Chapter 1-4 — PERSONNEL

Article 1 Personnel Relations Board

No person shall be eligible to hold office as a Personnel Relations Board member who has held a salaried non-elective office or employment with the City within the preceding year. No person shall be eligible to hold a salaried non-elective office or employment with the City who has held office as a Personnel Relations Board member within the preceding year.

The Board shall:

(a) adopt comprehensive rules for the administration of a merit personnel program. Any such rules relating to personnel classification, compensation, or benefits, or otherwise significantly affecting City expenditures, shall be subject to Council approval;

(b) provide for the hearing of appeals from administrative action taken against any member of the merit personnel system for whom no other appeal procedure exists, and the submission of findings and recommendations after hearing to the City Manager;

(c) provide for the hearing and determination of grievances, establishment of appropriate units, and allegations of unfair labor practices, in matters for which no other procedure exists;

(d) provide advice regarding personnel relations matters upon request of the Council or the City Manager.

In the conduct of its hearings, the Board may:

(a) issue subpoenas requiring attendance of witnesses and production of books, documents or
other things before it;

(b) administer oaths and affirmations.

Article 2
Personnel Rules

The following persons shall be exempt from the general provisions of the rules governing the merit personnel program:

(a) Council Members and the Mayor;

(b) persons who hold office at the pleasure of the appointing authority pursuant to the City
Charter;

(c) personal service contractors;

(d) volunteers;

(e) hourly or per diem wage-earners;

(f) temporary employees;

(g) subject to Board approval, employees subsidized under statutory programs.

The personnel rules shall specify the privileges and responsibilities therein, if any, which shall apply to each person who is exempt from the merit personnel program.

Article 3

Miscellaneous Provisions

The Council, and insofar as delegated by this Chapter or by action of the Council, the Board, shall have the authority to regulate the wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment not otherwise regulated by effective approved Memoranda of Understanding. The Council shall have the authority to contract with any person or organization for the performance of any City activity.

It is the policy of the City and of the Council that the merit personnel program be administered in a manner designed to attract to and to retain in municipal service competent and dedicated officers and employees, to assure that appointments and promotions are based upon merit and ability, to eliminate mediocrity and to provide incentive to perform to capacity. No officer, employee or applicant shall enjoy or suffer discrimination cased upon religion, race, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, political affiliation or physical handicap.

Any person appointed from a position subject to the merit personnel program to a salaried position which is exempt from such program shall, upon removal from the exempt position for other than cause, be reinstated to the merit position or its equivalent without suffering a break in service for any purpose.

No officer or employee of the City shall engage in political activities during such person's working hours, nor upon City-owned or operated property at any time.