Torrance Municipal Code Art. 9 General Provisions

900 OFFICIAL BONDS.

The City Clerk and the City Treasurer and such other officers or employees as may be required to do so by ordinance of the City Council, shall each execute a bond to the City for the faithful performance of official duties; which bonds shall be in the amount fixed by the City Council. The bonds shall be approved by the City Council and with the exception of the bond of the City Clerk, shall be filed with the City Clerk. The bond of the City Clerk shall be filed with the Mayor. Premiums upon the bonds shall be paid by the City out of its general fund. All the provisions of any law of this State relating to the official bonds of officers shall apply to any bonds herein required or authorized to the extent that such provisions are not in conflict herewith.

901 OATHS OF OFFICE.

All officials, officers, members of boards, or commissions and employees shall take and file with the City Clerk the oath of office required by the constitution and the laws of the State. In addition to the oath of office, and as a part thereof, the City Council shall by ordinance require all of the persons herein mentioned, including members of the City Council, to affirm their loyalty to the United States of America and its principles of government. The oath of office of the City Clerk shall be taken by and filed with the Mayor.

902 ILLEGAL CONTRACTS. FINANCIAL INTEREST.

(a) No member of the City Council shall be financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract, sale, purchase, or transaction:

made in their official City capacity, by the City Council, or made by any board or body of which the Councilmember is a member, or to which the City is a party
or as otherwise described in Article 4 of Division 4 of Title 1 (commencing with Section 1090) of the California Government Code or any successor provision.

(b) No department head, City official, officer, or employee shall be financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract, sale or transaction:

Made in their official City capacity or to which the City is a party, or which comes before the department head, City official, officer, or employee, or the department of the government with which the official or employee is connected, for official action.
or as otherwise described in Article 4 of Division 4 of Title 1 (commencing with Section 1090) of the California Government Code or any successor provision.

(c) No member of any board, commission, or committee shall participate in any decision when the member has a financial interest in any contract, sale, purchase, or transaction to which the City is a party and which comes before the board, commission, or committee of which the person is a member for approval or other official action.

(d) Any contract, sale, purchase, or transaction in which any Councilmember, department head, City official, officer, or employee of the City shall be or become financially interested, shall become void at the election of the City, when so declared by resolution of the City Council.

(e) No member of the City Council, department head, City official, officer, or employee or member of any board, commission, or committee shall be deemed to be financially interested, within the meaning of the foregoing provisions: (1) in any contract made with a corporation by reason of the ownership of stock in such corporation unless the stock so owned shall amount to at least 3 percent of all stock of such corporation issued and outstanding and (2) if an exception under California Government Code Section 1090 et seq., or any successor statute, is applicable. No member of the City Council or member of any board or commission shall vote on or participate in any contract or transaction in which the official or employee is directly or indirectly financially interested, whether as a stockholder of the corporation or otherwise.

(f) If any member of the City Council, department head, officer of the City, or member of a board, commission, or committee, shall so vote or participate, or be financially interested as defined in this Section, then upon conviction, shall forfeit the office or employment with the City and in addition to any other penalty imposed by the Government Code, State law, or this Charter.

903 DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES.

In addition to the powers and duties prescribed by this Charter, the officers and employees of the City shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the laws of the State of California, or by ordinances, resolutions or orders of the City Council, and not in conflict with the provisions of this Charter.

904 ACCEPTANCE OF OTHER OFFICE.

(a) Any elective officer of the City shall comply with California Government Code section 1099, or any successor statute, relating to incompatible offices.

(b) Any officer or employee of the City that accepts or retains any elective public office in the City shall be deemed to have resigned from their office or employment under the City government.

905 ANTI-NEPOTISM.

(a) The City Council shall not appoint to a salaried position under the City government any person who is a relative by blood or marriage within the third degree or who has another relationship (including a domestic partnership, cohabiting, fiance, fiancee, dating relationship, or parent of their child) of any one or more of the members of the City Council.

(b) No department head or other officer having appointive power shall appoint to a salaried position under the City government any person who is a relative by blood or marriage within the third degree or who has another relationship (including a domestic partnership, cohabiting, fiance, fiancee, dating relationship, or parent of their child).

906 ETHICS TRAINING.

(a) All members of the City Council, the City Clerk, and the City Treasurer shall complete ethics training every two years. The ethics training may be satisfied by taking an approved training that meets the requirements of AB 1234 (Government Code section 53235), or any successor statute.

(b) All members of any board, commission, or committee shall complete ethics training every two years. The ethics training may be satisfied by taking an approved training that meets the requirements of AB 1234 (Government Code section 53235), or any successor statute.

907 LOBBYING.

(a) It is the purpose and intent of the City Council in enacting this Section to

Ensure that the public has access to information about persons who attempt to influence decisions of the City government
Ensure that elected City officials, City candidates, City officers, City officials, City employees, and members of City boards, commissions, and committees are informed of what interests the lobbyist represents
Require registration and disclosure requirements for lobbyists
Promote transparency concerning attempts to influence City decisions
Prohibit gifts from lobbyists
Avoid corruption and the appearance of corruption in the City’s decision-making process
Regulate lobbying activities in a manner that does not discourage or prohibit the exercise of constitutional rights
Reinforce public trust in the integrity of City government
Ensure that this Section and the enabling ordinance are vigorously enforced

(b) All lobbyists must register with the City Clerk, pay registration fees, and make disclosures about their lobbying activities.

(c) It is unlawful for a lobbyist to deliver any gift to an elected City official, City candidate, City officer, City official, City employee, or a member of a City board, commission, or committee.

(d) It is unlawful for an elected City official, City candidate, City officer, City official, City employee, or a member of a City board, commission, or committee to accept any gift from a lobbyist.

(e) The City Council will adopt an ordinance pursuant to this Section to implement the regulation of lobbyists. The City Council may make the ordinance stricter than this Section.

908 REVOLVING DOOR RESTRICTIONS.

(a) It is the purpose and intent of the City Council in enacting this section to help ensure fair and impartial government decisions and to reinforce public trust in the integrity of City government.

(b) For purposes of this section, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings

City official means the Mayor, members of the City Council, City officers, City employees, members of all City boards, commissions, and committees.
Compensation means money or any other thing of value that is received, or is to be received, in return for or in connection with lobbying services rendered, or to be rendered, including reimbursement of expenses incurred in lobbying. A person receives compensation within the meaning of this definition whether or not the compensation is received solely for activities regulated by Section 907 or is received for both.
Personally and substantially participated means making or voting on a decision, making a recommendation, conducting research or an investigation or giving advice.

For one year after leaving City service, no former City official shall, for compensation, engage in direct communication with any department, agency, board, commission, or committee on which they served during the 24 months preceding their departure from City service, for the purpose of attempting to influence any action or decision on any matter pending before that department, agency, board, commission, or committee on behalf of any other person.
For one year after leaving City service, no former Mayor or City Councilmember shall for compensation, engage in direct communication with the City Council or any department, agency, board, commission, or committee of the City for the purpose of attempting to influence any action or decision on any matter pending before the department, agency, board, commission, or committee of the City on behalf of any other person.
No former City official shall, for compensation, engage in direct communication with any department, agency, board, commission, or committee on any matter in which the personally and substantially participated during their City service. The prohibition lasts as long as the matter is pending with the City or the City is a party to the matter.

(d) The City Council will adopt an Ordinance pursuant to this Section to implement the revolving door restrictions. The City Council may make the ordinance stricter than this Section.

909 NEGOTIATING FUTURE EMPLOYMENT.

(a) It is the purpose and intent of the City Council in enacting this section to help ensure fair and impartial government decisions and to reinforce public trust in the integrity of City government.

(b) The Mayor, members of the City Council, and members of City boards, commissions, and Committees may not directly or indirectly negotiate future employment or future business opportunities with a person (other than a government entity) who has a matter pending before them or a body of which they are a voting member.

(c) The City Attorney, City Manager, City Clerk, City Treasurer, and department heads may not directly or indirectly negotiate future employment or future business opportunities with a person (other than a government entity) who has a matter pending before them or their department.

(d) The City Council will adopt an ordinance pursuant to this Section to implement the restriction on negotiating future employment. The City Council may make the ordinance stricter than this Section.