Personnel Board

Meetings

The Personnel Board shall meet at least monthly. The board shall establish the date, time and place of its meetings.

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

About the Board

A Personnel Board, consisting of 5 members who are resident electors appointed by the city council, is created.

The term of office shall be 2 years, staggered with 3 positions commencing on years ending in odd numbers and 2 positions commencing on years ending in even numbers.

The nomination process shall be provided in the code of ordinances. Members shall serve without compensation and shall understand the merit principle as applied to civil service.

Selection of Members

The city council, by at least affirmative vote of four council members, shall appoint the members to the personnel board. The mayor shall nominate two members to the board. The city council shall nominate one member to the board.

The remaining appointments shall be provided in the following manner:

AFSCME, Local 3032, may nominate one member to the board by submitting a maximum of three names to the city council for consideration.
IAFF, Local 1102, and the PBA, may collectively nominate one member to the board by submitting two names each to the city council for appointment.
If none of the nominees submitted are appointed to the board by the city council, new nominees shall be submitted for consideration by the city council at the next regularly scheduled city council meeting. If a party fails to submit its nominees for the next council meeting, the city council may appoint a member from names of qualified candidates.

Member Vacancies

When a position on the Personnel Board becomes vacant prior to the expiration of a term of service, the party who nominated the member whose board seat has become vacant shall submit nominees for consideration by the city council within 30 days of the vacancy.

If a party fails to timely submit its nominees, the city council may appoint a member from names of qualified candidates.

Duties & Powers

The Personnel Board has the following duties and powers:

Advise administration on personnel issues
Implement civil service rules and regulations approved by the city council, having the force and effect of law
Establish reemployment lists for classified service positions containing former members of classified service who performed satisfactorily in city employment and who are entitled to appointment or employment over names on employment lists
Give competitive standardized tests under the direction of the personnel director to determine qualifications of candidates for promotion to higher positions or for entrance to classified service; and to establish employment lists for eligible candidates for promotion or appointment in order of test performance or test achievement.
- The board may approve noncompetitive tests for positions that require special or exceptional scientific, managerial, professional or educational qualifications. Noncompetitive tests may be approved where the character of work and conditions of employment or compensation render it impractical to obtain sufficient qualified candidates to satisfy city's needs through competitive testing.
Certify employment lists of eligible candidates from which vacancies may be filled from the 3 highest-ranking names.
Establish probation periods to observe if a promoted or new employee is performing duties satisfactorily. Employees shall satisfactorily complete probation periods not less than 9 months (promotional) and not more than 12 months (new employee) or as otherwise provided in collective bargaining agreements.
Establish a procedure for reclassifying classified civil service employees with the requisite minimum qualifications and testing requirements from one classification to another within the same pay range
Establish procedures for reviewing suspensions, reductions or removals of classified service officers or employees for misconduct, inefficiency or other good reasons; and hearing appeals from suspensions, reductions or removals
Conduct investigations as requested by the City Council on the administration and effect of personnel rules, regulations and charter provision

In addition, the personnel board is responsible for investigating letters of reprimand placed in the personnel file of any certified employee in the classified service who is excluded from the city's bargaining units.