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Conduct Make no personal comments about other members It is acceptable to publicly disagree about an issue, but it is unacceptable to make derogatory comments about other members, their opinions and actions. Remember that despite its impressive population figures, Sunnyvale is a small town at heart Members are constantly being observed by the community every day that they serve in office. Their behaviors and comments serve as models for proper deportment in the City of Sunnyvale. Honesty and respect for the dignity of each individual should be reflected in every word and action taken by members, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is a serious and continuous responsibility. 4. Elected and Appointed Officials' Conduct Regarding Es-parte Communications Members have the responsibility to hear all viewpoints at a public hearing. Members must always keep an open mind, and not rush to pre-judge any matter, until all concerned parties (including but not limited to applicants, members of the public and staff) are heard during the public hearing. Members must not come to a conclusion on a matter until the public hearing is closed. One key responsibility involves "ex parte" communications. Ex parte is a Latin phrase that literally means "from one party." Generally, it is defined as any oral or written communication with a decisionmaker about the subject matter of an upcoming quasi-judicial proceeding, which takes place outside of a noticed hearing that is open to all parties to the matter. An ex parte communication can include sensory information, such as things that are seen or heard during a site visit. Hearings are "quasi-judicial"when they require the Members to apply general rules and standards to specific factual situations and to reach conclusions that affect the rights or interests of an individual person or entity. Common examples of quasi-judicial matters include decisions to approve or deny specific development projects, permit revocation proceedings, and employee disciplinary matters. For quasi-judicial agenda matters, a Member must report(disclose) any information that they received outside of the public hearing or staff report, if the information significantly influenced their views of the matter. The disclosure should state the nature of the communication (e.g., whether it was oral, written, or sensory), and should explain the substance of the communication so that other Members, interested parties, and the public will have an opportunity to become apprised of the factors influencing the Member and to attempt to controvert or rebut any such factor during the hearing. Disclosure alone will not be deemed a sufficient basis for a request to continue the hearing. An ex parte communication is not grounds to disqualify a Member from participation in a quasi- judicial hearing unless the Member feels that they cannot reach an impartial decision. 5. Council Conduct When Serving on Intergovernmental Assignments Be clear about representing the City or personal interests When representing the City,the Councilmember must support and advocate the official City position on an issue, not a personal viewpoint. Outside of official board or commission meetings, board and commission members are not authorized to represent the City or their board or commission unless specifically designated by the Council or the board or commission to do so for a particular purpose. For ease of reference in the Code of Elhics and Conduct, the term "Member-"refers to any member of the Sunnyvale City Council or the Citv's boards and commissions established by the City Charter, City Ordinance or Council policy Page 10 of 15 Approved by City Council on 2/14/2023