A.
The Commission shall consist of three Commissioners
and three alternate Commissioners, who shall be qualified electors
of the Township of Patterson and shall be appointed by the Patterson
Township Board of Commissioners to serve for terms of six years. Any
one of the alternates may be called to fill in for an unavailable
regular Commissioner, as needed, and shall have the same rights and
authority as the regular Commissioner.
[Amended 11-14-2002 by Ord. No. 395]
B.
Any vacancy occurring in the Commission for any reason
whatsoever, shall be filled by the Patterson Township Board of Commissioners
for the unexpired term within the period of 30 days after such vacancy
occurs.
C.
Each member of the Civil Service Commission, before
entering upon the discharge of the duties of their office, shall take
an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution of the United States
and of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to perform their official
duties with fidelity. A Civil Service Commissioner for the Township
of Patterson shall be reimbursed for travel expenses and other Commission-related
expenses but shall receive no compensation for his or her service.
No Commissioner shall, at the same time, hold
an elective or appointed office under the United States government,
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or any political subdivision of the
commonwealth, except that one member of the Commission may be a member
of the Patterson Township Board of Commissioners.
A.
The Commission first appointed shall organize within
10 days of its appointment and shall elect one of its members as Chairperson,
one as Vice Chairperson and one as the Secretary. The Commission shall
thereafter meet and reorganize on the first Monday of February of
each even numbered year. If the first Monday is a legal holiday, the
meeting shall be held the first day following.
B.
Three members of the Commission shall constitute a
quorum. No action of the Commission shall be valid unless it shall
have the concurrence of at least two members.
[Amended 11-14-2002 by Ord. No. 395]
The Chairperson or, in his or her absence, the
Vice Chairperson shall preside at all meetings and hearings of the
Commission, decide all points of order or procedure and perform all
duties required by law or these Rules and Regulations.
The Secretary, under the direction of the Commission
shall handle all official correspondence of the Commission and send
out all notices required by law and these Rules and Regulations. He
shall maintain a record of each examination or other official action
of the Commission and perform all other duties required by law or
these Rules and Regulations.
Except for the biennial meeting, scheduled for
the first Monday in February, all meetings shall be held either at
the call of the Chairperson or at the call of two members of the Commission.
The Commission shall have the discretion to determine whether meetings
shall be open to the public when not specifically regulated by the
Sunshine Act[1] or these Rules and Regulations. The Secretary of the Commission
shall give each Commissioner at least a twenty-four-hour notice, either
in writing or by telephone or in person, of each and every meeting
of the Commission.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 65 P.S. § 271
et seq.
The governing body shall furnish the Commission
with such supplies and clerical assistance as may be necessary for
the Commission to fulfill its duties. The Commission may retain an
attorney at law to represent its interests. This Attorney shall be
one other than the Township Solicitor, to prevent a possible conflict
of interest in matters which come before the Commission. The Civil
Service Commission may also hire any other consultant or expert, including
physicians, psychologists and psychiatrists, as are necessary. The
elected and appointed officials of the Township of Patterson shall
assist the Commission with all reasonable and appropriate efforts,
including compensation for any counsel or experts retained by the
Commission.
The Commission may amend, revise, void or replace
these Rules and Regulations for any reason by action of a majority
of the Commission. Before any changes to these Rules and Regulations
become effective, those changes must be approved by the Township of
Patterson Board of Commissioners. These Rules and Regulations and
any amendments thereto shall be made available to the public for distribution
or inspection. Copies will also be made available to any interested
person for a fee which shall be set by the Board of Commissioners.
A.
The Commission shall keep minutes of its proceedings
and records of examinations and other official action. All records
of the Commission shall be preserved and disposed of according to
the Retention and Disposition Schedule for Records of Pennsylvania
Municipalities issued by the Local Government Records Committee under
the authority of the Municipal Records Act of 1968, P.L. 961, No.
428, 53 P.S. § 9001 et seq.
B.
Any and all records related to any disciplinary action
filed with the Commission shall be open to public inspection subject
to reasonable regulation. The Secretary shall keep minutes of its
proceedings, showing the vote of each member upon each question. If
the member is absent or fails to vote, the Secretary shall indicate
that fact in the minutes.
The Commission shall have the power to make
investigations concerning all matters relating to the administration
and enforcement of these Rules and Regulations. The Chairperson of
the Commission is authorized to administer oaths and affirmations
in connection with such investigations.
A.
The Commission shall have the power to issue subpoenas
over the signature of the Chairperson or his designee to require the
attendance of witnesses and the production of records and papers pertaining
to any investigation or inquiry. The fees of such witnesses for attendance
and travel shall be at the same as for witnesses appearing in the
courts and shall be paid from appropriations for the incidental expense
of the Commission.
B.
All officers in public service and employees of the
Township of Patterson shall attend and testify when required to do
so by the Commission. If any person shall refuse or neglect to obey
any subpoena issued by the Commission, upon conviction of such refusal
or neglect in a summary proceeding, that person shall be sentenced
to pay a fine not to exceed $100 and, in default of the payment of
such fine and costs, shall be imprisoned not to exceed 30 days.
C.
If any person shall refuse or neglect to obey any
subpoena, the Commission may apply by petition to the Court of Common
Pleas of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, for its subpoena, requiring
the attendance of such persons before the Commission or the Court
to testify and to produce any records and papers as necessary and,
in default, shall be held in contempt of Court.
The Commission shall make an annual report to
the Township of Patterson, containing a brief summary of its work
during the year, and shall make a full accounting for any expenditures
of public moneys. The annual report shall be then available for public
inspection.
