Add Article 9. Conflict of Interest Policy
b. Whenever a Board member has any private interest in a transaction contemplated by the Board, the affected member shall 1) fully disclose the nature of the interest and 2) withdraw from discussion, lobbying, and voting on the matter, except to provide information necessary for disinterested members of the Board to determine how to handle the matter. A Board member has a private interest in a transaction if the member or the member’s close family member is a party to the contemplated transaction, or if the member has a financial or other interest in the contemplated transaction that would reasonably be expected to impair the member’s objectivity.
b. Any vote involving a matter in which a Board member has a private interest shall be approved only when a majority of disinterested members determine that it is in the best interest of the PTO and for the PTO’s own benefit to do so. In determining whether it is in the best interest of and for the benefit of the PTO, disinterested Board members should consider: whether the PTO can obtain a more advantageous transaction or arrangement with reasonable efforts from a person or entity that would not give rise to a conflict of interest, and whether the transaction is fair and reasonable to the PTO.
Board member vendor policy: To ensure that the PTO’s limited resources are used as effectively as possible, and to protect the reputation and integrity of the PTO, the PTO shall solicit quotes or bids from at least three potential vendors prior to committing to a transaction with a vendor worth more than $500. This policy does not apply in circumstances in which MNPS policies or other applicable authority require the use of a particular vendor.
Review full PTO bylaws here.