Conflict of Interest: Code of Conduct in the Procurement of Goods and Services

All North Central Regional Planning Commission (NCRPC) board members and employees shall adhere to the following standards for conduct in the procurement of goods and services by the NCRPC:

1. No NCRPC official or employee shall solicit or accept gratuities, favors or anything of monetary value from either contractors or potential contractors of the NCRPC.
2. No NCRPC official or employee shall restrict the free and open competition by contractors or potential contractors in the procurement of goods and services through conflict of interest, discriminatory or noncompetitive practices or other methods which may restrict or eliminate competition or otherwise restrain trade.
3. No member of the NCRPC Executive Board or any other person who exercises any functions or responsibilities with respect to NCRPC programs shall be assisted by any grant during his/her tenure or, for one (1) year thereafter, shall have ANY direct interest in any contract or subcontract, or the proceeds thereof, for the work to be performed in connection with the program.
4. All transactions shall meet the minimum following requirements:
   1. All transactions shall be ARM'S LENGTH. Such transactions are consummated through deals made between independent and unrelated persons. They are competitive, straight forward, involving no favoritism or irregularity, providing the NCRPC and the seller an opportunity to freely act, each seeking his own best economic interest and agreeing upon a mutually acceptable price.
   2. All costs or expenses from transactions between persons or businesses which are related to or associated with NCRPC officials and/or personnel shall be examined for reasonableness and appropriateness. Such associations include but are not limited to:
      1. Family
      2. Ownership of a business by an NCRPC employee;
      3. Members of the NCRPC General Board conducting business with the NCRPC; and,
      4. When the transactions are found to be NON-ARM'S LENGTH as defined above, the goods and services charged will be limited to the amount that would be allowable as the normal cost of ownership.
5. All bids and contracts signed with the NCRPC shall have the following disclaimer:
   "The undersigned bidder/contractor hereby declares the only parties interested in this proposal are named herein; that this proposal is made without collusion with any other person, firm or corporation and that no employee, officer or agent of the North Central Regional Planning Commission is directly or indirectly financially interested in this bid/contract."

Any NCRPC official or employee who purposely violates the spirit and intent of this policy statement shall be disciplined according to the adopted personnel policies of the Commission.