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PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT
ORDINANCE AMENDING POST-EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Chapter 2, ADMINISTRATION, ARTICLE VII, ETHICS, DIVISION 2. - CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT, SUBDIVISION II, CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT, SECTION 2-580 of the Cook County Code is hereby amended as Follows:
Sec. 2-580. - Post-employment restrictions.
(a) No former official or employee shall assist or represent any person other than the County in any judicial or administrative proceeding involving the County if the official or employee was counsel of record or participated personally and substantially in the proceeding during his or her term of office or employment.
(b) No former official or employee shall assist or represent any person in any business transaction involving the County, if the official or employee participated personally and substantially in that transaction during his or her term of office or employment.
(c) No former official or employee may, for a period of one year after the termination of his or her term of office or employment, knowingly accept employment or receive compensation or fees for services from an employer if the employee or official, during the year immediately preceding termination of County employment and on behalf of the County, participated personally and substantially in the decision to award County contracts with a cumulative value of over $10,000.00 to a person the employer.
(d) No former official or employee may, for a period of one year after the termination of his or her term of office or employment, knowingly and for compensation lobby any County official or employee on behalf of any other entity.
(e) No former official or employee may, for a period of one year after the termination of his or her term of office or employment, contract with the County to provide more than $5,000.00 in compensated professional services to the County or otherwise receive more than $5,000.00 in compensation for his or her labor from the County, unless the agency seeking to retain the former official or employee’s services provides a certification to the Board of Ethics that the former official or employee’s County experience or expertise is such that retention of that person for the specific services at issue is necessary to provide continuity of operations and/or will provide significant efficiencies to the County over hiring an employee or engaging an outside vendor to perform such services. A copy of this certification shall be filed with the Secretary of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
(f) The requirements of this Section may be waived by the Board of Ethics upon a showing by the former official or employee that such waiver would not result in a conflict of interest, disclosure of the County's confidential information or the appearance of impropriety. Additional requirements for waiver may be further defined by rules adopted by the Board of Ethics, as authorized.
(g) This Section applies only to persons who terminate an affected position on or after the effective date of this article.
Effective date: This ordinance shall be in effect immediately upon adoption.
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