jurisdiction, disclose any confidential information concerning any other official or employee, or any other person, or any property or governmental affairs of the municipality. Whether or not it shall involve disclosures, no official or employee shall use or permit the use of any such confidential information to advance the financial or personal interest of himself or any other person.
5. Disclosure and Disqualification of Financial or Personal Interest. Whenever the performance of his official duties shall require any official or employee to deliberate and vote on any matter involving his financial or personal interest, he shall publicly disclose the nature and extent of such interest and disqualify himself from participating in the deliberations as well as abstaining from voting.
6. Gifts and Favors. No official or employee shall accept any valuable gift, whether in the form of service, loan, thing, or promise, from any person, firm, or corporation which to his knowledge is interested directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever in business dealings with the City; nor shall any such official or employee (a) accept any gift, favor, or thing of value that may tend to influence him in the discharge of his duties, or (b) grant in the discharge of his duties any improper favor, service, or thing of value. However, small gifts (such as a box of chocolates) given to a department at large are acceptable. Regular loans
from banks and/or loan companies do not fall in this category.
7. Contracts With the City. Any official or employee who has a substantial or controlling financial interest in any business entity, transaction, or contract with the City, or in the sale of real estate, materials, supplies, or services to the City shall make known to the proper
authority such interest in any manner on which he may be called to act in his official capacity. He shall refrain from voting upon or otherwise participating in the transaction or making of such contract or sale. An official or employee shall not be deemed interested in
any contract or purchase or sale of land or other thing of value unless such contract or sale is approved, awarded, entered into, or authorized by him in his official capacity.
8. Disclosure of Interest in Legislation. Any official or employee who has a financial or other private interest, and who participates in discussion with or gives an official opinion to the Council, shall disclose on the records of the Council or other appropriate authority the nature and extent of such interest.
9. Ethics Training. All members of Coronado’s legislative body, whether elected or appointed, who receive any type of compensation, salary or stipend, or reimbursement of expenses, shall take two hours of ethics training courses approved by the Secretary of State, at least once every two years. Records of this training shall be kept by the City Clerk.
10. Reporting on Attendance at Meetings and Conferences. Where Council Members or Commissioners are compensated or reimbursed for attending meetings, whether subcommittee meetings, boards or agencies by assignment, other agencies’ meetings, or conferences, a report shall be given to the legislative body at its next meeting. This report may be jointly presented (if more than one member attends the same meeting or conference) and may also be presented orally or in writing. A written report, provided in advance, may be included with the agenda materials."
Source: City of Coronado Administrative Procedures on Code of Ethics, created June 2006 by the Coronado City Council
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