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Advocacy – Councilmembers shall speak with one voice in representing the official policies and positions of <br />the City Council. When presenting their personal opinions or positions, councilmembers shall take precaution <br />to not identify themselves as a city official. <br />Improper Influence – Councilmembers shall refrain from using their position to improperly influence the <br />deliberations or decisions of city staff, boards, commission or committees. <br />Positive Work Environment – Council members shall support a positive, efficient and effective environment <br />for residents, businesses and city employees. <br />Steward of City Funds – When a Councilmember’s service on the City Council is coming to an end by means of <br />not seeking re-election, resignation, or the results of an election, that Councilmember shall not subject the city <br />to unnecessary travel expenditures. <br />Communication <br />Sharing of Information – It is the responsibility of Councilmembers to publicly share information with all other <br />Councilmembers when they have received it from sources outside of the public decision-making process. <br />Whenever possible, new information or data obtained by Councilmembers will be distributed through the city <br />administrator to other councilmembers. <br />Request for Information – All Councilmembers shall receive the same information at the same time when <br />deemed ready for distribution by city staff. If a Councilmember requests information in advance of other <br />Councilmembers, the information shall be distributed to all members of the Council. <br />Focused Discussions – Councilmembers shall work to keep discussions and debates focused on the item under <br />discussion without introducing extraneous or irrelevant information. <br />Citizen Questions – When Councilmembers receive questions or concerns from citizens, staff will provide the <br />necessary information before a response is given. Councilmembers can refer questions and concerns from <br />citizens to the City Administrator or appropriate department director for resolution. City staff should report <br />back to the City Council on the resolution in a timely fashion. <br />Confidential Information – Councilmembers are subject to the Minnesota Government Data Practice Act as <br />are city staff and, as such, shall respect and preserve the confidentiality of non-public, protected non-public, <br />private, and confidential information provided to them concerning matters of the city. They shall neither <br />disclose confidential information without proper legal authorization nor use such information to advance their <br />personal, financial, or private interests. <br />Notice of Attendance – If any Councilmember has knowledge or reason to believe there will be a large or <br />emotionally-charged gathering of residents in attendance at an upcoming council meeting or work session, <br />they have an obligation to inform the City Administrator as soon as they become aware of the potential <br />situation. <br />Conflict of Interest – In order to assure their independence and impartiality on behalf of the public good, <br />Councilmembers or members of a board or commission shall not use their official positions to influence <br />government decisions in which they have a financial interest or where they have an organizational <br />responsibility or a personal relationship that would present a conflict of interest under applicable State law. <br />Except as permitted by law, a councilmember or member of a board or commission must disclose a potential <br />conflict of interest for the public record and refrain from participating in the discussion and vote when a <br />37