Chapter 2.46
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Sections:
2.46.030 Commission as part of County Limited Civil Service System.
2.46.060 Organization and procedures.
2.46.070 Merit employment principles.
2.46.010 Established.
There is created a Civil Service Commission, the members of which shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors. [Ord. 455-A, 1954; prior code § 3.03.010].
2.46.020 Purpose.
Subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors, the Civil Service Commission so selected shall prescribe, amend and enforce rules for the classified service to make effective the provisions set forth in this chapter, which rules shall have the force of law. [Ord. 455-A, 1954; prior code § 3.03.020].
2.46.030 Commission as part of County Limited Civil Service System.
The Civil Service Commission is established as a part of the Limited Civil Service System of the County. This chapter is, therefore, subject to all provisions of Chapters 3.04 through 3.40 SCCC, and this chapter may only be amended in accordance with the provisions of SCCC 3.04.030. [Ord. 5291 § 4, 2019; Ord. 2187, 1975; prior code § 3.03.060].
2.46.040 Membership.
(A) Eligibility. The Commission so appointed shall consist of five members, who shall be selected from the qualified electors of the County.
(B) Qualifications.
(1) In selecting members of the Commission, the Board of Supervisors shall appoint those qualified persons who are best fitted to carry on the duties of the Commission by virtue of experience in governmental economy and administration, personnel administration problems, legal procedure, or by whose other attainments through education or experience would indicate that the appointee is best qualified to carry out the purposes of this chapter. No person shall be appointed to the Civil Service Commission whose interest would conflict with their interest as a Civil Service Commissioner.
(2) No person shall be appointed to the Civil Service Commission who at any time has refused to swear allegiance to the United States of America; or who at any time has been a member of or affiliated with any political party or organization which has as its political theory the destruction of a democratic form of government in the United States, or who shall have been discharged for cause from any office in which that person dealt with matters pertaining to the elective franchise, or the welfare and safety of the people.
(C) Selection. Each member of the Board of Supervisors shall select and nominate one member of the first Civil Service Commission. The terms of office of two persons so selected for the first Commission shall be for one year, and the terms of office for the other members of the first Commission shall be for two years for one member and three years for one member and four years for one member. The members of the Commission shall, at their first meeting, determine by lot the relative order of expiration of their individual terms in office. [Ord. 5291 § 4, 2019; Ord. 648, 1960; Ord. 530, 1957; Ord. 455-A, 1954; prior code § 3.03.030].
2.46.050 Term of office.
Each member of the Commission so selected and appointed shall hold office for a term of four years, or until their successor is appointed and qualified. [Ord. 5291 § 4, 2019; Ord. 455-A, 1954; prior code § 3.03.040].
2.46.060 Organization and procedures.
(A) Meetings.
(1) The Commission shall determine the order of business for the conduct of its meetings and shall meet on call of its chairperson or, in the event of their inability to serve, its vice-chairperson, or three of its members.
(2) All meetings of the Civil Service Commission shall be open and public, and all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of the Commission; provided, however, that the Civil Service Commission may, notwithstanding SCCC 2.38.130 and as a specified exception thereto, hold closed sessions during a regular or special meeting with prior written notice and representation thereat by County Counsel, where appropriate, to consider the appointment, employment or dismissal of a public officer or employee, or to hear complaints or charges brought against such officer or employee by another public officer, person or employee, unless such officer or employee against whom the complaints or charges are brought requests a public hearing.
(3) The Commission may exclude from any such open or closed meetings, during the examination of a witness, any or all other witnesses in the matter being investigated by the Commission.
(B) Officers. The members of the Commission shall, at their first meeting, select one of their number to act as their chairperson and another to act as vice-chairperson, and the Civil Service Commission so created shall annually, at the first regularly designated meeting in January, select two of its members for such positions, and neither officer shall immediately serve again in that position.
(C) Quorum. Three members shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business by the Commission.
(D) Minutes. The Commission shall keep minutes of its proceedings, records of all examinations conducted, and shall, as a Commission or a designated part thereof, make investigations concerning the enforcement and effect of the service.
(E) Reports. The Commission shall make an annual report to the Board of Supervisors.
(F) Vacancies. Vacancies occurring in the Commission shall be filled by the Board of Supervisors for the remainder of the unexpired term only.
(G) Support Staff. The Personnel Director shall serve as Secretary to the Civil Service Commission and shall provide sufficient staff support for the Commission to perform its duties. This section may be amended only in accordance with SCCC 3.04.030.
(H) Compensation. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the members of the Civil Service Commission may receive reasonable traveling expenses between their usual place of business or residence and the place of meeting of the Commission and may receive such other reasonable expenses as are incurred in the discharge of their official duties. In accordance with SCCC 2.38.180, each member of the Commission shall receive as compensation for services a stipend for each meeting or hearing at which the member is in attendance. For a hearing on an appeal by an employee, the stipend shall be granted on a per hearing basis without regard to the number of days required for the hearing.
(I) Removal. The Board of Supervisors may, by a four-fifths vote of all its members, remove a Commissioner from office during their term of appointment, after stating in writing the reasons for removal, and allowing such Commissioner a reasonable opportunity to be heard in their own defense. [Ord. 5454 § 1, 2024; Ord. 5291 § 4, 2019; Ord. 3679 § 1, 1985; Ord. 3142, 1981; Ord. 3048, 1981; Ord. 2847, 1980; Ord. 648, 1960; Ord. 455-A, 1954; prior code § 3.03.050].
2.46.070 Merit employment principles.
In order to assure a high quality of public service, the systems of personnel administration within the classified service shall be guided by these merit employment principles:
(A) Recruiting, selecting, and advancing employees on the basis of their relative ability, knowledge, and skills, including open consideration of qualified applicants for initial appointment;
(B) Providing equitable compensation through a system of position classification;
(C) Retaining employees on the basis of the adequacy of their performance, correcting inadequate performance, and separating employees whose inadequate performance cannot be corrected;
(D) Assuring fair treatment of applicants and employees in all aspects of personnel administration without regard to political affiliation, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition (cancer related and genetic characteristics), marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, age (over 18), veteran status, pregnancy, or other non-merit factor and with proper regard for their privacy and constitutional rights as citizens; and
(E) Assuring that employees are protected against coercion for partisan political purposes and are prohibited from using their official authority for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the results of an election or a nomination for office. [Ord. 4535 § 1, 1999; Ord. 2881, 1980; prior code § 3.03.024].
2.46.080 Powers and duties.
It shall be within the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission to assure that employees within the civil service system are selected, promoted, evaluated and retained within merit employment principles. The Commission shall oversee the recruiting, examining, selection, position classification and disciplinary systems of the classified service in order to assure that merit employment principles are followed. The Civil Service Commission may also serve as the final hearing body on employee grievances, as provided for within established grievance procedures. [Ord. 2881, 1980; prior code § 3.03.022].