[Amended 2-26-1991]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
One eligible for participation in the plan who makes a suggestion.
A constructive proposal for a new procedure or change in existing procedure in the operation of a City department or division thereof, whose employees are eligible for participation in this plan, which makes possible the reduction, elimination or avoidance of expenditures of public money or results in improvement in the operation of the functions of the City of Lowell. All suggestions, with the exception of those in § 56-18, which accomplish or tend to accomplish any of the following objectives shall be considered suggestions within the meaning of this article:
A.
Saving of time, space, material or supplies.
B.
Improvement of service to the public.
C.
Improvement of methods and procedures resulting in
increased output or efficiency, or both.
D.
Improvement of safety conditions.
E.
Improvement of tools and equipment.
F.
Elimination of unnecessary procedures, records and
forms.
There is hereby created a Suggestion Award Plan.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
A.
The following persons shall be eligible for participation
in the plan:
(1)
All permanent full-time employees and provisional
and temporary employees, all of whom have actually worked at least
one year in the aggregate for the City of Lowell.
(2)
Any retired employee who has been retired one year
and whose suggestions have been acted upon within one year of such
retirement.
B.
Department heads and chief deputies and members of
boards and commissions of the City of Lowell are excepted from the
provisions of this article and ineligible for participation in the
plan.
The following suggestions are not eligible for
awards under the Suggestion Award Plan:
A.
Propositions which call attention to a problem but
do not suggest a solution.
B.
Suggestions dealing with normal maintenance, unless
such suggestions contribute to a solution of maintenance problems.
C.
Suggestions dealing with salary adjustments and job
classifications.
D.
Suggestions that are not original with the suggester
or which are submitted for other employees who would be ineligible
because the suggestions would be within the scope of their normal
job responsibilities.
E.
Suggestions which are basically duplicates of suggestions
submitted within the preceding twenty-four-month period.
F.
Suggestions which are within the scope of the normal
job responsibility of a suggester.
B.
For tangible - budgetary savings the Suggestion Award
Board must be advised by the department head involved or the City
Manager that the suggestion will result in a budgetary saving. For
tangible - no budget reduction savings the Suggestion Award Board
will make a finding that the suggestion will result in tangible benefit
to the City although it will not result in a specific reduction in
the budget.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
A.
Budgetary savings. Cash awards for budgetary savings
shall consist of 10% of one full fiscal year's net savings.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
B.
No budgetary savings
(1)
When the total value of estimated, or appraised, tangible
- no budget reduction savings is less than $1,000, the cash award
for such savings shall be the same as for similar tangible - budgetary
savings.
(2)
When the total value of realized, or appraised, tangible
- no budget reduction savings exceeds $1,000, the award shall not
be less than 50% of the scale of awards for tangible - budgetary savings
in the same amount and in no event shall be less than $100, based
upon the findings of the Suggestion Award Board as to the merit of
the suggestion and probable realization of the estimated savings.
The decision of the Suggestion Award Board as to the percentage shall
be final.
C.
Minimum amount. The minimum cash award shall be a
sum of money which, after deduction of the income taxes therefrom,
will leave a net cash remainder of $10 to be paid to the suggester.
The Award Board is authorized to approve awards in an amount up to
and including $100 for each award without further authority from the
Council. Awards in an amount exceeding $100 shall be recommended by
the Award Board and shall not be paid unless approved by the City
Council.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
D.
Not exceeding $100. Payment of a cash award up to
a maximum of $100 may be made and/or the Board may award up to two
additional days off with pay with respect to each suggestion on the
basis of an estimate by the Award Board of actual monetary savings
over one full fiscal year.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
E.
Exceeding $100. Payment of cash awards in excess of $100 for any suggestion shall not be made until the suggestion has been installed for a period of one full fiscal year and shall be based on savings actually realized during the twelve-month period; however, an initial award of $100 may be paid in accordance with Subsection D, such payment, however, to be deducted from the final award made for the suggestion.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
[Amended 2-26-1991]
A.
After a suggestion has been installed in a department
or division thereof and an award has been made for the installation,
a supplemental cash award may be authorized by the Award Board if
the suggestion is installed in other departments or units and additional
savings or intangible benefits accrue. The supplemental award shall
be in an amount which, when added to the original award and all other
supplemental awards for the same suggestion, will equal the amount
to which the suggester would have been entitled if the suggestion
had originally been applied to all departments to which it now applies.
B.
Maximum cash awards. In no event shall any cash award
to an individual under this article, including supplemental cash award,
exceed $500.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
The Award Board shall not make any cash award
unless sufficient funds are available in the appropriation authorized
by the City Council. An award based on a tangible savings shall not
be paid for any suggestion if the estimated full one fiscal year's
savings is less than the minimum award.
Special scales to help in the evaluation of
adopted suggestions which show intangible or safety benefits shall
be developed and adopted by the Award Board.
When an original suggestion is a partial solution
of a problem, or a solution of part of a problem, and must be revised
or developed before it can be installed, it shall be evaluated for
the purpose of determining the amount of the award on the basis of
its proportionate importance to the final suggestion that is actually
installed.
A.
Creation; membership. There shall be created a Suggestion
Award Board consisting of three members who shall be appointed by
the City Manager and whose appointments shall be approved by the City
Council. The Board members shall be appointed for a period of two
years. Vacancies created by death, resignation or removal shall be
filled in the same manner as appointments to other boards of the City.
Removals for misconduct or any other reason shall be in accordance
with the proceedings in relation to other City boards.
B.
Functions. The functions of the Award Board shall
be as follows:
(1)
To exercise general supervision and control over the
plan set forth in this article.
(2)
To determine the eligibility of suggestions and suggesters.
(3)
To determine the type and amount of awards within
the prescribed limit of $100.
(4)
To assure that each suggestion is thoroughly and fairly
investigated and reported upon.
(5)
In the case of suggestions which the department has
rejected in whole or in part, in its discretion to refer the suggestion
back to the department head or City Manager for further consideration.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
(6)
To authorize the actual payment of awards in amounts
up to and including $100.
(7)
To encourage employees to make suggestions and to
explain the plan to the various departments and divisions.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
(8)
To waive procedural rules in individual cases in the
interest of fairness and equity and to report periodically on such
cases to the City Council rules governing the amount of cash award.
(9)
To recommend changes in the plan to the City Council.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
(10)
To submit periodic reports and recommendations to
the City Manager and the City Council on the functioning of the plan.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
A.
Suggestions shall be prepared on special forms provided
by the Award Board and shall be submitted directly by the suggester
to the City Manager's office.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
B.
The Award Board shall review and record all suggestions
received and refer them to the appropriate department for investigation.
C.
The Suggestion Award Board may require suggesters
to submit sufficient data and supporting material to justify consideration
of their suggestions, as they apply to their own departments. If either
or both time and money are claimed as savings, these should be expressed
as estimates in terms of dollars. Source of data should be indicated
wherever possible.
D.
All suggestions shall be signed by the suggester,
but the Award Board shall not disclose the name of a suggester to
the investigating department at the time the suggestion is transmitted,
if the suggester so requests.
E.
With the consent of the Award Board, an employee may
submit a suggestion at an early stage in its development in order
to establish his priority of right to such suggestion.
F.
Suggestions shall be considered submitted when they
are received by the Award Board.
G.
Suggestions may be submitted jointly by two or more
employees and monetary awards shared equally or as requested by the
employees.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
A.
Each department shall investigate and estimate the
savings on suggestions submitted by its employees or affecting its
activities and shall adopt and install suggestions whenever feasible
B.
Each City department and governmental agency shall
be responsible for investigating and taking action on suggestions
submitted by its employees or affecting its activities and may request
technical assistance from and consultation with any other department
or officer.
C.
Within 45 days from date of receipt of a suggestion
from the Award Board the department shall submit a final or a progress
report to the Award Board.
D.
If a department rejects a suggestion in whole or in
part, the Board may request the department to reconsider its rejection
but shall have no authority to reverse a departmental decision.
E.
All completed investigation reports of a department
shall bear the signature of the department head or his authorized
representative and the immediate supervisor responsible for the activity
with which the suggestion deals.
F.
Departmental investigation or suggestions shall seek
the following information:
(1)
The identity of persons and operations affected.
(2)
An estimate of the savings in time, labor, material,
space, hazard, inconvenience and other factors.
(3)
A report on action taken or planned on the complete
or partial installation of the suggestion within the department.
(4)
The eligibility of suggestions and suggester.
(5)
Complete reasons for a rejection of the suggestion
in whole or in part.
(6)
An estimate of the cost of installation and recommendation
on the amortization of the cost of installation of the suggestion.
(7)
An estimate of the possible effect of the suggestion
on other units of the department.
(8)
An estimate of the period of time over which the savings
or advantages of a suggestion are expected to accrue or have effect.
G.
Departmental procedures for handling suggestions include
provision of personal contact between departmental superiors and the
suggester.
A.
All suggestions which are adopted shall become the
property of the City of Lowell, except that, if the Award Board approves,
the suggester may apply for patents if the City and all other public
agencies whose employees are eligible for participation in this plan
are given a nonexclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use
the patented suggestion as long as the patent, or any renewal thereof,
remains in effect.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
B.
Neither the City nor any other public agency whose employees are eligible to participate in this plan is liable to any suggester for any sum of money other than that which the Award Board shall in its sole discretion see fit to award, subject to the provision of § 56-20C.
[Amended 2-26-1991]
C.
Upon submission of a suggestion the suggester shall
waive any claim for compensation for such suggestion other than as
herein provided for, and each suggestion blank submitted by a suggester
shall contain such a waiver.
