HomeMy Public PortalAboutPolicy on Commission Ethics TrainingTOWN OF GULF STREAM COMMISSION POLICY
SUBJECT: Ethics Training
REFERENCE: Palm Beach County Code of Ethics §2-446(a)
PURPOSE: To set the Town's policy and procedures for providing guidelines
to all Town officials and personnel regarding required ethics
training.
POLICY:
According to the Palm Beach County Code of Ethics §2-446(a), Officials and employees
shall be informed of their ethical responsibilities at the start of their public service, and
shall receive updates and training materials on ethics issues throughout the span of their
public service... The county administrator or municipal administrator as applicable shall
establish by policy a mandatory training schedule for all officials and employees which
shall include mandatory periodic follow-up sessions.
PROCEDURE:
All Town employees and non -elected officials must receive initial Code of Ethics
training within sixty (60) days of employment or appointment. All Town elected
officials must receive initial training within sixty (60) days of taking office. This
training may consist of live training with Palm Beach County Commission on
Ethics (COE) staff, on-line training through the use of the training video available
on the COE's website, or a DVD presentation by COE staff.
2. As part of the required training, all Town employees, and elected and appointed
officials must read the Palm Beach County Code of Ethics. The code is available
on the COE's website at www.yalmbeachcountyethics.com as well as in the
Ethics Pocket Guide, published by the COE.
After initial training, periodic mandatory follow-up training is required of all
Town employees and elected and appointed officials every three (3) years. The
COE will coordinate with the Town Manager to provide timely and effective
follow-up training.
4. After completing training and having read the Code of Ethics, all Town
employees, and elected and appointed officials shall complete an approved
acknowledgment form available on the COE's website,
httv://www.palmbeachcountyethics.com/forins.htm including that they attended a
live COE training session or viewed the appropriate web -video or approved DVD
provided by the COE. The training acknowledgment form must be signed by the
Policy — Ethics Training
Adoption TC 3/15/13
Page 2
Town employee or official and submitted to the Town Clerk for inclusion into
their personnel file.
5. Compliance reviews performed by the COE are for the purpose of achieving
maximum compliance with the Code of Ethics training mandates as contained in
Article XIII, §2.446 of the Palm Beach County Code of Ethics. Results of
training compliance reviews will be submitted to the Town for necessary action
prior to the issuance of a compliance report. The Town shall have an opportunity
to cure any deficiency within a reasonable time not to exceed forty-five (45) days.
Compliance reviews will be performed by the COE on an as needed or bi-annual
basis.
6. The Town Manager is designated as the liaison between the Town and the COE.
The Town Manager will coordinate all mandated training and compliance audits
with the COE. COE staff will make every effort to accommodate scheduling
requests for both training and auditing of compliance.
7. Periodically, the COE will recommend changes, modifications or updates to this
ethics training policy. The Town Manager will provide such recommended
changes, modifications or updates to the Town Commission for review and
approval.
This policy adopted March 15, 2013 by action of Town Commission.