Rules for county workers avoiding conflicts of interest

(a) No officer or employee shall take any official action directly affecting a business or other private undertaking in which the officer or employee: (1) Has a substantial financial interest; (2) Is engaged as a legal counsel, advisor, consultant, or representative, or other agency capacity; or (3) Knows or has reason to know that an immediate family member has a substantial financial interest. A department head who is unable to be disqualified on any matter described in items (1), (2), and (3) above will not be in violation of this subsection if the department head has complied with the disclosure requirements of section 2-91.1. SUPP. 18 (7-2025) 2-32 ADMINISTRATION § 2-834 A person whose position on a board, commission, or committee is mandated by statute, charter, code, or resolution to have particular qualifications shall only be prohibited from taking official action that directly and specifically affects a business or undertaking in which that person has a substantial financial interest; provided that the substantial financial interest is related to the member’s particular qualifications. (b) No officer or employee shall acquire financial interests in any business or other undertaking which that officer or employee has reason to believe may be directly involved in official action to be taken by the officer or employee. (c) No officer or employee shall represent private interests in any legal action or proceeding against the County or appear on behalf of private interests before any agency, except as otherwise provided by law; provided: (1) This prohibition shall not apply to a County employee or officer who is an architect, landscape architect, surveyor, or engineer registered as such under the provisions of chapter 464, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, with respect to the affixing by such registered professional of such person’s registered stamp to any plans, specifications, drawings, etc., to be submitted to the County for permits for such person’s principal residence or that of such person’s immediate family member; provided, that the stamp is accompanied by a signed statement that the work was prepared by the person stamping the document or under such person’s supervision; and provided further, that the registered professional may not, in the capacity of a County employee or officer, review, approve or otherwise act upon the plans, specifications, drawings, etc., such person has stamped; and (2) No officer or employee shall be denied the right to appear before any agency to petition for redress of grievances caused by any official act or action affecting such person’s personal rights, privileges, or property, including real property. (d) Notwithstanding any provision of this article to the contrary, a member of any board, commission, or committee may appear on behalf of private interests before agencies other than the board, commission, or committee on which such person serves. (2002, ord 02-109, sec 4; am 2015, ord 15-103, sec 4; am 2025, ord 25-38, sec 6.) 2-834