Oceanside updates conflict of interest code for harbor district

OCEANSIDE — Changes to Oceanside’s conflict of interest codes were updated to reflect routine personnel changes within City Hall, Sept. 19. The updated codes, which were unanimously adopted by the City Council, specifically applied to two Oceanside commissions: Small Craft Harbor District and Community Development.

Cities, pursuant to the Political Reform Act of 1974, are required to maintain and adopt local conflict of interest codes. The codes must be updated regularly, according to Oceanside city staff, to “reflect changes to the employment positions within the agencies.”

“The local codes must be evaluated every even-numbered year and amended if necessary to reflect changes in the employment positions within the agency,” Oceanside city staff stated.

Oceanside requires its employees and members of boards, commissions and committees to also be subject to conflict of interest disclosure requirements.

“The city’s local conflict of interest code references an appendix that sets for the various city employment positions and members of boards, commissions and committees … along with the categories and disclosure requirements for those positions,” Oceanside city staff stated in a report to council members. “The Small Craft Harbor District [is] also required to have local conflict of interest codes.

The updated codes eliminated positions no longer in existence; new positions created since the last conflict of interest code amendment were added to the disclosure list.

Oceanside requires its employees and board/commission/committee members to disclose four types of financial interests (and, hence, initiating a conflict of interest situation): business interests within the jurisdiction; use of services or supplies from a city vendor; income or interests subject to regulatory, permit or licensing authority of the city, agency or district; and, real property interests within the city’s regulatory, permitting or licensing authority.

The Small Craft Harbor District Board of Directors has one disclosure category, according to Oceanside’s city code.

Oceanside’s Small Craft Harbor District manages the city’s recreational boating and fishing area at the northwest corner of town. A 2017 audit of the district revealed it had nearly $15 million in assets and earned $6.5 million from slip rentals and related fees.

City officials established the harbor district in 1960, three years before Oceanside Harbor was built; the district maintains Oceanside’s public marine facilities, such as transient moorings, fueling dock, fishing pier, boat launch ramp and yacht club. An estimated 100 acres of Oceanside’s harbor waterfront falls within the jurisdiction of the Small Craft Harbor District.

The Oceanside City Council acts as the Small Craft Harbor District’s board of directors.