§ 2-192. Ethical Standards.

1.

Every employee, elected or appointed official of Collier County has the responsibility to maintain the confidence of the citizens of Collier County by conducting the procurement process in an ethical, fair and transparent manner. Collier County employees shall act in good faith to discharge their duties and avoid either the intent or appearance of unethical practices in procurement relationships, actions and communications.

2.

Any attempt by Collier County employees, elected or appointed official of Collier County to realize personal gain from the procurement process is a breach of public trust. All County employees shall govern themselves in accordance with the Standards of Conduct as set forth in applicable Collier County Government Regulations, to include the Collier County Ethics Ordinance No. 2003-53 as amended, County Manager Administrative Procedures (CMA) Code of Ethics, and F.S. ch. 112.

3.

Collier County requires each vendor who seeks to do business with Collier County to comply with the following ethical standards:

a.

No vendor shall discuss or consult with other vendors intending to compete for the same or similar contract for the purpose of bid rigging, collusion or other activities that are illegal, unethical or limiting competition.

b.

No vendor shall submit false information or intentionally submit misleading information to Collier County.

c.

After the issuance of any solicitation, no current or prospective vendor or any person acting on their behalf, shall contact, communicate with or discuss any matter relating to the solicitation with any Collier County employee or elected or appointed official, other than the Procurement Services Director or his/her designees. This prohibition ends upon execution of the final contract or upon cancellation of the solicitation. Any current or prospective vendor that lobbies any Collier County employee or elected or appointed official while a solicitation is open or being recommended for award (i) may be deemed ineligible for award of that solicitation by the Procurement Services Director, and (ii) will be subject to Suspension and Debarment outlined in Section 2-213.

4.

Failure to comply with this Section shall be deemed a violation of ethical standards subject to administrative actions and may be subject to civil, and/or criminal penalties for ethical violations as described below:

a.

Employees who violate the ethics standards described in this section shall be subject to administrative disciplinary action, following Collier County Government Human Resources procedures and guidelines, up to and including dismissal from Collier County Government employment.

b.

Vendors who violate the ethics standards described in this Section shall be subject to Suspension and Debarment as provided in Section 2-213 of this Article.

5.

Vendors doing business with Collier County shall comply with the provisions of F.S. § 287.133 ("Public Entity Crimes Act").

(Ord. No. 2017-08, § 7)