ORD NO 20-1997 CITY OF VAN BUREN, ARKANSAS
ORDINANCE NO. �I2 —1997
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE VAN BUREN CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS.
WHEREAS, The state laws pertaining to the authority and
obligations of the Civil Service Commission and
operation of the civil service system, have been
amended, and
WHEREAS, The Civil Service Commission has meet and voted
to apprl)ve the following amendments to the
present civil service regulations.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF VAN BUREN, ARKANSAS:
SECTION 1: That in Article 1, Section 1, the last paragraph
shall read as follows:
"No person on said Commission shall hold, or be a
candidate for, any political office under any
national, state, county or municipal government or
be connected in any way in any official capacity
with any political party or political organization,
and no such person as herein enumerated shall be
eligible as a member of said Board of Civil Service
Commissioners, who at the time of their election
shall hold any office."
SECTION 2: That Article 1, Section 2 shall read as follows:
"The Board of Civil Service Commissioners shall
annually, on the first Monday of May, mcet and
select one (1) of the Commissioners to serve as
Chairman of the Commission. The Chairman shall
preside over all meetings of the Commission and be
its executive officer and shall vote on questions
before the Board. In the absence of the Chairman,
the Board shall elect one of their number to act
instead of the Chairman, and said member so
elected shall be clothed with all the powers,
rights, and duties of the Chairman during the
absence of the Chairman.
The Board shall also elect one (1) of its
members as Secretary, who shall keep the books
and records of the Board; conduct the
correspondence of the Board; report the evidence
in all trials or cause the evidence to be reported;
act as Clerk when the Board is conducting a trial;
work with and act as liaison to the city employee
assigned to assist the Board; and perform any
other duties that may be ordered by the Board
and authorized by law.
Three (3) of the members of the Board shall
constitute a quoruru in any transaction.
Except if the Commission decides otherwise, the
City Attorney shall act as attorney for the
Commission in all trials or other legal transactions.
Provided, the Commission may appoint an attorney
to represent the Commission if it so desires.
The Commission shall review complaints filed
by any citizen and promulgate rules for such
reviews, including rules that give' the Commission
authority to consider certain personnel issues in
executive session, and to establish any necessary
appellate procedure.
In any investigation conducted by the
Commission as provided by law, the Commission
shall have the power of subpoena, to require the
attendance of witnesses and the production of any
papers or records pertinent to the investigation,
and to administer oaths to the witnesses. In order
to punish for contempt the nonattendance of
witnesses, or the failure to produce books or
papers, or misbehavior of any person during the
investigation, the Commission may impose a fine
not to exceed five hundred ($500.00) for each
offense.
The powers and duties of the Civil Service
Commission shall be limited such that the
Commission shall not have any control, nor shall
the Commission attempt to exercise any control
over, the normal and routine day -to -day
operations of the police or fire departments,
directly or indirectly."
SECTION 3: That Article 111, Section 1 shall read as follows:
"These Civil Service Regulations shall be
effective and be in force as to all uniformed and
non uniformed employees of the Police Department
working either full or part -time in the existing
and future positions of -Chief of Pa1Fee, Assistant
Chief, Major, Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant,
Corporal, Police Officer, Detective, Dispatcher,
Animal Control warden and Full -Time
Secretary /Part -Time Dispatcher, with the
exception that the position of Part -Time Police
Officer II shall not be covered by these
regulations. Advancement from the position of
Part -Time Police Officer I1 shall not be
accomplished by promotion. Any person holding
the position of Part -Tine Police Officer II, who
wishes to be appointed to the Police Department
shall be subject to the procedure for appointment
as set out in Article IV herein."
SECTION 4: That Article IV, Section 1 shall read as follows:
No person shall be eligible for appointment on
the police department who has not arrived at the
age of twenty -one (21) years.
No person shall be eligible for appointment to
any position on the fire department who has not
arrived at the age of twenty -one years or who has
arrived at the age of thirty -two years."
SECTION 5: That Article IV, Section 6 shall read as follows:
"After completion and grading of the written
examination, all applicants for either the Police or
Fire Departments who have passed the written
examination, shall be required to take a physical
agility test conducted by the respective
departments. Failure to successfully complete the
physical agility test shall disqualify a candidate
from further consideration.
In addition, all applicants for appointment to
the Police Department, who have passed the
written examination and physical agility test, shall
be interviewed by the Police Department Review
Board made up of one patrolman, one Corporal, one
Sergeant and the Police Chief or his represen-
tative, all appointed by the Police Chief, which
shall question the candidates regarding any areas
of concern and determine such things as the
candidates motivation, demeanor, attitude and
ability to communicate. An overall percentage
rating of .less than seventy percent (70%) will
disqualify a candidate e -from further consideration
for employment with the Police Department. The
Police Review Board shall report its evaluation to
the Police Chief and the Civil Service Commission.
Any score accumulated by the candidate during
said interview shall not be combined or averaged
with the candidate's score from the written
examination.
After completion of the written examination and
physical agility test with reference to the Fire
Department, and completion of the written
examination, physical agility test and interview
with reference to the Police Department, the
Conunission shall compile an eligibility list for each
department of candidates who have passed all of
the respective tests. Said successful candidates
shall be entered on the eligibility list in the order
of their standing on the written examination."
SECTION 6: That Article IV, Section h shall read as follows:
"If identical scores are received on the written
examination, all candidates receiving said score,
and who also pass the physical agility test, and
with reference to the Police Department, the
interview, shall be eligible for certification to the
respective chiefs at that score. EXAMPLE A: If
three (3) candidates tie for the highest score,
those three candidates shall be certified and
appointment made therefrom. EXAMPLE I3: If four
(4) candidates tic for the highest score, all four
candidates shall be certified and appointment
made therefrom. EXAMPLE C: 11' one (1) candidate
receives the highest score and three (3) candi-
dates tie for the next highest score, all four (4)
candidates shall be certified and appointment
made. therefrom. EXAMPLE D: If one (1) candidate
receives the highest score, one (1) candidate
receives the next highest score and three (3)
candidates tie for the third highest score, all five
(5) candidates shall be certified and appointment
made therefrom."
SECTION 7: That Article IV, Section 9 shall be deleted in its
cn and the remaining Sections within Article
IV shall be renumbered accordingly.
SECTION R: That Article IV, renumbered Section 9, shall read
as follows:
"For the Police Department, after certification
of the three (3) (or more in the event of identical
scores) candidates standing highest on the
eligibility list. and who have also passed the
physic-al agility test and Police Department Review
Board interview, the Chief of Police shall then
select one (1) of the three (3) (or more) persons
certified for tentative appointment and shall
notify the Commission thereof. For the lire
Department, after the certification of the three (3)
(or snore) candidates standing highest on the
eligibility list, and who have passed the physical
agility test, the Fire Chief shall then select one (;I
of the three (3) (or more) persons certified for
tentative appointment and shall notify the
Commission thereof."
SECTION 9: That Article 1V, renumbered Section 11 shall read
as follows:
"After successful completion of all the require-
ments set out herein, the individual shall be
appointed as a Probationary Patrolman or
Firefighter Trainee."
SECTION 10: That Article IX, Section 2 shall read as follows:
"Disciplinary action may include any of the
following: oral reprimand; written reprimand to be
placed in employee's employment records;
disciplinary probation; suspension for not longer
than thirty (30) calendar_ days, with or without
pay; reduction in rank or compensation; and
discharge."
SECTION 11: if any portion or provision of this Ordinance or
the application thereof to any person or
circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall
not affect other portions, provisions or
applications of this Ordinance which can be given
effect Without the invalid portion, provision or
;application, and to this end the various portions
and provisions of this Ordinance are declared
severable.
SECTION 12: All previous ordinances or parts of ordinances in
conflict with this Ordinance are hereby repealed.
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PASSED AND APPROVED) THIS /S OF )p nf6,.t 1997.
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MAYOR
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t„Et?ttRKC`- RRE- URER
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