81-O-16ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE SETTING UP A MERIT SYSTEM FOR THE
CITY OF EDGEWATER, FLORIDA, AND PROVIDING FOR A
DECLARATION OF PERSONNEL POLICY: PROVIDING FOR
COVERAGE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES; PROVIDING FOR ORGANIZATION
FOR PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION; PROVIDING FOR REMOVAL
OF MEMBERS OF THE MERIT BOARD•, PROVIDING FOR A,.
PERSONNEL OFFICER; PROVIDING FOR ADOPTION OF RULES AND
REGULATIONS; PROVIDING FOR AMENDMENTS OF RULES AND
REGULATIONS; PROVIDING FOR APPOINTMENTS; REPEALING ALL
ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH
CODIFYING SAME AT CHAPTER 13, CODE OF ORDINANCES, AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Citizens of the City of Edgewater, by referrendum
created a Merit Board to free municipal employment practices from
political considerations, and
WHEREAS, the Merit Board has carefully reviewed the city's present
ordinance to make the following revisions.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF EDGEWATER,
FLORIDA:
ARTICLE I. Merit System -Personnel Policies and Procedures.
SECTION 1. Declaration of Persort"el Policy. There is hereby
established within the City of Edgewater, a merit (performance -
evaluation) system with the following principles and policies:
(a) To recruit and to hire employees without discrimination
because of race, creed, color, sex, age or national origin,
and to treat them equally with respect to compensation and
opportunities for advancement including upgrading, promotion
and transfer.
(b) Employment by the City of Edgewater shall be based on qual-
ifications and shall be free of personal and political con-
siderations.
(c) Just and equitable incentives and conditions of employment
shall be established and maintained to promote efficiency
and economy in the operation of the city government.
(d) Positions having similar job factors and levels of difficulty \"
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shall be classified and compensated on a uniform basis.
(e) Appointments and other personnel actions involving a change
in employee status requiring the application of the merit
principle shall be based on evaluations and qualifications.
(f) Every effort shall be made to stimulate high morale by fair
administration of this chapter and by every consideration
of rights and interests of employees, consistent with
the best interests of the public and of the city.
(g) Continuity of employment covered by this chapter shall be
subject to good behavior, saitisfactory performance of work,
necessity for the performance of the work, and availability
of funds.
SECTION 2. Coverage for City Employees. All offices and positions
in the employ of the City of Edgewater small be and hereby are allocated
to the merit system excepting only those hereinafter specifically
exempted.
Those offices and positions specifically exempted are: All
elected officials; all persons appointed to fill vacancies in elective
offices; members of boards, commissions, and committees, serving with
or without pay; the city attorney; the city auditor; the city manager;
temporary employees; and architects, auditors, consultants, counsel,
engineers, and the like rendering temporary professional services
under contract.
Unless specifically designated otherwise, personnel policies and
rules and regulations apply to all persons employed finder°the�nierit
system+ '. - - -•
SECTION 3. Organization for Personnel Administration. The fol-
lowing officers and bodies will participate in the administration of
the personnel program:
(1) The City Council: The City Council will be responsible for
approving the personnel ordinance and amendments thereto,
approving the classifications and pay plan, and for making
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and confirming appointments to positions specified by law.
(2) Merit Board: The merit board is hereinafter created as
authorized by charter amendment approved by a majority vote
of the registered voters of the City of Edgewater on
November 4, 1975. The merit board shall consist of five
(5) members, four (4) of whom shall be appointed by the
City Council and the fifth shall be nominated and appointed
by the employees of the City of Edgewater. No elected official
of the City of Edgewater, whileUn office, shall be eligible
for membership on the merit board. The terms of appointment
for the fifth member of the merit board shall be for one (1)
year, and the term of appointment for the other four (4)
members shall be for three (3) years and shall be staggered.
The City Council shall establish by ordinance the duties
and functions of the merit board which shall include but
not necessarily be limited to classification, qualifications
of employees, grievance procedures, and rights of appeal for
disciplinary action. The decisions and recommendations of
the merit board shall be final, unless appealed to the City
Council, which may reverse such decisions or recommendations
only by 4/5 the vote of the City Council.
(3) Duties and Functions of the Merit Board: The Merit Board
of the City shall have the following functions and duties:
(1) Be responsible for the effective administration and
technical direction of the merit system personnel
program.
(2) At least annually recommend rules and regulations
and revisions and amendments thereto of the personnel
program for the consideration of the City Council.
(3) Review and recommend a position classification plan
for all merit system employees for the consideration _
of the City Council, and install and maintain such a
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plan, as approved.
(4) Investigate periodically the operation and effect
of the personnel provisions of this chapter and the
merit system„ rules and regulations.
(5) Review and Recommend policies for the safety of
municipal employees.
(6) Advise the City Council on all matters of personnel
policy.
(7) Hold and conduct hearings involving appeals of any
classified employees from a decision made by a super-
visor affecting his employment or terms and conditions
thereof.
(8) Set up an effective employee grievance procedure
for the benefit of those persons covered under the
merit system.
SECTION 4. Removal of Members of the Merit Board: Members of
the Merit Board may be removed from office by the City Council
for cause upon written charges and after public hearing.
Any members who fails to attend two (2) out of three (3)
successive meetings without cause, and without prior approval
of the chairman of the merit board, shall automatically for-
feit his appointment and the City Council shall promptly fill
such vacancy. Appointments to vacancies on the merit board
shall be for the unexpired term of the member who was replaced.
SECTION 5. Personnel Officer. The City Council shall designate
a Personnel Officer who shall have the basic responsibility
for the merit system personnel program as set forth in this
chapter. The Personnel Officer specifically shall:
(a) Be responsible for the day to day administration
of the merit system personnel program subject, how-
ever, to the provisions of this personnel ordinance.
(b) Appoint, remove, suspend and discipline all officers
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and employees of the City subject to the policies
set forth in this chapter and provisions of federal
and state regulations, or he may, at his discretion,
authorize the head of a department or office respon-
sible to him to exercise any or several such powers,
in such
department
or
office.
(c)
Fix and
establish
the
number of
employees in the
various City departments and offices and determine
the duties and compensation in accordance with the
policies set forth in this chapter and subject to
budget limitations by and with approval of Council.
(d) Establish a personnel systemfor the purpose of main-
taining such records as are deemed necessary for the
proper
functioning
of the
merit system.
(e)
Cause
to be printed
such
self-explanatory forms as
are deemed necessary for the proper and orderly
control and recording of all personnel changes and
actions, which shall require the signatures of those
properly responsible to initiate and approve personnel
actions in order to be valid.
(f) Recommend rules and regulations and revisions and
amendments thereto for the consideration of the merit
board.
(g) Prepare and recommend for review by the Merit Board
a position classification plan for all merit system
employees for the consideration of the City Council,
and install and maintain such a plan, as approved.
(h) Establish -.and maintain a roster of all persons in
the merit system, setting forth each employee, the
class title of their position, compensation, changes
in status, and such other data as may be deemed.
desirable or useful.
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(i)
In conjunction with the Merit Board,
develop
and
administer such recruiting programs
and such
evaluation,
examining and testing programs as may be necessary
to obtain an adequate supply of competent applicants
to meet the needs of the City.
(j) Develop and coordinate training and education pro-
grams for City employees.
(k) Investigate periodically the operation and effect of
the personnel provisions of this chapter and the
merit system rules and regulations.
SECTION 6. Adoption of Rules and Regulations: The Personnel
Officer along with the merit board shall present an Employee Manual
of rules and regulations to the City Council for their consideration.
Adoption of rules and regulations shall be made by resolution and shall
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be reviewed annually. The rules and regulations shall cover procedures
and policies to govern the following phases of the merit system personnel
program:
(a) Announcement of vacancies;
(b) Acceptance of applications;
(c) Character and conduct of personnel;
(d) Establishment and,..use of eligibility lists;
(e) Certification and appointment from eligibility lists:
(f) Hours of work and work sheets;
(g) Attendance regulations;
(h) Holiday regulations;
(i) Position classification;
(j.) Position compensation;
(k) Transfers, promotions and reinstatements;
(1) Grievance procedures;
(m) Probation;
(n) Suspension, demotion, and dismissal;
(o) Leave regulations;
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(q) Employee service reports and performance ratings, including
probations;
(r) Employee review requests;
(s) Such other matters as may be necessary and proper to carry
out the purpose and intent of this chapter.
SECTION 7. Amendments of Rules and Regulations: Amendments to
the merit system rules and regulations may be proposed by the Personnel
Officer and Merit Board and will become effective upon approval by the
City Council by resolution.
SECTION 8. Apppointments: The merit system rules and regulations
shall provide for the employment of persons on the basis of merit in
conformity with this chapter. Such procedures shall include, but are
not limited to, the following:
(a) An orderly and systematic method of recruitment to ensure
that all those employed will be hired on a merit basis, and
the establishment of eligibility lists for appointment pur-
poses.
(b) Temporary appointments in the absence of appropriate eligi-
bility lists or acceptable certified eligibles.
(c) During the period of suspension of an employee, or pending
final action of proceedings to review suspension, demotion,
on dismissal of an employee, the vacancy created may be
filed by the appointing authority only by a temporary
appointment.
SECTION 9. This Ordinance shall be codified at Chapter 13,
Article I, at seq of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Edgewater,
Florida, and fully amends and supercedes Articles I & II of the Code
of Ordinances as presently laid out. Subesequent Articles within Chapter
13 shall be re -numbered.
SECTION 10. That all Ordinances or parts of Ordinances and all
Resolutions or parts of Resoltions in conflict herewith be and the
same are hereby repealed.
SECTION 11. This Ordinance shall take effect upon approval
as provided by law.
SECTION 12. This Ordinance shall be published one time within
a newspaper of general circulation as provided by law.
The first reading of the above Ordinance was read in full and
passed by vote of the City of Edgewater, Florida at a regular meeting
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of said Council held on theoc day of 1981, and approved
as provided by law.
The second reading of the said Ordinance to be at a regular meeting
of the City Council to be held on the yH day of 444-1 A.D.,
1981.
R nil rall vnYa as fnllnmc•
ATTEST:
FIRST READING
k
City Cleft el
42-p5'j//Ql
Approved or legal' y and m
roved this day of
A.D., 1981. p N11EE
' icy At orneON
Mayor
_y_
THIRD READI G
A
ounci man 4--A'
I
N-
C un i ma '
ity ClerA>f
Approved this day of May, A.D.
1981.
Approved for legality and form
aey
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