Procurement Policies and Procedures

8.0 Purchase of Travel

All travel purchases including transportation and lodging shall be in accordance with the travel policies contained within the city’s Employee Handbook.

9.0 Procurement Ethics

9.01 Conflicts of Interest

In accordance with TCA 12-4-101 and 6-54-107, any officer, director, other person, or elected official whose duty is to vote for, let out, or supervise any work or contract for the city, shall not have any direct or controlling financial interest in any city contract. If they have an indirect financial interest in a city contract, this fact must be publicly acknowledged. This shall not apply to the City Council voting on general items such as the annual budget, appropriation resolutions, tax rate resolutions, or amendments unless the vote is on a specific budget or appropriation item in which the Councilmember has a direct or controlling financial interest.

If a city elected official has a conflict of interest in a matter to be voted upon by the City Council, that member may abstain for cause by announcing such to the presiding officer. The abstaining member shall not be counted for the purpose of determining a majority vote. If the member does not inform the City Council of a conflict of interest, the vote shall be void if challenged during the same meeting the vote was cast and prior to the transaction of any further business by the City Council.

In accordance with TCA 12-4-114, no public officer or city employee who is involved in making or administering a contract on behalf of the city may derive a direct benefit from the contract.

No city employee having official responsibility for a procurement transaction shall participate in that transaction on behalf of the city when the:

• city employee is employed by the bidder or proposer.

• city employee, employee spouse, or any member of the employee’s immediate family holds a position with the bidder or proposer such as an officer, director, trustee, partner, or is employed in a capacity involving personal and substantial participation in the contract or owns or controls an interest in the contract more than 5%.

• city employee, employee spouse, or any member of the employee’s immediate family has a pecuniary interest arising from the contract.

• city employee, employee spouse, or any member of the employee’s immediate family is negotiating or has an arrangement concerning prospective employment with the bidder or proposer.

• Immediate family means spouse, dependent children or stepchildren, or relatives related by blood or marriage.

A public officer or city employee who will derive a direct benefit from a contract with the city but is not involved in making or administering the contract shall not attempt to influence any other person who is involved in making or administering the contract.

No public officer or city employee may solicit or receive any gift, reward, or promise of reward in exchange for recommending, influencing, or attempting to influence the award of a contract by the city.

In accordance with TCA 12-4-102, the penalty for violating the above financial interest in city contracts shall be forfeiture of all pay and compensation, dismissed from office, and be ineligible for rehire for ten years.

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