Paris adopts ethics policy

PARIS — On Monday, Paris selectmen voted unanimously to adopt the town's first ever ethics policy

The Rev. Anne Stanley suggested the need for such a policy last year, during the sometimes bitter back-and-forth between factions squared off over the town’s subdivision ordinance.

Stanley’s first attempt to create an ethics policy was blocked by selectmen, who refused to refer the request to the town’s policy and procedures committee.  That vote was overturned following a shake-up of the selectboard after elections last June.

A draft was submitted to selectmen at their previous meeting, in January.  However, that version was sent back for a do-over when Selectboard Chairman Ray Glover pointed out that it cannot be used as a means to “remove or discharge” selectmen, because Paris has no recall ordinance.

Policy committee Chairman Jack Richardson said the policy provides only “the basis” for removal, not the mechanism.  It is up to town officials, he said, to craft methods to remove people from office, using the ethics policy as justification.

The revised draft adopted by selectmen now reads that "the fundamental purpose of this policy is to establish enforceable ethical standards of conduct for town officers and employees with the hope that the policy will assist all officers and employees as to identify [sic] and avoid conflicts of interest.

"To that end," the policy reads, "every town official and employee    . . . should aspire" to the standards it sets forth.

The Paris Ethics Policy says “no officer or employee shall participate in any hearing, debate, discussion, or vote, or in any manner otherwise attempt to influence the outcome of a matter in which he or she has a personal or pecuniary interest.”

State law only limits participation in public proceedings when an elected or appointed official has at least a 10-percent ownership stake in any matter under consideration.

The local policy also prohibits town officials and employees from using public property or confidential information for personal use and from accepting gifts from people or organizations with business  before the town.

The policy bans town officers from appearing before "any governmental body" to which that person belongs, or whose members are appointed by that person, if he or she had a percieved conflict of interest.  In addition, if that person does not step down, the policy says muncipal boards should refuse to hear   "other individuals in the organization with which the officer or employee is associated."

Selectmen also adopted on Monday a system for appointing citizens to town boards and committees.  Fixed from an earlier draft sent back for revision are terms of office for newly created committees.  The policy now reads only that initial terms shall be "staggered," leaving to selectmen the discretion for how many years each initial seat shall have, before set terms kick in.  Staggering terms when a committee is new keeps the entire group from coming up for reappointment en masse.

Selectmen previously adopted policy and procedures committee recommendations for a new form to be used by citizens when applying for public appointment, as well as a policy governing the “establishment and operation of boards and committees.”

That policy says all Paris boards and committees “should prepare” annual work plans to include requests for funds, a list of work it will try to accomplish that year, and “a list of issues it can safely predict will arise in the coming year.”

An annual report of accomplishments and unfinished work is to be submitted to selectmen.

The policy also requires that all committees keep written minutes of meetings, while the selectboard, planning board, board of appeals and the historic preservation commission are compelled to record their proceedings.

Paris’ policy and procedures committee meets next at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, at the town office.