CODE OF CONDUCT

 

Code of Conduct for members of the Board of Trustees of the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.

 

 

Preamble

 

The citizens and businesses within the jurisdiction of the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District (“District”) are entitled to fair, ethical and accountable local government which has earned the public's full confidence for integrity. In keeping with the District’s commitment to achievement of these ends, the effective functioning of the District therefore requires that:

 

1.   Trustees comply with both the letter and spirit of the laws and policies affecting District operations;

  1. Trustees be independent, impartial and fair in their judgment and actions;
  2. Trustees exercise their independent judgment on behalf of the interests of the residents, property owners and the public as a whole and not solely the interests of the board of supervisors or the city council that appointed them in accordance with Health and Safety Code section 2022;
  3. The public office granted to Trustees be used for the public good, not for personal gain; and
  4. Public deliberations and processes be conducted openly, unless legally confidential, in an atmosphere of respect and civility.

 

To these ends, the Board of Trustees has adopted a Code of Conduct for Trustees to assure public confidence in the integrity of the District and its effective and fair operation.

 

1. Act in the Public Interest

 

Recognizing that stewardship of the public interest must be their primary concern, Trustees will work for the common good of the residents of the District and not for any private or personal interest, and they will assure fair and equal treatment of all persons, claims and transactions coming before the District.

 

2. Comply with the Law and District Policy

 

Trustees shall comply with the laws of the nation and the State of California in the performance of their public duties. These laws include, but are not limited to: the United States and California constitutions; laws pertaining to conflicts of interest, financial disclosures, employer responsibilities, laws prohibiting discrimination, and open processes of government.  Trustees shall also comply with and adhere to all policies of the District, including but not limited to the District’s personnel policies, procurement policies and conflict of interest code.

 

3. Conduct of Members

 

The professional and personal conduct of Trustees must be above reproach and avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Trustees shall refrain from abusive conduct, personal charges or verbal attacks upon the character or motives of other Trustees, the staff or public.

 

4. Respect for Process

 

Trustees shall perform their duties in accordance with the processes and rules of order established by the Board of Trustees governing the deliberation of public policy issues, meaningful involvement of the public, and implementation of policy decisions of the Board of Trustees by District staff.  Trustees shall respect the roles and functions of various committees of the Board and shall adhere to all policies of the District.

 

5. Conduct of Public Meetings

 

Members shall prepare themselves for public issues; listen courteously and attentively to all public discussions before the body; and focus on the business at hand. They shall refrain from interrupting other speakers; making personal comments not germane to the business of the body; or otherwise interfering with the orderly conduct of meetings.

 

6. Decisions Based on Merit

 

Members shall base their decisions on the merits and substance of the matter at hand, rather than on unrelated considerations.

 

7. Communication

 

Trustees shall publicly share substantive information that is relevant to a matter under consideration by the District, which they may have received from sources outside of the public decision-making process.

 

8. Conflict of Interest

 

In order to assure their independence and impartiality on behalf of the common good, Trustees shall not use their official positions to influence government decisions in which they have a material financial interest, or where they have an organizational responsibility or personal relationship which may give the appearance of a conflict of interest.

 

In accordance with the law, Trustees shall disclose investments, interests in real property, sources of income, and gifts; and they shall abstain from participating in deliberations and decision-making where conflicts may exist.

 

9. Gifts and Favors

 

Trustees shall not take any special advantage of services or opportunities for personal gain, by virtue of their public office, that are not available to the public in general. They shall refrain from accepting any gifts, favors or promises of future benefits which might compromise their independence of judgment or action or give the appearance of being compromised.

 

10. Confidential Information

 

Trustees shall respect the confidentiality of information concerning the property, personnel or affairs of the District and information disclosed in the course of a lawful closed session of the District. They shall neither disclose confidential information without proper legal authorization and approval by the Board of Trustees, nor use such information to advance their personal, financial or other private interests.

 

11. Use of Public Resources

 

Trustees shall not use public resources not available to the public in general, such as District staff time, equipment, supplies or facilities, for private gain or personal purposes.

 

12. Representation of Private Interests

 

In keeping with their role as stewards of the public interest, Trustees shall not appear on behalf of the private interests of third parties before the Board of Trustees or in other proceedings of the District.

 

13. Advocacy

 

Trustees shall represent the official policies or positions of the District to the best of their ability when designated as delegates for this purpose. When presenting their individual opinions and positions, members shall explicitly state they do not represent the District or the Board of Trustees, nor will they allow the inference that they do.

 

14. Policy Role of Members

 

Trustees shall respect and adhere to the district-manager structure of the District. In this structure, the Board of Trustees determines the policies of the District with the advice, information and analysis provided by staff. 

 

Trustees therefore shall not interfere with the administrative functions of the District or the professional duties of District staff; nor shall they impair the ability of staff to implement Trustee policy decisions.   Except for purposes of inquiry, Trustees shall not give orders to any subordinate of the General Manager.  For purposes of this section, inquiry means any and all communications short of giving orders, directions or instructions to any member of the administrative staff.  Nothing contained in this section should be construed as authorizing any Trustee to conduct an interrogation of staff so as to give rise to potential liability for the District or to otherwise engage in acts that violate any statute.

 

15. Positive Work Place Environment

 

Trustees shall support the maintenance of a positive and constructive work place environment for District employees and for citizens and businesses dealing with the District.  Trustees shall recognize their restricted role in dealings with District employees to in no way create the perception of inappropriate direction to staff.

 

16. Implementation

 

As an expression of the standards of conduct for Trustees expected by the District, the District’s Code of Ethics is intended to be self-enforcing. It therefore becomes most effective when members are thoroughly familiar with it and embrace its provisions.  For this reason, ethical standards shall be included in the regular orientations for Trustees.  Trustees taking office shall sign a statement affirming they read and understand the District’s Code of Ethics. In addition, the Code of Ethics shall be periodically reviewed by the Board of Trustees to update it as necessary.

 

17. Compliance and Enforcement

 

The District’s Code of Ethics expresses standards of ethical conduct expected for members of the Board of Trustees. Members themselves have the primary responsibility to assure that ethical standards are understood and met, and that the public can continue to have full confidence in the integrity of government.  The chairs of committees and the President of the District have the additional responsibility to intervene when actions of members that appear to be in violation of the Code of Ethics are brought to their attention.

 

The Board of Trustees may impose sanctions on members whose conduct does not comply with the District’s ethical standards, such as reprimand, formal censure, loss of committee assignment, budget restriction or other limitations as appropriate to address a particular violation. The Board of Trustees also may initiate appropriate action to remove a Trustee from office.  A violation of this Code of Ethics shall not be considered a basis for challenging the validity of a decision by the Board of Trustees.

 

 

As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, I hereby acknowledge receipt of the Code of Conduct of the District.

 

Date:  _____________________

 

Signature: __________________________

 

Name (printed): _______________________________