HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC ORD 1945-712 Civil service system (Repealed by 1075)Ordinance No. 712
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF
NATIONAL CITY CREATING AND
ESTABLISHING A CIVIL SERVICE
SYSTEM FOR SAID CITY
The City Council of the City of
National City does ordain as follows:
Section 1. Adoption of Civil Serv-
ice System. Pursuant to the author-
ity granted to the legislative body
of any city in the State of Califor-
nia under the provisions of Chap-
ter 48, Statutes of 1935 and amend-
ments thereto, and in order to es-
tablish an equitable and uniform
procedure for dealing with personnel
matters through a department of
personnel, and to place municipal
employment on a merit basis, so that
the best qualified persons available
shall be brought into the service of
said city, the following Civil Service
System is hereby adopted.
Section 2. Department of Person-
nel. There is hereby created a de-
partment of Personnel, which shall
consist of a Civil Service Commission
and a Personnel Clerk. The Civil
Service. Commission shall consist of
five members, to be appointed by the
City Council.
The first Commission to be ap-
pointed shall, at its first meeting so
classify its members by lot that one
shall serve for a term which shall
expire on October 1, 1946, one shall
serve for a term which shall expire
on October 1, 1947, one shall serve
for a term which shall expire on
Oetober 1, 1948, one shall serve for a
term which shall expire on October 1,
1949, and one shall serve for a term
which shall expire on October 1,
1950. At the expiration of each of
the terms so provided for, a succes-
sor shall be appointed by the City
Council for a term of five years.
-Vacancies on the Civil Service
Commission from whatever cause
shall be filled by appointment by
the City Council for the unexpired
term. Each member of the Com-
mission shall serve until his succes-
sor is appointed, and qualified. A
three -fifth vote of all the members
of the City Council shall be required
to appoint it member to said Com-
mission or to fill any vacancy there-
on.
The members of the Civil Service
Cornmissi on shall be qualified elec-
tors of the said city, and shall serve
without compensation, except that
the City Council may from time to
time pay such expenses of the Civil
Service Commission as the City Coun-
cil deems necessary. No person shall
be appointed or serve on said Com-
mission who holds any salaried pub-
lic office or employment, nor shall
any member while a member of said
Commission or for a period of one
year after he has ceased, for any
reason, to be a member, be eligible
for appointment to any salaried
office or employment in the service
of the city.
Section 3, Personnel Clerk. The
City Council sha.11 appoint a Person-
nel Clerk, whose duty it shall be
to act in the capacity of clerk for the
Civil Service System. The duties of
the office of Personnel Clerk may
be combined with those of any other
office. The Personnel Clerk shall:
(a.) Attend all meetings of the Civil
Service Commission.
(b.) Administer all provisions of this
ordinance and the rules estab-
lished hereunder, not specifically
reserved to the City Council or
the Civil Service Commission.
(c.) Under the direction of the Civil
Service Commission to prepare
rules, and revisions and amend-
ments thereof, for the consid-
eration of said Civil Service
Commission.
(d.) Under the direction of the Civil
Service Commission to prepare
a position classification plan and
class specifications and revi-
sions thereof, for the eonsideration
of said Civil Service Commission.
Section 4. Duties of the Civil Serv-
ice Commission. The Civil Service
Commission shall determine the order
of business for the conduct of its
meetings, and shall meet regularly if
so required by the rules, or on call
of the chairman or three members of
the Commission. Threemembers of
the Commission shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of busi-
ness. The functions of the Commis-
sion shall be:
(a) To consider and recommend to
the City Council a set of rules
to supplement this ordinance and
revisions and amendments there-
of.
(b) To act in an advisory capacity
to the City Council on problems
concerning personnel administra-
tion.
(c) As provided by this ordinance
and by rule, to hear appeals sub-
mitted by any person in" the
competitive service relative to
any situation connected with his
employment status or condition
of employment.
(d) In any investigation or hearing
conducted by the Commission it
shall have the power to examine
witnesses under oath and com-
pel their attendance or the pro-
duction of evidence before it by
subpoenas, issued in the name
of the city and attested by the
City Clerk. It shall be the duty
of the Chief of Police to cause
all such subpoenas to be served
and refusal of a person to at-
tend or testify in answer to such
a subpoena shall subject said
Person to prosecution, in the
same manner set forth by law
for failure to appear before the
City Council in response to a sub-
poena issued by the City Coun-
cil Each member of the Civil
Service Commission shall have
the power to administer oaths
to witnesses.
(e) To hold hearings and make rec-
ommendations to the City Coun-
cil on the adoption or revision
of the position classification
plan. The City Council she 11
adopt a position classification
plan.
(f) The Civil Service Commission
shall not establish any maximum
or minimum age limits for any
competitive service examination,
and it is hereby declared that
age shall not be considered to
be a minimum qualification for
any city employment in the clas-
sified service. Any person pos-
sessing all the minimum quali-
fications for the position shall
be eligible to take any competi-
tive service examination, regard-
less of his age, and neither the
Servi e Commission nor any
appointing power, shall adopt any
rule, either written or unwrit-
ten, prohibiting the employment
of any Person in any city em-
ployment who is otherwise qual-
ified therefore, solely because
of his age. Provided however.
that the City Council may fix
minimum and maximum age
limits for the employment of city
policemen and city firemen.
Section 5. Competitive Service.
The provisions of this ordinance shall
e.pply only to the following depart-
ments, appointive officers and em-
ployees of the City of National City,
Ca lfornia.
(a). The Chief of Police, and all
members of the Police Depart-
ment en regular full time duty.
(b). The clerk to the City court on
regular full time duty.
(c). The Street Superintendent and
all employees of the Street De-
partment on regular full time
duty.
(d). The Park Superintendent and
all employees of the Park De-
partment on regular full time
duty.
(e). The Chief of the Fire Depart-
ment and all members of said
Department on regular full time
duty.
(f).. The Chief Librarian and all
members of the Library Staff
on regular full time duty.
(g). All employees in the City Clerk's
office working on regular full
time duty.
(li). All employees in the City Trea-
surer's office working on regu-
lar full time duty.
Section 6. The City Council from
time to time by ordinance may add
additional departments, appointive
officers, or employees to those herein
above enumerated. All employees and
officers in the departments enumer-
ated, or hereafter placed under this
system, shall be deemed to be in the
competitive service of the City of
National City.
Section 7. Irrespective of anything
I o the contrary in this ordinance con-
tained, the City Council of the City 1
of National City may make war
emergency appointments not subject
to competitive service rules or regu-
lations. No such appointee acquires e
competitive service or other permanent estatus. The City Council may, how-
ever, grant to such emergency an- s
pointee competitive service rights, as p
provided under this ordinance. Every p
such appointee shall be selected from t
the eligible list, and shall be other-
wise eligible and qualified for perm- reanent appointment. f
Section 8. Adoption of Rules. In u
addition to such other matters as .q
may be necessary and proper to 1i
carry out the intent and purpose of l
this ordinance, rules shall be formu- c
fated, and shall be adopted by the
City Council establishing specific pro- p
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cedure to govern the following phases
of the personnel program:
(a). The preparation, installation, re-
vision and maintenance of a
position classification plan cov-
ering all positions in the com-
petitive service which sets forth
tile duties and requirements of
each position.
(b). The formulation of minimum
standards and qualifications for
each class of position.
(c). The public announcement of va-
cancies and examinations and the
acceptance of applications for
employment.
(d). The preparation and conduct of
examinations and the establish-
ment of use of employment lists
containing names of persons eli-
gible for appointment,
(e). The certification and appointment
of persons from employment lists
to fill vacancies and the making
of temporary and emergency ap-
pointments.
(f). Toe evaluation of employees dur-
ing the Probationary period.
(g). The transfer, promotion, demo-
tion and reinstatement of em-
ployees in the competitive ser-
vice.
(h). The separation from the service
of employees through layoff,
suspension, dismissal and for in-
capacity to perform required
duties.
(1). The standardization of hours of
work, attendance a.nd leave re-
gulations, working conditions and
the development of employee
morale, welfare and training.
(j). The maintenance and use of ne-
cessary records and forms.
(k). The establishment of residential
requirement may be put in by
the City Council.
m,
Section 9. Appointments. Appoint-
.y. to vacant positions in the com-
petitive servi, e shall be made in ac-
cord;i.n_e with the rules established
hereunder and from employment lists
resulting from competitive examina-
tion, or by promotion, transfer, de-
mition or reinstatement. Appointments
shall be made by the City Council.
Tf appointment is to be made from
employment or promotional lists, the
names of persons willing to accept
appointment shall be certified to the
City Council by the Personnel Clerk
'a the order in which they appear on
t_.e lists. The number of names certi-
fied shall exceed by two the number
of vacancies to be filled.
In the absence of appropriate em-
ployment lists, a temporary appoint-
ment may be made by the City Coun-
cil of a person meeting the mini-
mum qualifications for the position,
provided however, that an employ-
ment list shall be established for
such position within ninety days,
subject to the provisions of Section
7 of this ordinance. No person shall
be employed by the city under tem-
porary appointment for a total of
more than ninety days in any fiscal
year, except in the event of emer-
gency, the City Council may appoint
such persons as are required to meet
t e situation.
No credit shall be allowed in the
giving of any examination or the
establishment of any employment or
promotional lists, for service rendered
under a. temporary appointment.
During the period of suspension of
any employee, or pending final action
on proceedings to review the suspen-
sion, demotion or dismissal of an em-
ployee, the vacancy created may be
filled by the City Council only by
temporary appointment.
Section 10. Probationary Period.
Subject to the provisions of Section
7 of this ordinance, all original and
Promotional appointments from and
after the enactment of this ordinance
shall be for a probationary period of
six months, during which period the
employee may be rejected at any
time without cause.
An employee rejected during the
e'obationary period from a position
to which he has been promoted shall
be reinstated to the position from
which he was promoted, unless said
mployee is discharged as in this
rdinanee. provided.
Any employee in the competitive
ervice promoted or transferred to a
osition not included in the com-
etitive service shall be reinstated to
he position from which he was pro-
moted or transferred if, within six
onths after such promotion or trane-
er, action is taken to dismiss him,
nless charges are filed and he is
ischarged in the manner provided
n this ordinance and the rules estab-
shed hereunder for positions in the
ompetitive service.
Section 11. Status of present Em-
loyees, Any person holding a po-
sition or employment included in the
competitive service who, on the ef-
fective date of this ordinance, shall
have served continuously in such po-
sition, or in some other position in-
cluded in the competitive service, for
a period of at least six months im-
mediately prior to such effective date,
shall assume regular status in the
competitive service in the position
held on such effective date without
preliminary examination or working
tests, and shall thereafter be subject
in all respects to the provisions of
this ordinance.
, Every person entitled to reemploy-
ment by the City of National City, as
provided by and in the Federal Leg-
islation known as the Selective Ser-
vice Act shall be reinstated -to such
position as provided by said act upon
proper application therefor.
The person whose position is filled
as aforesaid shall be demoted to the
position immediately below in said
employee's department, and any per-
son whose position is filled by a de-
moted employee shall likewise be de-
moted to the position immediately be-
low in said department.
Whenever there are two or more
persons in each or any grade, rank,
or position subject to demotion as in
this paragraph provided, then, in
that event, the employee with the
least period of time of continuous
service in the said grade, rank, or
position shall be the employee de-
moted.
This paragraph shall prevail and
be given effect over any and all con-
flicting provisions in this ordinance.
Any other persons holding posi-
tions or employments in the competi-
tive service shall be regarded as
holding their positions or employ-
ments as probationers who are serv-
ing out the balance of their proba-
tionary periods before obtaining reg-
ular status.
Section 12. Removal and Suspension
of Employees. The City Council or
department head in whom is vested
disciplinary or removal power, shall
be allowed full freedom in its or his
action on such matters, it being the
intent and spirit of this ordinance
to provide a fair and just approach
to municipal employment in order
that city employees may be selected
on a basis of merit, but• in no sense,
to handicap or curtail the responsible
administrative officer in securing ef-
ficient service. All persons holding
Positions in the competitive service
shall be subject to suspension with-
out pay for a period of not exceed-
ing thirty days for each suspension,
and also to demotion or removal from
office or employment for misconduct,
incompetency, inefficiency, or failure
to performduties, or to observe the
rules and regulations of the depart-
ment, office or board, but subject
to the right of appeal of the ag-
grieved party to the Civil Service
Commission in the manner set forth
herein.
Section 13. Filing of Charges. Any
employee in the competitive service
who has been demoted, dismissed or
reduced in pay shall have delivered
to said employee a written statement
of the reasons for such action within
three days after the effective date
of such suspension, demotion, or dis-
charge. Delivery of said written state-
ment may be made personally or by
placing such notice in an envelope
properly addressed to said employee,
postage prepaid, sealed, and deposited
in the United States mail. In the
event the employee in the competi-
tive service who has been demoted,
dismissed, or whose pay has been re-
duced, desires, a hearing before the
(civil Service Commission on said de-
motion, dismissal, or reduction -of
Pay, said employee shall within three
(3) days from the date of delivery
of said written statement to him,
file with the Personnel Clerk, a
written protest and the reason there-
for, which shall be deemed a request
for hearing as in section 14 of this
ordinance provided. A copy of said
written statement shall be filed with
the Personnel Clerk. In the event an
employee files a protest, a Copy
of such written statement and protest
shall be transmitted by the Person-
nel Clerk to the Civil Service Com-
mission within ten days from the
date of filing said protest. The Com-
mission shall then investigate the
case and conduct a hearing, as pro-
vided by Section 14 of this ordinance,
and by the rules. The provisions of
this section and of Section .14 shall
not apply to reductions in pay which
are a part of general plan to reduce
salaries and wages as an economy
mecsure, or as part of a general
cur to ilment program,
Section 14. Right of Appeal. Any
employee in the competitive s,er, ice
shall have the right to appeal to the
CI, it Service Commission relative . to
any situation affecting his employ-
ment stet. es or conditions, of employ-
ment. Thereupon the CemintSsion shall
make such investigation and within
twenty (29) days after the request
for hearing was filed by the em-
ployee, the Commission shall hold a
pube is hearing, at which time it shall
hear evidem e for and against su h
employee. Hearings may be informal-
ly conducted and the rules of evi-
dence need not apply.
Within ten days after concl❑ding
he herring the Civil Service Com-
m ission shall certify its findings and
recommendations to the City Council.
Said City Council may then affirm,
revoke or modify the action taken,
and said action by the City Council
shall be final and conclusive. The
said City Council shall affirm, modi-
fy, or revoke the said findings and
recommendations made by the Ci' 11
Service Commission within thirty (30)
clays after said findings and recom-
mendations have been certified to the
said Ci`y Council as aforesaid.
Section 15. Reduction of Personnel •
Whenever in the judgment of the
City Council it becomes necessary
in the interestof economy, or be-
cause of the necessity for the posi-
tion involved no longer exists, the
City Council may make reductions of
personnel in the competitive service
and lay off the employees holding
each positions or employment. Should
such position or employment. or any
position involving- n.11 or any of the
se me duties, be reinstated or created
within two years, the employee laid
off shall be eligible to be appointed
there.l.e in preference to any other
eu alified person on the eligible list
for such position. The City Council
shall observe the seniority rule in
-r,.ttin:l into effe_t any such reduc-
tion in personnel.
Section 16. Improper Political Activi-
ty. No person holding a position in
the competitive service herein crea-
ted shall seek or accept election,
n orrnination or appointment as an of-
fier of a. political club or organiza-
tion, or take an active part in a
county or municipal political cam-
paign, or service as a member of a
committee of such club or organi-
zation o• circle, or seex signatures
to any petition provided for by any
law except as hereinafter provided,
or act as a worker at the polls, or
distribute badges or pamphlets.
dodgers or handbills of any kind
favoring or opposing any candidate
for election, or for nomination to a
public office, whether county or
municipal; provided, however, that
nothing in this ordinance shall be
construed to prevent any such offi-
cer or employee from becoming or
continuing to be a member of a po-
litical club or organization, or from
attendance at a political meeting, or
from enjoying entire freedom from
all interference in casting his vote,
or from seeking or accepting election
or appointment to public office, or
to prevent any such officer or em-
ployee from seeking signatures to
any initiative or referendum petition
directly effecting rates of pay, hours
of work, retirement, civil service or
other working condition of such offi-
cer or employee, or from distribut-
ing badges or pamphlets, dodgers or
handbills, or other participation in
any campaign in connection with
such petition, providing such activity
is not carried on during hours of
work, or when such officer or em-
ployee is dressed in the uniform, if
any, required in any department of
the city government.
Any willful violation thereof, or
Rio..tion through culpable negligence,
shall be sufficient grounds to au-
tnorize the discharge of any officer
or employee.
1=n ,,:tic mi in the competitive ser-
vice herein created or seeking :ad-
mission thereto, shall be employed,
ed, demoted. or discharged, or
in any way favored or discriminated
against be, ause of political opinions
or affiliations, or because of race dr
religious belief.
Mat.no .1't- Solicitation of Contri-
butions. No officer, agent, clerk or
employee, under the government cf
teo city, and no candidate for any
city office shall, directly or indi-
re tly, solicit or receive. or be in
ally manner concerned in soliciting
or receiving any assessment, sub-
scription or contribution, for any
political purpose whatever from any-
one on the employment lists or hold-
ing any position under the provisions
of this ordinance.
Section 13. Right to Contract for
Special Service. The City Council
may ' contract with any competent
a envy for the performance by such
agency of such technical service in
< ennection with the establishment of
the alien Service System or with its
operation, as may be desired. Said
contract may include the delegation
I o ,.h. an agency responsible for
the elierformance of the duties here-
in 'imposed upon the Civil Service
Commission a.nd, the Personnel Clerk,
but shall not include the delegation
to such agencyof the powers and
c1 - ties 1:crein vested in the City
C tuncil.
Section 19. .Appropriation of Funds.
The City Council shall appropriate
such funds as are necessary to carry
out the provisions of this ordinance.
Section 20, If any section, subsec-
tion, subdivision, sentence, clause or
phrase of this ordinance is for any
reason held to be unconstitutional,
such decision shall not affect the
alidity of the remaining portions of
this ordinance. The City Council here-
by de_l ores that it would have
passed this ordinance, and each sec-
tien, subsection, subdivision, sentence,
cause and phrase thereof, irrespective
of the fact that any one or more
se tions, subsections, subdivisions,
sentences, clauses or phrases be de-
clared unconstitutional.
Section 21. This ordinance shall
take effect thirty days after the.
d;:te of its adoption, and prior to
the effective date thereof shall be
published at least once in the Na-
lional City News, a weekly news-
paper of general circulation, published
and circulated in the City of Na-
tional City, and thenceforth and
thereafter the same shall be in full
force and effect.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the
City Council of the City of National
City, California, this 4th day of
S'eptcmber, 1945, by the following
vote, to -wit:
AYE'S Councilmen Christman, Cor-
dingly, Newberry, Thatcher,
NAYS : Councilmen Fritz.
ABSENT: None.
Gilbert E. Fritz,
Mayor of the City of
National City, California.
ATTEST: Frank W. Rogers,
City Clerk.
T hereby approve the foregoing
Ordinance this 4th day of September,
1945.
Gilbert E. Fritz,
Mayor of the City of
National City, California.
I hereby certify that the above and
foregoing is a full and true copy
of Ordinance No. 712 of the Ordinan-
ces of the City of National City,
California, as adopted by the City
Council of said City, and approved
by the Mayor of said City, on th
4th dayif September, 1945.
ank W. Rogers,
y Clerk pf ,,e
al
AND I HEREBY CERTIFY
THAT the same has been
duly published accord-
ing o law.
CITY CLERK, CITY 9
NTAT OVAL CITY, C >LiF-
ORNIA .