Ethics
Advisory Opinion No. 56
December
14, 2001
Issued
By: City Attorney’s Office
Whether an
employee of the Fire Department may contract with the City of
The Purchasing Department has inquired
whether an employee of the Fire Department may contract with the City of
At various times, the Purchasing Department
oversees the purchase of uniform items for the Police Department such as
shirts, pants, patches, and vests. It has come to the attention of this
Department that an employee of the Fire Department, a lieutenant for the Fire
Suppression Division, owns a 50% interest in a company providing safety vests.
Currently, the City is under contract with this company to provide said item.
The issue is whether, under the City’s
Ethics Code, the employee may enter into such a contract given his position
with the City. All City employees, whether part-time or full-time, are required
to follow the standards of conduct as set forth in the Code.
Unfair Advantage of Private Interest. Part B, Section 2[1] of the Code
prohibits all City employees from using their position "to unfairly
advance or impede private interests, or to grant or secure, or attempt to grant
or secure, for any person (including himself [ ]) any form of special
consideration, treatment, exemption, or advantage beyond that which is lawfully
available to other persons." In the instant case, no evidence has been
presented that the employee used his position in the Fire Department to obtain
this contract. The contract is for the purchase of safety vests for the Police
Department. Provided he did not assert his position in the awarding of this
contract, there is no violation of this section.
Representation of Private Interest. Part B, Section 5(b)[2]
prohibits a City employee from representing any entity, other than himself, his
spouse, or minor children, before the City. Representation before the City
includes actions by word or conduct made to induce either the City Council
and/or City staff to take action on behalf of the outside entity. Therefore,
pursuant to this section, the City employee may not request City Council and/or
City staff to take action on behalf of a company in which he owns an interest.
Conflicting Outside Employment. Generally, a City employee may not engage in
outside employment that may influence the performance of his official duties.
More specifically, "a City . . . employee shall not provide services to an
outside employer related to the . . . employee’s City duties." In
determining what services conflict with the employee’s City duties, both the
skills of the employee and the projects he is involved with must be examined.
Conflicts arise where the skills and projects of the outside employer require
action by the City employee that compromise the skills and projects he provides
the City.
Firefighters in the Fire Suppression
Division are responsible for, among other things, combating, extinguishing and
preventing fires. These job functions do not conflict with the job requirements
of providing uniform items to the City. As such, no conflict is found. However,
should he be required to take any action that would affect his ability to
perform his City duties, including, but not limited to, failing to report to
work for the City as a result of this outside employment, he must terminate the
outside employment.
Public Property and Resources. Part B, Section 7[3] of the Code
prohibits City employees from using "City facilities, personnel,
equipment or supplies for private purposes." Pursuant to this section,
the individual must neither use City of
Prohibited Interest in Contract. Part B, Section 10[4] prohibits City
employees from having a financial interest in a contract with the City or its
agencies including the SAWS or CPS. Under this section, a City employee is "any
employee of the City who is required to file a financial disclosure statement
pursuant to Section 1(a) of Part G[5]."
Because the employee is not a City
employee as defined in this section, he is not prohibited from contracting with
the City and may provide the uniform items under contract with the City of
SUMMARY
City employees are governed by the standards
of conduct set forth in the Ethics Code of the City of
_____________________
FRANK J. GARZA
City Attorney