PARIS – Selectmen unanimously approved an ethics policy Monday meant to identify and avoid conflicts of interest by town officers and employees.

The board also approved an appointment process policy for standing boards and committees.

Both policies had been returned to the policy and procedures committee for revisions.

“I think it’s a fine job, and I know the policy and procedures committee spent a lot of time on this,” Chairman Raymond Glover said.

At its last meeting, the board sought to clarify that the ethics policy provided a basis for the removal of people from boards, but did not dictate their actual removal.

The appointment process policy was sent back to simplify a section on staggered appointments for new terms. Previously, that policy had called for newly-appointed terms to be staggered in one-, two-, and three-year intervals. It now states only that terms will be staggered.

The ethics policy seeks to “establish enforceable ethical standards of conduct for town officers and employees with the hope that the policy will assist all officers and employees to identify and avoid conflicts of interest.”

The policy prohibits a town officer or employee from taking part in any matter in which they have a personal or financial interest, which may affect their decision-making directly or indirectly. The policy also prohibits town officers or employees from using confidential information for personal benefit or accepting gifts from anyone who has or is likely to have a matter pending before the town.

The policy for appointment process aims to standardize the procedure used by the selectmen in appointing people to town boards and committees. It forbids the appointment of someone who would have authority over a town official or employee who is an immediate family member or significant other, as well as the appointment of someone to a position where they would have a “frequent or recurring conflict of interest.”

Selectmen previously approved an application for board or committee membership and a policy for the establishment and operation of boards and committees, both presented by the policy and procedures committee.