Taft Municipal Code Ch. 10 Personnel System

The city shall maintain a personnel system governing the employees of the city, and the city council shall adopt rules and regulations for the administration of such system. (Ord. 405, 2-21-1978)

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

(A) Elective offices.

(B) Positions on appointive boards, commissions, and committees.

(C) Persons employed under contract to supply expert professional or technical services for a definite period of time.

(D) Volunteer personnel, such as volunteer firemen, who receive no regular compensation from the city. (Ord. 405, 2-21-1978)

(E) City attorney and city manager. (Ord. 649-96, 11-19-1996)

(F) Part time, per diem, hourly, and seasonal employees, reserve firemen and reserve policemen. (Ord. 405, 2-21-1978)

(G) Police chief, fire chief, director of public works, director of general services, director of building/planning, municipal records administrator, and assistant city manager; provided however that employees currently employed in these permanent positions as classified employees, shall remain so classified until such time as their employment is terminated. All positions named in this subsection shall remain subordinate to and subject to the appointing authority of the city manager subject to a contractual arrangement signed by the city manager. (Ord. 649-96, 11-19-1996)

The positions of police chief and fire chief are established as the chief executive officers of each of said departments. The police chief and fire chief shall be employees of the city and shall be appointed by the city manager. Any reference to the public safety director in any provision of this code, or in any ordinance, rule, regulation or other provision shall be construed and shall mean that the police functions or fire functions to which reference is made shall be exercised by the police chief or fire chief, as appropriate. (Ord. 515, 2-4-1986)

The city manager shall administer the personnel system of the city, and shall be the custodian of all personnel records. He/she shall establish and maintain a roster of the officers and employees in the classified service, shall maintain records of length of service, duties and other information necessary to properly administer the personnel system. The city manager shall be the official upon whom all notices, requests for hearing, complaints and other documents relating to the personnel system shall be served, unless otherwise specified in the rules and regulations.

In all cases in which employment or consulting contracts are at issue, the process shall be as follows:

(A) Proposal to city council for employment or consulting contracts in open session;

(B) Direction by city council to city manager in closed session to proceed with such negotiations, which may include certain parameters;

(C) Negotiation by city manager of employment or consulting contracts consistent with city council direction;

(D) Review of proposed employment or consulting contracts by city attorney;

(E) Approval of proposed employment or consulting contracts by ordinance or resolution of the council;

(F) Execution of proposed employment or consulting contracts by mayor, unless otherwise authorized by council. (Ord. 781-10, 3-2-2010)

The city council shall adopt rules and regulations for the administration of the personnel system, including provisions relating to a classification plan, applications for employment, examinations, eligible lists, method of filling vacancies, probation periods, personnel classification status, separation from the system, disciplinary actions, compensation, attendance, leaves, grievances, safety and health policies, training, reports and records, and all other terms, conditions and matters relating to the personnel system. Such rules and regulations shall be adopted by resolution of the city council. (Ord. 649-96, 11-19-1996)

The city council may designate by resolution certain employee classifications; those classifications being categorized as management, supervisory, and confidential employees as defined below:

CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYEE: An employee, who, in the course of his or her duties, has access to information relating to the city's administration of employer-employee relations.

MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEE: An employee having responsibility for formulating, administering or managing the implementation of city policies or programs.

SUPERVISORY EMPLOYEE: An employee having authority, in the interest of the city, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or responsibility to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend such action, if, in connection with the foregoing, the exercise of such authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment.

Employees having supervisory authority, who choose to remain or to become members of an employee organization which includes as members employees who are not management, confidential, or supervisory employees, may serve as representatives of such organization in relations with city management and/or the council on matters within the scope of representation, or in a grievance procedure, so long as said matters are not in conflict with supervisor/subordinate relationship required of the supervisory employee (for example: representing a subordinate employee in a grievance procedure or representing other than supervisory employees in a meet and confer session). (Ord. 538, 10-1-1991)