Southeast Town Board to Adopt Revised Ethics Code
The Southeast Town Board is poised to revise the town ethics code when it meets on May 9.
The town board held its final discussions on the code during its April 18 meeting.
The board rejected a call by town activist Ann Fanizzi to bar residents working in the real estate industry or active with a town political committee from being appointed to town boards and committees. Fanizzi made her comments during a recent public hearing.
Supervisor Tony Hay said during his years on the town board and the Putnam County Legislature he never saw a board member compromised because of their involvement in politics or working the real estate field. If a matter before a town board could pose a conflict of interest, the board member could choose to not take part in the discussion or vote on a particular matter, he said.
Councilman Edwin Alvarez said he agreed with Hay. Once the ethics code is enacted the town board should “review it annually” and make changes to it as needed.
The proposed ethics law states, “all officials and employees must avoid conflicts or potential conflicts of interest.”
Some of the revised code provisions include prohibiting a former town official or employee from appearing before any town agency on his or her own behalf, disclose any confidential town information to benefit themselves or someone they know; force a town employee to make a political campaign donation, and accept a gift of $75 or more over a 12-month period if the intent of the gift is to influence them
Fracking fluid ban
Also during the April 18 meeting, the town board voted unanimously, without comment, to ban the use of hydrofracking fluids on town roads.
In March, the Putnam County Legislature to ban the sale, application and disposal of waste materials obtained after natural gas hydrofracking and encouraged Putnam municipalities to follow its lead.
