Sec. 602.701. - Prohibited receipt of gifts and payments.

(a) Prohibited Gifts. No officer or employee of the City or of any independent agency, or any other person on his or her behalf, shall knowingly accept, directly or indirectly, any one gift with a value greater than $100 or an accumulation of gifts in any one calendar year that exceeds $250 from any person or business entity that the officer or employee knows is: (1) A lobbyist who lobbies the officer's or employee's agency; (2) Any principal or employer of a lobbyist who lobbies the officer's or employee's agency; (3) A vendor doing business with the officer's or employee's agency. For purposes of the $250 annual accumulation of gifts, gifts of food and beverage not exceeding $25 on any given day shall not be included. (b) Department Policies. The Mayor shall require that the Directors of all Executive Departments establish policies and procedures for the acceptance and/or prohibition of gifts to individuals in their departments. The City Council President, the Constitutional Officers and the Chief Executive Officers of the independent agencies shall also establish policies and procedures for the acceptance and/or prohibition of gifts to individuals employed by their agency. The policies shall provide guidelines for all gifts, including, but not limited to, dinners, official events, tickets, trips, lodging, retirement gifts, food gifts and conferences. The policies should be based upon an analysis of risks and strive for maximum transparency and minimum acceptance of gifts by employees and officials of the City. The Office of Ethics, Compliance and Oversight and the Office of General Counsel shall assist in the development of the policies. (c) Fees for Speeches, Speaking and Writing Articles. No full time officer or employee of the City or any independent agency may accept a fee or anything of value for a written article, a speech, an address, or other oral presentation at an event, from a party listed in subsection (a). Speech, address, or other oral presentation includes a formal address, lecture, panel discussion, or other presentation that a full time officer or employee of the City or any independent agency has been invited to make to a gathering of persons. A full time officer or employee of the City or an independent agency may receive payment or reimbursement for necessary expenses related to any such activity only upon approval in writing by the officer's or employee's department or agency director. A copy of the approval shall be filed with the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Oversight. Any official or employee required by State law to file a Statement of Financial Interests or a Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests statement is exempt from this Section 602.701 (c), Ordinance Code. (Ord. 2018-710-E , § 2)