Los Alamitos Municipal Code Art. I General Provisions

In order to establish an equitable and uniform procedure for dealing with personnel matters, to attract to municipal service the best and most competent persons available, to assure that appointments and promotions of employees will be based on merit and fitness as determined by competitive tests and to provide a reasonable degree of security for qualified employees, the personnel system set out in this chapter is adopted. This chapter may be referred to as the Personnel Ordinance.

(Ord. 582 § 1, 1994; Ord. 685 § 1, 2005)

A. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the competitive service, which is defined as all offices, positions and employments in the service of the city, except:

1. Elective officers;

2. Members of appointive boards, commissions and committees;

3. Persons engaged under contract to supply expert, professional or technical services for a definite period of time;

4. Volunteer personnel, who receive no regular compensation from the city;

5. The city manager;

6. Assistant city manager;

7. The city clerk;

8. The city attorney;

9. City engineer;

10. Student interns;

11. Employees who are employed less than full time, which is defined as employees who work, or are expected to work, less than 1,820 hours per calendar year;

12. All department and bureau heads appointed after July 1, 1993;

13. Any newly created position, which is designated at the time of its creation as being exempt from these rules.

(Ord. 582 § 2, 1994; Ord. 685 § 1, 2005)

The city manager, or the city manager's designee, shall be the personnel officer. The personnel officer shall be responsible for administration of this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant thereto.

(Ord. 582 § 3, 1994; Ord. 685 § 1, 2005)

Personnel rules shall be prepared by the personnel officer for adoption by the city council. The rules shall establish specific procedures and regulations governing competitive service, including, but not limited to, the following phases of the personnel system:

A. Prepare, or cause to be prepared, a plan of compensation and revisions, covering all classification titles for authorized city positions. The plan and any revisions shall become effective upon approval of the council;

B. Public announcement of all tests and the acceptance of applications for employment;

C. Preparation and conduct of tests;

D. Certification and appointment of persons;

E. Establishment of probationary periods and evaluation of employees during the probationary period;

F. Appointment, transfer, promotion, demotion and reinstatement of employees;

G. Separation of employees from the city service through lay-off, suspension and dismissal;

H. Standardization of hours of work, attendance and leave regulations, working conditions and the development of employee morale, welfare and training;

I. The establishment of disciplinary, grievance and appeal procedures;

J. Content, maintenance and use of personnel records and forms.

(Ord. 582 §4, 1994; Ord. 685 § 1, 2005)

No person in the competitive service, or seeking admission thereto, shall be employed, promoted, demoted or discharged or in any way favored or discriminated against because of political opinions or affiliations, because of race, creed, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, medical condition, physical disability, or for any other unlawful reason.

(Ord. 582 § 5, 1994; Ord. 685 § 1, 2005)

The city manager shall consider and make recommendations to the city council regarding the extent to which the city should contract for the performance of technical services in connection with the establishment or operation of the personnel system. The city council may contract with any qualified person or agency for the performance of all or any of the following responsibilities and duties imposed by this chapter, including, but not limited to:

A. The preparation of personnel rules and subsequent revisions and amendments thereof;

B. The preparation of a position classification plan and subsequent revision and amendments thereof;

C. The preparation of a plan of compensation and subsequent revisions and amendments thereof;

D. The preparation, conduct and grading of competitive tests;

E. Special and technical services of advisory or informational character on matters relating to personnel administration.

(Ord. 582 § 6, 1994; Ord. 685 § 1, 2005)

The city council shall appropriate such funds as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 582 § 7, 1994; Ord. 685 § 1, 2005)

Any person holding a position included in the competitive service who, on date of adoption of the ordinance codified in this chapter, shall have served continuously in such position, or in some other position in the competitive service, for a period equal to the probationary period prescribed in the rules for his or her class, shall assume regular status in the competitive service, in the position held on such date without qualifying test, and shall thereafter be subject in all respects to the provisions of this chapter and the personnel rules. Any other persons holding positions in the competitive service shall be regarded as probationers who are serving out the balance of their probationary period as prescribed in the rules before obtaining regular status. The probationary period shall be computed from the date of appointment or employment.

(Ord. 582 § 8, 1994; Ord. 685 § 1, 2005)