ENG 333 Communication for Science and Research

Jamie Larsen, Instructor

North Carolina Utilities Commission
Document # W919-2
Operating Procedures

SECTION 4.0 - CODES OF CONDUCT

Each employee of the Utilities Commission must adhere to ethical standards of conduct. These standards ensure that all employees of the Commission must maintain high ideals and rigorous expectations of their individual conduct, as well as the conduct of other employees. The codes of conduct for each job category delineate the boundaries of acceptable behavior. If any of the codes are violated, immediate disciplinary action will be taken and if multiple violations occur the employee may face dismissal.

[Missing sections list specific conduct codes for other Commission job categories.]

SECTION 4.6 - PUBLIC STAFF

The Public Staff's primary purpose is to ensure that private, and public industries operate fairly and reasonably. Each division in the Public Staff has responsibilities to interact in good faith with all related parties. Each employee of the Public Staff must therefore be aware of and rigidly adhere to the codes of conduct for his or her job category. If violation of any code of conduct occurs, the offending employee may face immediate dismissal and the Commission maintains the right to take legal action against the employee.

SECTION 4.6.1 - DIRECTOR OF A PUBLIC STAFF DIVISION

It is the Director's responsibility to maintain high ethical standards of all employees. The Director must not overlook any infraction of the codes of conduct. If any infraction occurs and goes unsanctioned, the Director may face immediate dismissal and the possibility of punitive legal action. The following codes of conduct must be adhered to:

1. The Director must ensure that all Utilities Engineers are aware of and adhere to applicable codes of conduct.
2. The Director must ensure that all employees maintain high ethical standards in conducting on-site investigations and recommending fair and reasonable returns for applicants and in responding to customers.
3. When notified of any attempted lobbying by an applicant or customer, the Director must meet with the Utilities Engineer and review the nature of the influence and recommend future action. If repeated incidents of lobbying occur from the same applicant or customer, then the applicant or customer may face punitive legal action.

SECTION 4.6.2 - PUBLIC STAFF UTILITIES ENGINEER

The Utilities Engineer must interact with private and public industry applicants as well as with customers. No suspicion of favoritism will be tolerated. If any infraction occurs, the Utilities Engineer may face immediate dismissal and the possibility of punitive legal action. The following codes of conduct must be adhered to:

1. Lobbying, in any form, will not be tolerated. NOTE: Lobbying, by definition, occurs when persons engage in influencing a public official to gain favor for their special interests. Lobbying can take the form of gifts, trips, or any unapproved expenditure made by applicants or customers to a Public Staff Engineer.
2. If an applicant or customer attempts to influence a Utilities Engineer, the Director must be notified immediately.
3. If a Utilities Engineer receives any gift from an applicant or customer it must be returned with an appropriate explanation regarding the Commission's policy on lobbying.