§ 13-3. Standards of conduct.

A. 

No officer or employee of the Town shall have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in any business or transaction or professional activity or incur any obligation or any nature, which is in conflict with, or might reasonably tend to conflict with, the proper discharge of his duties in the public interest. Any officer or employee who has a direct or indirect financial or other private interest in any matter before any board of the Town shall publicly disclose in writing on the official record of such board the nature and extent of such interest prior to participating in the discussion or before making a recommendation or giving an opinion to such board on such matter.

B. 

No officer or employee or the Town shall represent private interests before any board, department, office or agency of the Town, nor represent private interests in any action or proceeding against the interests of the Town or in any litigation to which the Town is a party. The preceding sentence shall not preclude any such officers or employees from appearing in the performance of public or civic obligations or on their own behalf with respect to matters of a personal nature. All appearing parties before any board of the Town shall make a disclosure as provided under § 809 of Article 18 of the General Municipal Law. Every application, petition or request submitted for a variance, amendment, change of zoning, approval of a plat, exemption from a plat or Official Map, license or permit pursuant to the provisions of any ordinance, local law, rule or regulation constituting the zoning and planning regulations of the Town in which a Town officer or employee has an interest as defined in this chapter shall state the name, residence and the nature and extent of the interest of any officer or employee of the Town, in the person, partnership or association making such application, petition or request.

C. 

No officer or employee of the Town shall accept any gift having a value of $50 or more, whether in the form of money, services, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise or any other form, from any person, firm or corporation which is interested directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever, in business dealings with the Town or under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred that the gift was intended to influence him or could reasonably be expected to influence him in the performance of his official duties or was intended as a reward for any official action on his part. No officer or employee of the Town shall grant in the discharge of his duties any improper favor, service or thing of value. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to prohibit any officer or employee of the Town from borrowing money from any bank or banks designated as depositories by the Town Board. The fifty-dollar limit applies to an aggregate total of gifts made over a period of 12 months.

D. 

No officer or employee of the Town shall:

(1) 

Accept employment or engage in any business or professional activity which will require him to disclose confidential information.

(2) 

Disclose any confidential information or use confidential information to further his personal interests or the personal interests of others.

E. 

No officer, employee or appointee of the Town shall invest or hold any investment, directly or indirectly, in any financial, business, commercial or other private transaction which he has reason to believe may be directly involved in decisions to be made by him or which will otherwise create a conflict between his public duty and his private interest.

F. 

No officer or employee of the Town shall take official action upon any questions in which he or any member of his immediate family has an interest.

G. 

No officer or employee, whether paid or unpaid, shall engage in or accept private employment or render services for private interests when such employment or service is in conflict with the proper discharge of his official duties.

H. 

No officer or employee of the Town shall accept employment by any person, firm or corporation with which he or his department, office or agency is engaged on behalf of the Town in the transaction of business which is or may be affected by his official action. The provisions herein shall be limited to a period of two years for any officer or employee after termination of employment. No officer or employee of the Town shall, after the termination of service or employment with the Town, appear before any board or agency of the Town in relation to any case, proceeding or application in which he personally participated during the period of his service or employment or which was under his active consideration.

I. 

No officer or employee of the Town shall use or attempt to use his official position to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for himself or others or grant any special consideration, treatment or advantage to any citizens beyond that which is available to every other citizen.

J. 

No officer or employee of the Town shall, by his conduct, give reasonable basis for the impression that any person can unduly influence him or improperly enjoy his favor in the performance of his official duties or that he is affected by the kinship, rank, position or influence of any party or person.

K. 

No officer or employee of the Town shall direct or cause any officer or employee of the Town to do or perform any service or work outside of public work or employment, or accept any such service or work, nor shall any officer or employee of the Town offer to or perform any such service or work for such officer or employee.

L. 

No officer or employee of the Town shall request or permit the use of Town-owned vehicles, equipment, materials or property for personal convenience or profit. When such vehicles, equipment, materials or property are provided as Town policy and by order of the Town administration for the use of such officer or employee, they may be used only in the conduct of official business.

M. 

No person who holds any Town position shall directly solicit, accept or receive any contribution for any political party or any candidate for public office including himself from any other officer or employee of the Town or from any person, firm or corporation which is interested directly or indirectly, in any manner whatsoever, in business dealings with the Town.

N. 

The Town Attorney or Town Counsel shall accept no employment from any person, firm, partnership, corporation, municipality or other entity which will create a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest with the interests of the Town of Carmel.