CHAPTER 1 CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION PLAN

Chapter 1
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION PLAN

Article 2 Classification Plan.

Article 3 Compensation Plan Administration.

8000 Purpose.

This Chapter provides for a portion of the implementing rules and standards pertaining to the organization, maintenance, modification, and administration of the Career service.

Specific Authority: Chap. 2.72 MMC; Resolution No. 2014-06

History: New 1/2014.

8001 Career Service Described.

The Career service includes all classifications, classification series, positions, groups of positions, and employees in city service which have not been specifically excluded by Section 7010 or assigned to the Executive service by operation of law or by express action of the Council.

8002

Nothing in this Part shall authorize or permit the City Council to appoint, promote, demote, suspend, discharge, discipline or remove any employee in the Career service.

8003 Management Rights Reserved by City.

Subject to applicable provisions of this code, all general management rights of an employer are retained by the city, including but not limited to the following:

(a) Establish all positions within city service;

(b) Abolish any positions within city service;

(c) Determine the merits, necessity, duties, responsibilities, and authorities for all positions, and the methods, means, technology, and personnel by which operations will be conducted within the city;

(d) Set standards of service for all positions within the city;

(e) Select individuals to fill all positions within the city;

(f) Set specific salary levels on initial appointment and periodically thereafter as individual performance warrants;

(g) Direct all employees within the city;

(h) Take disciplinary action against any employee in the city;

(i) Relieve any employees within the city from duty because of lack of work or for other legitimate reasons;

(j) Maintain the efficiency of governmental operations within the city;

(k) Set schedules of work for all positions within the city.

Article 2. CLASSIFICATION OF POSITIONS

8010 Preparation of Classification Plan.

The Personnel Director shall prepare a classification plan for all positions in the Career service.

(a) The classification plan shall consist of a list of titles of the classes to which all positions in the Career service are to be allocated, and a written specification defining each class in the plan.

(b) The class specification shall include the class title, a summary statement of duties and responsibilities of the class, minimum or desired qualifications and employment standards for appointment, and may include such other pertinent material as the Personnel Director may deem necessary or desirable.

(c) The classification plan shall be developed and maintained so that all positions which are substantially similar in duties, responsibilities, and authority are included within the same class and that the same salary range or pay grade may be applied with reasonable equity, under similar working conditions, to all positions in the same class.

(d) Trainee level classifications may be designated by the Personnel Director when it is deemed to be in the best interest of the city to do so, in order to broaden points of entry into city service; provided, however, that trainee classifications are not part of the formal classification plan which is adopted by the Council.

8011 Adoption of Plan.

Upon its preparation or revision by the Personnel Director, the classification plan shall be submitted to the Council for adoption.

8012 Classification Plan Not Part of These Rules.

Upon adoption of the classification plan by the Council, its provisions shall be observed in the handling of all personnel actions and activities, and shall be considered to be an administrative tool and not deemed to be part of these Rules.

8013 Changes in the Classification of Positions.

Whenever the Personnel Director finds that a significant change has occurred in the duties and responsibilities of an existing position in the Career service, he shall review the duties and responsibilities of such position, the qualifications and employment standards required for filling it, and the relationship of such position to other classes of positions in the classification plan.

(a) The Personnel Director may, and when requested by the City Manager shall, review the classification of an existing position because of significant changes in the duties and responsibilities, or because of the creation of a new class in which such position may be more appropriately classified, or because of the abolishment or combining of any existing position or classes.

(b) Where the Personnel Director finds that there are significant factors which justify a change in the classification of a position, and where the characteristics and duties of a position have evolved over a period of time, he may recommend to the Council that the position be reallocated to the appropriate classification; provided, however, that if no appropriate classification exists, a new classification may be established.

(c) Where the Personnel Director finds that there are significant factors which justify a change in position title, but which do not warrant reclassification, he may recommend to the City Manager that the position be appropriately re-titled.

(d) Reclassifications shall not be approved when:

(1) The assignment of new duties and responsibilities results in the creation of new positions;

(2) The added duties and responsibilities of the class are minor in nature and would be a logical function or reasonable extension of the class, such as, for example, the incorporation of new technology into the position duties, knowledge, skills or abilities;

(3) The added duties and responsibilities are to be performed for a temporary period only;

(4) The only material change in an incumbent’s position is an increase in workload;

(5) The primary purpose of the proposed reclassification is to raise the incumbent’s salary.

8014 Status of Employee Whose Position is Reallocated.

The purpose of this section is to specify broad guidelines relating to the exercise of the City Manager’s discretionary authority to grant status to the incumbent of a permanent position which is reallocated to a new class.

(a) As used in this section, the term "new class" means any position classification other than the one occupied immediately before the reallocation.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), this Rule is not intended to require the City Manager to grant status in the new class or to confer any right to status in the new class.

(c) Status shall be granted to an incumbent in the new class if the City Manager finds that the incumbent has a right to status in the new class because it is entirely, or in substantial part, a continuation of a former class in which the incumbent held permanent status.

(d) The City Manager may grant the same status to the incumbent in the new class if the incumbent meets the minimum qualifications for the new class and the Personnel Director finds that the duties of the position have continually evolved over a long period of time while occupied by the incumbent, and have become significantly broader in scope or more difficult and complex, thereby providing the basis for reallocation to the new class.

(e) Where the reallocated position has been changed materially over a relatively short period of time by the addition of duties not appropriate for the class in which the incumbent was appointed, and the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the new class are substantially different from those of the formerly applicable class for which the incumbent was examined, status shall not be granted.

(f) The salary and anniversary date of an employee who is granted status under this section shall be subject to the provisions of Article 3 of this Chapter.

(g) If the incumbent is not granted status pursuant to this section he may be transferred or demoted, or his name may be placed on a reemployment list in accordance with Chapter 3 of this Part.

8015 Official Copy.

The Personnel Director shall maintain the official copy of the classification plan, which shall be open to public inspection at any time during business hours.

Article 3. COMPENSATION PLAN ADMINISTRATION

8100 Purpose of Compensation Plan.

The compensation plan is designed to provide a fair, equitable, and orderly method for compensating employees in the Career service.

8101 Relationship to Classification Plan.

Together with the classification plan, the compensation plan provides the structure within which employees in the Career service discharge their respective duties and are compensated for their services.

8102 Composition of Compensation Plan.

The compensation plan shall set forth the basic salary schedule, which shall consist of a series of pay grades with associated minimum and maximum monthly rates of pay, one pay grade for each class of positions included in the classification plan.

Specific Authority: Resolution No. 2015-04; Resolution No. 2015-32.

History: Amended 1/2015, 7/2015.

8103 Application.

All persons employed in positions designated in the Career service shall be paid in accordance with the rates of pay for their respective job classifications as established by the compensation plan.

8104 Adopting and Amending the Compensation Plan.

The Council may, at any regular meeting or special meeting duly called for that purpose, adopt or adjust the basic salary schedule by resolution.

(a) When adopted or adjusted by the Council, the compensation plan shall constitute the city’s pay schedule for all classes of positions in the Career service, and shall be effective until amended or until a new compensation plan is adopted by the Council.

8105 New Appointments and Starting Rates.

The City Manager shall set the specific salary on initial appointment, subject to the limitations of this Section and budgetary constraints.

(a) Generally, and except as otherwise provided in this Article, a new employee shall be paid the minimum rate of pay for the class to which appointment is made.

(b) If a candidate exceeds the minimum qualifications or employment standards stated in the class specifications and will not accept appointment at the minimum rate of pay for the class, he/she may be appointed above the minimum rate; provided, however, that no appointment shall be made at a rate of pay above the maximum of the salary range for the pay grade.

(c) Appointments above the minimum rate of pay shall require a written justification setting forth the considerations which the employing department director relied upon in requesting the higher rate of pay.

8106 Merit Increases.

In order to reward meritorious service, to serve as continuing motivation for future service, to encourage careers with the city, and to recognize individual differences in employee performance, salary increases may be given to permanent employees in the Career service pursuant to provisions of this Section.

(a) Advancement within a salary range shall not be automatic, but shall be given only upon the affirmative recommendation of the employing department director and approval of the City Manager.

(b) No employee in the Career service shall receive an increase in his rate of pay pursuant to this Section which has not first been substantiated by written evaluation of job performance.

(d) A part time employee is eligible for consideration for a merit increase upon the completion of every 2,080 hours of satisfactory work.

(e) A merit increase may be in any amount which does not cause an employee’s salary to exceed the maximum rate of pay established for his pay grade.

(f) Any eligible employee who does not receive a merit increase on his anniversary date shall remain eligible at any time thereafter for consideration, upon satisfactory job performance and recommendation of the employing department director, as provided in this Section.

(1) A deferred merit increase pursuant to this section shall take effect not earlier than the date of the satisfactory performance evaluation.

(2) For purposes of further annual increases, a new anniversary date shall be established, effective on the date of salary advancement.

8107 Effects of Leave of Absence.

(a) An employee’s anniversary date shall be postponed by one month for each month or major portion thereof that the employee is on leave of absence without pay.

(b) Leaves of absence with pay shall have no effect on anniversary dates.

8108 Effects of Position Reallocation.

Where the salary of an incumbent employee who is granted status pursuant to Section 8014 exceeds the maximum salary of the class to which the position is reallocated, the salary of the incumbent shall remain unchanged at the time of reallocation and thereafter until the maximum salary rate of the pay grade of the new class exceeds the incumbent’s salary.

(a) For purposes of further annual increases in the new class, the anniversary date shall remain unchanged from the effective date on which the incumbent was reallocated to the new class.

8109 Effects of Transfer.

(a) An employee who is transferred as herein provided shall receive the same rate of pay as he formerly received immediately prior to transfer.

(b) For purposes of further annual increases, the anniversary date shall remain the same as before transfer.

8110 Effects of Promotion.

(a) On promotion as herein provided, an employee’s basic salary shall be increased by ten percent (10%), or it shall be set at the minimum rate of pay for the new class, whichever is greater.

(b) For purposes of further annual increases in the new class, a new anniversary date shall be established, effective on the date of promotion.

8111 Effects of Demotion.

(a) On demotion as herein provided, an employee’s salary shall remain unchanged, or it shall be set at the maximum rate of pay for the new class, whichever is less.

(b) For purposes of further annual increases in the new class, the anniversary date shall remain the same as before demotion.

8112 Working Above Class.

A qualified employee may be required to work in a vacant higher classification on a temporary, incidental or emergency basis, and shall do so at no increase in pay for a continuous period of twenty (20) working days for each occurrence, except as otherwise provided in this Section.

(a) If the employee is required to perform the duties for a period exceeding twenty (20) working days, the employee should be given a temporary promotion to the higher classification and be paid the appropriate rate for the higher classification, as provided by rules governing promotions.

(b) Neither time spent working above class nor any temporary increase in pay granted therefor shall affect the employee’s eligibility for consideration for normal merit increase advancement within his permanent class.

(c) At the conclusion of the temporary promotion, the employee’s pay shall revert to the regular rate established for his/her authorized position.

(d) An employee temporarily promoted to fill a vacant position on an acting basis before a permanent appointment can be made, except a temporary occupancy of a higher-level position without competition pursuant to Section 8406(d)(3), can be compensated in accordance with Section 8110 from the first hour of the first day of the acting appointment, as approved by the City Manager.

Specific Authority: Resolution No. 2015-32.

History: Amended 7/2015.