Seal Beach Municipal Code Art. IX Civil Service System

Note: Sections 903, 905 through 916, and 918 through 920 were repealed by the voters in 2006. Portions of such sections have been incorporated in the Seal Beach Municipal Code and Seal Beach Personnel Rules and Regulations.

In order to: establish an equitable and uniform procedure for dealing with personnel and employment matters; attract to municipal service the best and most competent persons available; assure that appointments and promotions of employees will be based on merit and fitness as determined by competitive test; and provide a reasonable degree of security for qualified employees, the City Council, by ordinance, may establish a Civil Service System for City employees. The Civil Service System may include provisions for: the method of selection of City employees; the classification, advancement, suspension, discharge and termination of City employees; the consolidation and elimination of positions; and other provisions as deemed reasonable and necessary to govern personnel and employment matters of the City. The City Council may further adopt personnel rules to implement the provisions of any ordinance. In the event of an appeal of disciplinary action of a civil service employee, the appeal may be heard by an impartial arbitrator designated by mutual agreement of the appellant and his/her representative and the City Manager, or as otherwise agreed upon through a memorandum of understanding negotiated during the collective bargaining process between the City and the applicable bargaining unit. The Civil Service System shall govern all employees of the City unless exempted by Section 901.

(Res. No. 5443, 2006)

The following persons are exempt from the Civil Service System:

a. City Councilmembers;

b. Appointed persons;

c. City Attorney;

d. City Manager;

e. City Clerk;

f. Department heads;

g. Temporary, seasonal, part-time and hourly employees;

h. Any employee designated as exempt by City ordinance;

i. Volunteers;

j. Independent contractors.

(Adopted by the voters in 2006, replaced and amended previous Section 904)

No person employed by, or seeking admission into employment with the City, shall be employed, promoted, demoted, or discharged or in any way favored or discriminated against because of political opinions or affiliations or because of race or religious belief, or any other basis prohibited by law.

(Adopted by the voters in 2006, replaced and amended previous Section 917)