The director shall ascertain and record the duties, responsibilities and employment standards of all positions in classified and unclassified employment, and shall recommend to the city council a classification plan for such positions. The classification plan so developed shall group positions in the city service into classes, as defined by written class specifications. Each class specification shall outline the main characteristics and qualification requirements of positions allocated to the class, and give examples of duties which employees holding such positions may properly be required to perform. The class specification is descriptive and explanatory, but not restrictive. The listing of particular examples of duties does not preclude the assignment of other tasks and duties. The statement of desirable qualifications in a class specification is intended to be used as a guide in selecting candidates for employment, as an aid in the preparation of competitive examinations, and in determining the relative value of positions in one class with positions in other classes.
Each class shall include those positions sufficiently similar with respect to their duties and responsibilities so that similar requirements as to training, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities may apply.
(Ord. 3213 § 1, 1998; Ord. 5013 § 3, 2012)
After review of the classification plan by the city council, the plan shall be adopted, and may be amended from time to time by the city council. At the time of city council review, any interested or affected person may appear and be heard. Notice of city council consideration of the proposed classification plan, amendments, or revisions shall be given to recognized employee organizations at least five calendar days prior to council consideration.
(Ord. 3213 § 1, 1998; Ord. 5013 § 3, 2012)
Following the adoption of the classification plan, the director shall allocate every position in the classified service to one of the classes established by the plan. However, the classification plan may contain classes to which there is no current allocation of positions in order to provide for future organizational growth or changes in organizational structure. Likewise, obsolete classifications may be deleted from the plan.
(Ord. 3213 § 1, 1998; Ord. 5013 § 3, 2012)
A. 
New positions may be authorized by the city council and added to the classification plan. However, no new position may be filled without the authorization of the city manager who, in so doing, shall determine that sufficient funds are available. When a new position is created, the department head must obtain the city manager’s approval to fill the position via the director. The director shall then notify the department head as to the approval and method of filling said position. Except as provided by these rules, or otherwise, no person shall be appointed or employed to fill any new position until the classification plan has been amended by the city council.
B. 
For management positions only, upon written receipt of a management employee’s irrevocable resignation and/or retirement notice, which shall include a final date of employment with the city, and after written acceptance from the director, a new position may be administratively created by the city manager for purposes of receiving transitional training from the existing resigning and/or retiring incumbent to the respective newly hired or promoted management employee. The limited use and purpose of this subsection is to provide for transitional training for specialized, highly skilled, and/or experienced management-level employee transitions where, based on the nature of the position, it is in the city’s best interest for the incumbent to provide institutional and operational position-specific knowledge to the incoming employee to ensure the most efficient and effective transition between the two.
The limited authority herein described is delegated to the city manager from the city council and no change to the classification plan will be required in the creation of the type of position described in this subsection. Prior to approval of the position by the city manager, the requesting department head must identify the source of funding for the transitional training position. The department head must obtain the city manager’s approval to fill the position, which shall require approval from the director. The director shall notify the department head as to the approval and method of filling said position.
In no event shall both the incumbent position and the new position – which shall be identical positions, including all job duties, specifications, terms, benefits, pay and probationary period (subject to applicable salary range, e.g. new employee Salary Range B) – be filled for a period exceeding six months. Accordingly, the new position shall not be filled unless and until the incumbent position, based on the written notice and acceptance of the irrevocable resignation and/or retirement, has six or fewer months of remaining employment.
Upon separation from city service by the incumbent, the incumbent’s position shall, consistent with the authority herein delegated from the city council to the city manager, cease to exist, leaving only the number of positions allocated to the subject classification pursuant to the classification plan. Nothing herein shall cause the ultimate number of positions allocated to a classification to change.
(Ord. 3213 § 1, 1998; Ord. 5013 § 3, 2012; Ord. 5847 § 1, 2017)
Positions whose duties and responsibilities have changed so as to depart significantly from an assigned class description, or positions which have been structurally affected by organizational changes may be authorized by the city manager for reclassification study. Such requests for study may be initiated by department heads, the director, the city manager, the personnel board or city council.
Upon approval of the reclassification study, the person studying the position may in the course of such study consult with the affected employee, the employee’s supervisor and department head, and gather any other information pertinent to issues related to the study. Upon completion of the study, a report of the analysis and findings shall be submitted and recommendations made to the city manager who shall determine the disposition of the study. Recommendations on such study results may be submitted to the city council for approval of reclassification and any related compensation issues. Should such a reclassification study involve the creation of a new classification, the council may approve the study results pending final review and approval of any new classification by the city council. Upon reclassification of a position to a class that has a higher maximum salary rate than the previous class, the director shall determine whether the incumbent meets the requirements of the new class. If so, the incumbent may be allocated to the new class. If the incumbent does not meet requirements of the new class, the director shall determine the method and means of filling the position.
Reclassification shall not be used for the purpose of promotions or disciplinary demotions.
(Ord. 3213 § 1, 1998; Ord. 5013 § 3, 2012)