§ 2-15. Limitation on board member advocacy and lobbying.

(a) For purposes of this section the term “advocate” means to communicate without economic consideration for the passage or defeat of any measure that comes before the City Commission or CRA Board for approval.

(b) For purposes of this section the terms “lobbying” and “lobbyist” have the same meaning as set forth in the Palm Beach County Code of Ethics.

(c) The prohibitions and penalties set forth in this section are supplemental to the lobbying prohibitions and penalties set forth in the Palm Beach County Code of Ethics.

(d) A city board member may not advocate privately or publicly with a city staff member, member of the City Administration, member of the City Commission or the Commission as a whole, CRA staff member, member of the Community Redevelopment Board or the CRA Board as a whole, for or against the interest of an individual, partnership, corporation, or other business entity which has an application, request, or any other matter pending for review or approval with the city when the matter has come before the Board on which the board member sits or it is reasonably foreseeable that the matter will come before the Board.

(e) A board member may not speak at a City Commission meeting or CRA meeting on any matter which has been before the member’s Board or is reasonably expected to come before the member’s Board unless:

(1) A member of the City Commission requests that the board member answer questions regarding the Board’s actions; or

(2) The member’s Board has voted in the affirmative to request that the board member address the City Commission.

(f) Violation of the rules set forth in this section constitutes grounds for removal of a board member by the City Commission, following notice and opportunity to be heard.

(g) A city board member is prohibited from acting as a lobbyist, as that term is defined by the Palm Beach County Code of Ethics, if the subject of the member’s lobbying activity may foreseeably be presented for consideration to a city advisory board, the City Commissioners or CRA Board.

(h) In addition to any penalties provided for in the Palm Beach County Code of Ethics, a violation of the prohibitions set forth in this section is grounds for removal by the City Commission of the board member from the city Board(s) to which the board member has been appointed.

(Ord. No. 18-031, § 2, 10-31-18)

Editor's note—Ord. No. 03-050, passed 9-16-03, deleted § 2-15 pertaining to the per diem and travel expense schedule and was derived and amended by Ord. No. 84-13, § 1, 3-6-84; the aforementioned schedule is now located in the Personnel Policy Manual, on file in the City Clerk's office; Ord. No. 85-45, Attach. (b), 8-20-85; Ord. No. 90-32, §§ 1, 2, 9-5-90; Ord. No. 97-33, § 1, 7-15-97; Ord. No. 00-17, § 1, 6-6-00.