There is established an employee award program in order to recognize suggestions and exemplary service from City employees which benefits the City in providing services to the citizens.
(Ord. 4071 § 1, 1986; Ord. 4593, Amended, 6/11/1997)
As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise:
(a) 
"Board"
means the Employee Suggestion Awards Board.
(b) 
"Program"
means the suggestion program developed under this chapter.
(c) 
"Employee"
means any person employed by the City and occupying an authorized budget position but not including elected officials of the City.
(d) 
"Eligible suggestions"
means suggestions which fulfill the criteria for submission and have been submitted in conformance with procedures for submission established in this chapter.
(e) 
"Days"
means the normal office hours and days that City Hall is open.
(Ord. 4071 § 2, 1986; Ord. 4593, Amended, 6/11/1997)
(a) 
There is created a Suggestion Award Board composed of seven members, as follows: the Human Resources Director, one department head, one management and professional employee, one commissioned police officer, one commissioned fire fighter, and two general employees. The administration of the program is vested in this Board.
(b) 
The Board shall elect annually a Chairperson from among its members. The Board shall meet in regular session at least once each quarter. Additional meetings may be called by the Chairperson.
(c) 
A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business; provided, however, a majority vote of the members of the Board shall be necessary in order to adopt any motion or resolution with reference to the making of awards. The Chairperson shall keep minutes of Board meetings and other such records as the Board may deem necessary for its proper function.
(Ord. 4071 § 3(1 – 2), 1986; Ord. 4593, Amended, 6/11/1997; Ord. 5530, 12/17/2025)
The Board shall prepare an annual report covering the preceding calendar year. This report shall be submitted to both the City Council and the Mayor, and shall include:
(a) 
Information concerning suggestions approved for awards;
(b) 
Total amounts and type of awards;
(c) 
Administrative costs of the program;
(d) 
Measurable savings to the City; and
(e) 
Other information and statistical data deemed pertinent by the Board.
(Ord. 4071 § 3(3), 1986; Ord. 4593, Amended, 6/11/1997)
Participation in the program shall be limited to those employees who submit a suggestion in accordance with the following regulations:
(a) 
To be eligible for a money or a paid leave award, a suggestion must make possible an extension of public service commensurate with the expense involved or an elimination or reduction of City expenditures without substantially impairing such service, or provide a desirable safety factor.
(b) 
Employees shall not be eligible for an award for suggestions pertaining to subjects in which the suggestor, either directly or indirectly, has a proprietary interest.
(c) 
If duplicate suggestions are submitted, only the first received by the Board shall be eligible for an award.
(Ord. 4071 § 4, 1986; Ord. 4593, Amended, 6/11/1997)
The following procedure for making and consideration of suggestions is established:
(a) 
Suggestions may be submitted directly to a Board member, to the individual employee's department head for transferal to the Board or by any other method established by the Board pursuant to this chapter.
(b) 
Suggestions shall be submitted in a legible form and shall include:
(1) 
A specific statement of what is suggested and how it can be accomplished;
(2) 
A brief statement describing the present methods, practices or problem; and
(3) 
A statement of the potential of the savings, improved services or benefits which will occur from the adoption of the suggestion.
(c) 
Suggestions must be signed and each suggestor shall execute the following agreement:
"In consideration of my participation in the Suggestion Award Program, I hereby agree that the use by the City of Bremerton of my suggestion concerning ... shall not be the basis of a claim of any nature against the City of Bremerton by me, my heirs, executor or assigns."
(d) 
The Board shall record and acknowledge receipt of eligible suggestions, shall advise the suggestors of any undue delay in the consideration thereof, and shall notify the suggestor of action taken as soon as final consideration has been made.
(e) 
Eligible suggestions may be referred for consideration to the departments affected, which shall, within twenty (20) days thereafter, report its findings and recommendations to the Board. The departmental report shall indicate whether or not a suggestion has been adopted and the actual or estimated reduction of expenditures or the value thereof to the City.
(f) 
The Board shall evaluate each eligible suggestion, taking into consideration departmental action and the intent of the program; and it shall formulate and transmit to the Mayor an official recommendation covering the justifications of each suggestion that merits an award and the type and amount thereof. A suggestion which has been put into effect by the City department concerned must be submitted to the Board for award consideration.
(g) 
The Mayor, upon approval of a recommendation of the Board, may authorize a money award, a paid leave award or an appropriate commendation.
(h) 
A suggestor may file a written request to the Mayor for reconsideration of an adopted suggestion which had been rejected by the Board. Rejected suggestions subsequently adopted may be resubmitted to the Board in the regular manner.
(i) 
The City Council may request, through the Audit Committee, a cost benefit analysis of the program.
(Ord. 4071 § 5, 1986; Ord. 4593, Amended, 06/11/1997)
The Board may issue certificates of merit in such form and manner as they determine. Such certificates may be in addition to or in lieu of other awards.
(Ord. 4071 § 6, 1986; Ord. 4593, Amended, 06/11/1997)
No cash award shall be for less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or for more than the maximum amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000) or equivalent paid leave. The Board shall consult with the employee and department head in awarding cash and/or paid leave. The award shall be calculated as follows:
(a) 
Awards for suggestions which will result in demonstrable savings of money shall be approximately ten (10) percent of the estimated value to the City of the suggestion during the first year following its adoption, as determined by the Board.
(b) 
Suggestions which will result in noncost savings improvements, such as benefits in safety, health and welfare, insofar as possible, will be commensurate with the benefits anticipated from the suggestion.
(Ord. 4071 § 7, 1986; Ord. 4593, Amended, 06/11/1997)
(a) 
The Mayor, or assigns, shall have the authority to recognize and award employees, either individually or as a class, for accomplishments including outstanding achievements, performance, longevity, outstanding public service, or service. Recognition awards may not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75.00) in value per employee. Such awards may include, but not be limited to, cash or such items as pen and desk sets, plaques, pins, framed certificates, clocks, calculators, flowers, candy and gift certificates.
(b) 
The following standards are established for making the award:
(1) 
Department directors may submit a recommendation to the Mayor for recognition and an award together with the basis for the recommendation.
(2) 
The Mayor will consider and evaluate the recommendation and approve the award at his/her discretion.
(Ord. 4593, Added, 06/11/1997; Ord. 4995 § 1, 2007)