08-26-2024 CC Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page 15 of 150 completed as quickly as possible. Please refer to the cell phone policy for information on use of cellular phones. (See Appendix C for additional information) Section 2.08 Political Activity City employees have the right to express their views and to pursue legitimate involvement in the political system. However, no city employee will directly or indirectly, during hours of employment, solicit or receive funds for political purposes. Further, any political activity in the workplace must be pre-approved by the city to avoid any conflict of interest or perception of bias such as using authority or political influence to compel another employee to apply for or become a member in a political organization. Section 2.09 Smoking The city of Orono observes and supports the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act. All city buildings and vehicles, in their entirety, shall be designated as tobacco free, meaning that smoking in any form through the use of tobacco or cannabinoid products such as pipes, cigars, and cigarettes or “vaping” with e-cigarettes is prohibited while in a city facility or vehicle. Smoking of any kind, including pipes, cigars, cigarettes, vaping with e-cigarettes, and the use of chewing tobacco, is prohibited for employees while on duty. Employees 21 and over are allowed to smoke only during their breaks and lunch, and only in areas designated for that purpose. Section 2.10 Gifts City employees may not solicit or accept gifts from any person or company that has a direct financial interest in a decision that the City is authorized to make. No gift may be accepted from consultants, vendors, permit applicants, job applicants, local businesses, or others that have a financial interest in the decision the City may make. The only exceptions to the ban on gifts are:  services of insignificant monetary value;  a plaque or similar memento recognizing individual services in a field of specialty or a charitable cause;  a trinket or memento costing $5 or less;  informational material of insignificant value;  food or beverage given at a reception, meal, or meeting away from the employee’s place of work by an organization before whom the employee appears to make a speech or answer questions as part of a program;  gifts given because of the employee’s membership in group, a majority of whose members are not local officials, and an equivalent gift is given to the other members of the group; or  gifts given by a person who is a member of the employee’s family unless the gift is given on behalf of someone who is not a member of the family.  gifts given by a national or multistate organization of governmental organizations or public officials, if a majority of the dues to the organization are paid from public funds, to attendees at a conference sponsored by that organization, if the gift is food or a beverage given at a reception or meal and an equivalent gift is given or offered to all other attendees. Minn. Stat. §471.895 and Minn. Stat. §471.87 74