Placerville Municipal Code Ch. 8 Personnel System

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 job related merit and fitness; and to provide a reasonable degree of security for qualified employees, the following personnel system is hereby adopted and shall hereby repeal all ordinances and provisions or ordinances inconsistent herewith. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

The city manager shall be the personnel officer. The city manager may delegate any of the powers and duties conferred upon him as personnel officer under this chapter to any other officer or employee of the city included in the management personnel system or may recommend that such powers and duties be performed under contract as provided in section 1-8-9 of this chapter. The personnel officer shall:

(A) Attend all meetings of the personnel board and serve as its secretary.

(B) Administer all the provisions of this chapter and of the personnel rules not specifically reserved to the city council or the personnel board.

(C) Prepare and recommend to the city council personnel rules and revisions and amendments to such rules.

(D) Prepare or cause to be prepared a position classification plan, including class specifications, and revisions of the plan. The plan, and any revisions thereof, shall become effective upon approval by the city council.

(E) Provide for the publishing or posting of notices of tests for positions in the classified service; the receiving of applications therefor; the conducting and grading of tests; the certification to the department head of a list of all persons eligible for appointment to the appropriate position in the classified service. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

There is hereby created a personnel board to consist of five (5) members, to be appointed by the city council, utilizing the following procedure for selection:

(A) Two (2) members shall be selected by the city council.

(B) Two (2) members shall be selected by employees through the process of secret ballot elections. The two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be certified to the city council, and the council shall appoint same to serve on the board.

(C) The four (4) members thus selected shall then submit one additional name to the council, and the council shall appoint same to serve as the fifth member of the board.

The first board to be appointed shall, at its first meeting, so classify its members by lot that three (3) shall serve for a term which shall expire December 31, 1977, two (2) shall serve for a term which shall expire December 31, 1978. At the expiration of each of the terms so provided for, a successor shall be appointed by the city council in the same manner prescribed above for a term of three (3) years. The personnel board shall adopt rules of procedure and shall select a chairman from among its members who shall act as presiding officer.

Vacancies on the personnel board shall be filled by appointment by the city council in the manner prescribed above for the unexpired term. Each member shall serve until a successor is appointed. A majority vote of the city council shall be required to appoint or remove a member of the personnel board.

No person shall be appointed to the board who holds any elected or appointed office or employment with the city.

The personnel board shall have the right of subpoena, the power to examine witnesses under oath, the power to compel the attendance of witnesses and the power to require the production of evidence by subpoena. Subpoenas shall be issued in the name of the city and attested by the city clerk.

Each member of the personnel board shall have the power to administer oaths to witnesses. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

The personnel board shall determine the order of business for the conduct of its meetings and shall meet on call of the chairman or the personnel officer. A majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

The board, in a manner provided for in the rules and regulations of the classified service, shall hear appeals submitted by any person in the classified service (who is eligible for appeals pursuant to these rules and regulations or by state and/or federal statute) relative to any disciplinary action, dismissal, demotion, charge of discrimination or alleged violation of this chapter or the rules and regulations of the classified service and shall certify its findings and recommendations as provided in the rules and regulations of the classified service. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

Personnel rules and regulations for the classified service shall be adopted by resolution of the city council after notice of such action has been publicly posted in at least three (3) public places for at least ten (10) days prior to city council consideration and after all employees have been notified of proposed amendments. All amendments and revisions shall be processed in a like manner. The rules and regulations of the classified service shall apply to all employees, as provided for therein, except those personnel specifically exempted or included in the management personnel system. The rules shall establish regulations governing the classified service personnel system including:

(A) Preparation, installation, revision, and maintenance of a position classification plan covering all positions in the classified service, including employment standards and qualifications for each class.

(B) Public announcement of all tests and acceptance of applications for employment.

(C) Preparation and conduct of tests and the establishment and use of resulting employment lists containing names of persons eligible for appointment.

(D) Certification and appointment of persons from employment lists and making of provisional appointments.

(E) Establishment of probationary periods.

(F) Evaluation of employees during the probationary period and thereafter.

(G) Transfer, promotion, demotion, reinstatement, disciplinary action and layoff of employees in the classified service.

(H) Separation of employees from the city service.

(I) The establishment of adequate personnel records.

(J) The establishment of appeal procedures concerning the interpretation or application of this chapter and any rules adopted hereunder. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

A management personnel system shall be adopted by resolution of the city council after notice of such action has been publicly posted in at least three (3) public places for at least five (5) days prior to city council consideration and after all management personnel have been notified of proposed amendments. All amendments and revisions shall be processed in a like manner. The management personnel system shall apply to all department head positions, as well as middle management positions and certain confidential employees. Specifically included in the management personnel system shall be the following positions: (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

(Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982; amd. Ord. 1654, 6-25-2013)

The management personnel system shall be designed to isolate key positions in the city service from inappropriate participation in the labor relations process and from personal interest in the outcome of labor disputes over working conditions. The management personnel system shall also be designed in such a way as to facilitate management responsiveness to the direction of the city manager, create a system of accountability to the city council, and provide a reasonable degree of security to management personnel. The management system shall also be designed to enable the city to compete with other organizations for high quality personnel within the labor market.

The management personnel system shall, as applied to certain designated positions, supersede all and any provisions of the rules and regulations of the classified service unless otherwise specified in the management personnel system. The city manager shall have responsibility for interpreting and determining the applicability of the provisions of the management personnel system. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all offices, positions and employees in the service of the city except:

(A) Elective officers;

(B) Members of appointive boards, commissions and committees;

(C) Persons employed by independent organizations under contract to supply expert, professional, technical or any other services;

(D) Volunteer personnel who are not regularly employed in full time positions.

(E) City attorney;

(F) Emergency employees who are hired to meet the immediate requirements of an emergency condition, such as extraordinary fire, flood, or earthquake which threatens life or property;

(G) Employees, other than those listed elsewhere in this section, who are not regularly employed in a full time position. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

It shall be the policy of the city to determine employment eligibility without regard to race, color, creed, sex, age, ancestry, national origin, non-job related physical handicap, religion, or political affiliation or lack thereof, personal sponsorship or any other factor which is not related to the satisfactory performance of a particular job pursuant to the city of Placerville's affirmative action program. It shall also be the city's employment policy to comply with all provisions of title VII of the civil rights act as amended by the equal employment opportunity act of 1972 and any subsequent amendments thereof. Additionally, all due consideration shall be given to guidelines set forth by the fair employment practices commission of the state of California and the office of federal compliance. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

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 public or private agency for the performance of all or any of the following responsibilities and duties imposed by this chapter:

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

(B) The preparation of a position classification plan and subsequent revisions and amendments thereof.

(C) The preparation, conduct and grading of competitive tests.

(D) The conduct of employee training programs.

(E) Special and technical services of; advisory or informational character on matters relating to personnel administration. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)

The city council hereby reserves the right, prior to making any determination to recognize or decline to recognize any employee organization or employee bargaining unit, to formally determine and adopt appropriate guidelines for organization recognition and unit determination.

In establishing rules and regulations for the administration of employer-employee relations, the rights of the city shall include, but not be limited to: the exclusive right to determine the mission of its departments, commissions and boards; establish and utilize a chain of command; set standards of service; determine the procedures and standards of selection for employment and promotion; direct its employees; take disciplinary action; relieve its employees from duty because of lack of work, maintain the efficiency of governmental operations; determine the methods, means and personnel by which government operations are to be conducted; determine the content of job classifications; take all necessary actions to carry out its mission in emergencies; and exercise complete control and discretion over its organization and the technology of performing its work.

Employees shall not be obligated to join or participate in any employee organization and no employee shall be interfered with, intimidated, restrained, coerced or discriminated against by the city or any employee or employee organization for exercising his/her right of participation or lack thereof. (Ord. 1310, 11-9-1982)