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

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Business entity means a sole proprietorship, partnership, firm, corporation, holding company, joint-stock company, receivership, trust, unincorporated association, or any other entity recognized by law, including a nonprofit organization or governmental entity. Economic interest includes a legal or equitable interest in real property, personal property, or intangible property, or a contractual right, including but not limited to receipt of compensation and/or benefits. Service by a City official or employee as an officer, director, advisor, or other active participant in a nonprofit educational, religious, charitable, fraternal, or civic organization does not create for that City official or employee an economic interest in the property of the organization. Ownership of an interest in a mutual or common investment fund that holds securities or other assets is not an economic interest in the securities or other assets unless the person in question participates in the management of the fund. Employee means any person employed by the City, whether under civil service regulations or not, including those individuals on a part-time basis, but not including any independent contractor. Immediate family means the spouse, children, brothers, sisters and parents of an officer or employee. Officer or official means the Mayor or any member of the City Council and any appointive member of a City board, commission or committee established by ordinance, charter or state law. Section 3. Prohibition against involvement in actions affecting economic interests. (a) General rule. It shall be a violation of this policy for a City official or employee to participate in any proceedings or take any official action that he or she knows is likely to: (1) Affect an economic interest of: (A) The official or employee; (B) His or her immediate family member; (C) A member of his or her household; (D) An outside employer of the official or employee or of his or her immediate family member; (E) A business entity in which the official or employee or his or her immediate family member holds an economic interest; (F) A business entity for which the City official or employee serves as an employee, officer or director, or otherwise functions in any policy making position; or (G) A person or business entity from whom the official or employee, or his or her immediate family member, has solicited, received and not rejected, or accepted an offer of employment within the past twelve months; or (2) Confer a benefit on the official or employee, or deprive the official or employee of a benefit, where the effect of the action on the official or employee is distinguishable from the effect of the action on members of the public in general or a substantial segment of the public. (b) Meaning of "affect". (1) In subsection (a)(1) above, an action is likely to affect an official's or employee's economic interest if it meets all of the following: