City
of San Antonio , Texas
Ethics Advisory Opinion No. 19
May 30, 2006
Issued By: The Ethics Review
Board
May an individual who is a former city employee prepare
and submit engineering plans to the City less than two years after leaving city
employment?
A former city employee has requested an opinion
addressing the Ethics Code restrictions on former employees and their
interaction with the city. This individual previously served the city as a storm
water engineer in the Public Works Department. He left city service on August
22, 2005 and now works for a private engineering firm. His employer is a
subcontractor on a
The Ethics Code of the City of San Antonio states former city
employees are required to abide by four (4) standards of conduct regarding: (1)
continuing confidentiality; (2) subsequent representation; (3) prior
participation in negotiating or awarding of contracts; and (4) prohibited
interest in discretionary contracts.
From the facts provided in the inquiry, there are no issues of
confidentiality. The former employee also advised that he had no involvement in
the contract awarded by the Parks and Recreation Department for this project.
Further, the former employee has no ownership interest in the businesses that
are contracting and subcontracting on this project and accordingly the
provision regarding prohibited interests in discretionary contracts would not
apply.
The facts of the inquiry, though, do raise issues under
Section 2-56 regarding the subsequent representation of private interests.
Section 2-56(b)[1]
states:
(b) Representation
of Private Interests Before the City by
The restriction against representing
private interests before the city applies for a two-year period after
termination of city service. The former employee will be subject to this
provision until August 22, 2007.
The Ethics Code does not preclude
the employee from working on the project on behalf of his employer because he
had no prior participation in this matter while working for the city. Section
2-56(b), however, does prohibit him from representing a private interest for
compensation before the city during the two years following termination of city
service. The former employee inquires whether the submission of the storm water
management plan to the city for review constitutes representation that would be
prohibited under Section 2-56(b).
Section 2-42(bb) states:
Representation.
“Representation” is a presentation of fact – either by words or by conduct –
made to induce someone to act. Representation does not include appearance as a
witness in litigation or other official proceedings.
Section 2-42(c)
provides:
Before the City. Representation
or appearance “before the city” means before the City Council; before a board,
commission, or other city entity; or before a city official or employee. Representation “before the city” does not include
representation before a board where members of said board are not wholly
appointed by the City Council.
The inquiry indicates
that the contractor for the Parks and Recreation Department project is required
to submit storm water
management plan so that city staff can evaluate the impact of the project on a
creekway. Based on the information provided in the plan, city staff will
conduct an evaluation, which in turn will affect continued progress on the
project. The storm water management plan requires
the signature and seal of the engineer submitting the report. The seal can only
be used by a registered professional engineer licensed to practice in the State
of
The former employee also asks if the plan is submitted by a
former employee within the two-year restriction period, would the plan be
reviewed. As discussed, the former employee would be in violation of the code in
engaging in the representation of private interests before the city if he
submitted the plan during the two-year restriction period. Under Section 2-51,
a city employee cannot intentionally or knowingly assist another person in
violating the code of ethics. An employee who is aware that a former employee
still under the two-year restriction period would act appropriately in refusing
to accept the submission of the plan and requesting re-submission by another
individual not subject to these restrictions.
OPINION
It is the opinion of
the Ethics Review Board that based upon the facts presented, the former
employee is prohibited from submitting the storm water management plan on
behalf of his employee, the subcontractor until two years have elapsed since
the termination of his service to the city.
________________________________ _May 30, 2006_______
Arthur Downey, Jr. Date
Chairman, Ethics Review Board