Referred to: The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Roberts, Ronk, and Walter)

Legislator Joe Maloney offers the following:

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Ethics Law prohibits County Officers and Employees from engaging in activity that would give rise to conflicts of interest, (Ulster County Ethics Law, Section “I”); and

WHEREAS, Section 2(p) of the Ulster County Ethic’s Law defines “Outside Employer or Business” as follows:

P. OUTSIDE EMPLOYER OR BUSINESS:

(1) Any activity, other than service to the County, from which the County officer or employee receives compensation for services rendered or goods sold or produced;

(2) Any entity, other than the County, of which the County officer or employee is a member, officer, director, or employee and from which they receive compensation for services rendered or goods sold or produced; or

(3) Any entity in which the County officer or employee has an ownership interest, except a corporation of which the County officer or employee owns less than 10% of the outstanding stock or company membership units.

and,

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Ethics Law prohibits county officers and employees from investing or knowingly holding any investment directly or indirectly in any business, financial, commercial or other private transaction doing business with the County of Ulster which would create a conflict with the individual’s official duties, (Ulster County Ethics Law Section “K”); and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Ethics Law further prohibits county officers and Employees from taking any action or participating in any manner whatsoever in any official capacity in the discussion, negotiation or the awarding of any contract or in any business or professional dealings with the County of Ulster or any agency thereof in which the official employee, an immediate family member, or member of the household has or will have an interest, direct or indirect, in such contract or professional dealings, (Ulster County Ethics Law Section “L”); and

WHEREAS, in furtherance of the prohibitions established in the Ulster County Ethics Law the Legislature deems it necessary and appropriate to establish a countywide policy requiring the disclosure of the names of individuals holding an ownership interest in entities that do business with Ulster County; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the name(s) of any and all individual(s) holding ownership interest of 10% or greater in any entity that seeks to do business with Ulster County, shall be disclosed, in writing, at the time such entity submits its bid to the Ulster County Purchasing Department, or, prior to entering into written contract for such work, whichever is sooner; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Purchasing Director shall file with the Clerk of the Legislature the name(s) of any and all individual(s) holding ownership interest of 10% or greater in any entity that seeks to do business with Ulster County prior to entering into written contract with the County, or performing any work for the County, whichever is sooner,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:      

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ______________. 

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE