06-24-13 Regular Meeting of La Porte City Council

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ORDINANCE NO.2013- AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING AN ETHICS AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY APPLICABLE TO CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES; FINDING COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; CONTAINING A REPEALING CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE HEREOF. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE: Section 1. Policy and purposes. (a) General policy statement. It is the policy of the City that all City officials and employees shall conduct themselves both inside and outside the City's service so as to give no occasion for distrust of their integrity, impartiality or devotion to the best interest of the City and the public trust which the City holds. (b) Appearance of impropriety. Public service is a public trust. All City officials and employees are stewards of the public trust. They have a responsibility to the citizens of the city to administer and enforce the City Charter and City ordinances. To ensure and enhance public confidence in City government, each City official and employee must strive not only to maintain technical compliance with the principles of ethical conduct set forth in this article and in state law, but also to avoid the appearance of impropriety at all times. (c) This code of ethics has three purposes: (1) To encourage ethical conduct on the part of City officials and employees; (2) To encourage public service with the city; (3) To establish standards for ethical conduct for City officials and employees by defining and prohibiting conduct that is incompatible with the interests of the City, (d) This code of ethics is not intended to be used as a political weapon or to intimidate or embarrass affected persons. The officials charged with administration of this code of ethics shall administer it in a manner that avoids any such use of this code of ethics. Section 2. Definitions. In this policy: Benefit means anything reasonably regarded as pecuniary gain or pecuniary advantage, including any money, real or personal property, purchase, sale, lease, contract, option, credit, loan, discount, service or other tangible or intangible thing of value. Benefit includes a pecuniary gain or pecuniary advantage to any other person in whose welfare the beneficiary has a direct and substantial interest.