COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

 

DATE:

November 29, 2004

BOARD MEETING DATE:

December 14, 2004

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Warren Slocum, Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

SUBJECT:

Approval of the Central County Fire Department Conflict of Interest Code and the Amended Conflict of Interest Codes of County Agencies, Special Districts, School Districts, and County Departments, Boards and Commissions.

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution Approving the New Conflict of Interest Code of the Central County Fire Department and the amendments to the Conflict of Interest Codes of Special Districts, School Districts, and County Departments, Boards and Commissions.

 

BACKGROUND:

State law requires each local public agency to adopt a Conflict of Interest Code designating employees, members and consultants who must file annual conflict of interest statements. The Board of Supervisors, as the code-reviewing body for all local agencies in San Mateo County except cities and city agencies, must approve the local agency’s code.

 

State law also requires a public agency to amend its code to address changed circumstances such as when it adds or deletes positions or changes the duties of positions. The Board of Supervisors, as the code-reviewing body, must approve any changes in a local agency’s code. Every two years, each local agency is notified by the County Clerk to review its code and, if it is necessary to change the code, submit an amended Code to the Board of Supervisors for review and approval. In 2004, the County Clerk notified local agencies of this requirement and received code amendments from various agencies listed in Exhibit A. These amendments are submitted for this Board’s approval.

 

DISCUSSION:

The newly created Central County Fire Department, a Joint Powers Authority whose members are the Town of Hillsborough and the City of Burlingame, has adopted a Conflict of Interest Code which is submitted for this Board’s approval.

 

Fifty-six other agencies, comprised of county agencies, special districts and school districts, have submitted amended Conflict of Interest Codes for this board’s approval. Some of the proposed amendments consist of the designation of a new filing officer in an effort to decentralize the filing of the Form 700s. We were, however, informed by the Fair Political Practices Commission that the County Clerk must remain the filing officer for these agencies. Accordingly, for those agencies that made this amendment to their code to reflect a new filing officer, the resolution submitted for your approval revises those proposed codes to provide that the County Clerk will be the filing officer pursuant to Government Code §87303(b).

 

The resolution approves the Conflict of Interest Code of the Central County Fire Department and the amended Conflict of Interest Codes of all agencies.

 

VISION ALIGNMENT:

The Central County Fire Department Conflict of Interest Code and the amended Conflict Interest Codes of local agencies keep the commitment of Responsive, Effective and Collaborative Government and goal number 21: County and local governments effectively communicate, collaborate and develop strategic approaches to issues affecting the entire County.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no fiscal impact.