Copyrighted by URBANA CODE & Municipal Code Corporation, 1998.
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Sec. 2-99. Civil service system.
By exercise of its Home Rule powers, the Urbana City Council declares that those provisions of Division 1, Article 10 of the Illinois Municipal Code which conflict with this ordinance are hereby nullified and the provisions of the ordinance shall govern in the administration of the Civil Service System in the City of Urbana.
(1) Officers who are elected by the people, or who are elected by the corporate authorities pursuant to ordinance or law, or whose appointment is subject to confirmation by the corporate authorities, judges of election, heads of any department or division, corporation counsel, city attorney, seasonal employees, which means those persons whose employment does not exceed two hundred forty (240) work days in any fiscal year, one (1) private secretary of each elected city official, and administrative assistants to the mayor, administrative officer, chief librarian, all part-time employees, which means those persons who work thirty-five (35) hours or less where the standard work week is forty (40) hours or more per week, city engineers, shall not be included in such classified service.
(2) a. The appointing authority (the head of the department or office in which a civil service position is to be filled) shall notify the commission of that fact, and the commission shall certify to the appointing authority a pool of candidates consisting of the names and addresses or all available candidates on the original entry registry for consideration. Alternatively, if there are more than thirty (30) candidates on the register, the appointing authority may request either that the commission limit the pool to the thirty (30) candidates standing highest upon the original entry register or to a pool in excess of thirty (30) candidates if the commission determines that certification of a larger pool would provide a more diverse candidate pool, better serve the needs of the department or office, and/or improve equity. The candidates' names shall be submitted to the appointing authority in alphabetical order and without any indication of ranking of the candidates. The appointing authority may select any candidate referred. If no candidate is found to fully meet the requirements or needs of the available position, the appointing authority may request one or more supplemental lists of certified candidates. The commission shall determine the number of candidates to be referred on a supplemental list. Consistent with the intent of this paragraph, any public posting of an original entry eligibility list, register or list of certified candidates shall be in alphabetical order without any indication of ranking of the candidates. Public posting of such lists shall not be required unless directed by the civil service commission or chief examiner.
b. All appointments of experienced firefighters made pursuant to Ordinance No. 9798-48 shall be allowed to retain their residence in effect at the time of appointment from the experienced firefighter eligibility register; however, such appointees are required to establish residency within the civil service residency requirement upon any move from such residence.
c. Any individual who is certified by the State of Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board or its designated equivalent and who has completed two years of consecutive, full-time service as a police officer, and is currently employed as a police officer, with any law enforcement agency and who is not on probationary status, shall be certified by the civil service commission for immediate eligibility for appointment as an Urbana police officer.
Any individual applicant who is a successful graduate of the federal police corps cadet program shall be certified by the civil service commission for immediate eligibility for appointment as an Urbana police officer.
All individuals appointed pursuant to this paragraph shall be subject to the probation requirements of 2-99(4) and all other probationary requirements that otherwise apply to newly-hired police officers, and must successfully pass the preplacement background review, medical, psychological, and physical fitness exams required for all entry level police officers.
d. Any nonprobationary police or law enforcement telecommunicator, dispatcher, desk clerk or equivalent currently employed with any law enforcement agency, and who has at least two (2) years of full-time experience in that position, may be certified by the civil service commission for the immediate eligibility for appointment as a police support services clerk. Candidates applying under this section must have current Illinois State Police Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS) certification or other state National Crime Information Computer (NCIC) equivalent.
The police support services clerk employed by way of this selection process will serve six (6) months as a probationary support services clerk just as any other newly hired support services clerk. Each candidate must successfully pass the preplacement background review, psychological and other such exams as required for all entry level support services clerks.
(3) In addition to (2) above, the commission shall certify to the appointing officer the names and addresses of not more than four (4) candidates standing highest upon the internal promotional register for the class or grade to which the position belongs. The appointing authority may select any candidate referred irrespective of where such candidate is ranked on such list and irrespective of the number of times such candidate's name was previously passed over for selection. In making such certification, sex shall be disregarded. The appointing officer shall notify the commission of each position to be filled, separately, and shall fill such place by the appointment of one (1) of the persons certified to him/her by the commission therefor.
(4) Probation.
a. Initial period. Original appointment shall be on probation for a period not to exceed six (6) months to be fixed by the civil service rules except that original appointment of all classified personnel to the police department or fire department shall be on probation for a period to be fixed by the rules of the department. Firefighters shall be on probation for a period not to exceed twelve (12) months.
b. Extension or discharge.
1. At or before the expiration of the period of probation, the appointing authority may extend the period of probation, but only if both the candidate and the candidate's lawful collective bargaining representative (in cases where the candidate is represented as a member or fair-share dues paying member) agree in writing to such extension, by stating in writing the appointing authority's reason for doing so to the commission. The appointing authority's request for the extension of probation shall simultaneously constitute a discharge of the candidate even though phrased only as a request for extension, and the reasons for an extension of probation shall constitute the reasons for discharge. If the candidate is not then given an extension of probation and is not discharged, the appointment shall be deemed complete, unless the original probationary period has not yet run in which case the probationary period shall continue as though no request for extension had been made.
2. Where a request for extension has been made but the commission has not made its final decision regarding the request before the expiration of the probationary period, the probationary period shall automatically be extended by thirty days past its expiration date in order to give the commission the opportunity to make its final decision.
3. The cumulative length of the probationary period together with all extensions shall not be more than double the initial period, unless because of the unique circumstances of the candidate, the candidate has not worked at full duty in the position for a period equaling at least the initial period, so that the appointing authority has not had adequate opportunity to evaluate the candidate's performance. Pursuant to 65 ILCS 5/10-1-7(1) the cumulative length of probation of any firefighter appointed to the lowest rank shall not exceed one year unless the position includes paramedic responsibilities.
c. Discharge. At or before the expiration of the period of probation, including any extensions, the appointing authority may discharge the candidate upon stating in writing the appointing authority's reason therefor to the commission. If the candidate is not then discharged, the appointment shall be deemed complete, unless the original probationary period has not yet run in which case the probationary period shall continue as though no request for discharge has been made.
(5) When an opening occurs within an original entry classification where the appointing authority determines there is a clear and long standing under-utilization of members of a protected class, the appointing authority may reach into the full and complete register to consider for selection a minority or female candidate.
(6) Entry onto registers shall be on a continuing basis, even after a register has been posted, as candidates continue to qualify by the city's examination process. The personnel manager may conduct, as deemed appropriate by the chief administrative officer, testing at such intervals as appropriate to ensure that the register reflects the pool of currently-interested and qualified applicants and that an adequate pool of candidates will be available for appointment from the register. When the criteria for entry onto a register change, the commission may deem it necessary to void the register. The commission may strike off names of candidates from the register after they have remained thereon more than two (2) years with the exception of public safety (police and fire) classifications where the commission will have the option to strike names from the register after they have remained on it for six (6) months.
(7) To prevent the stoppage of public business, or to meet extraordinary emergencies, the appointing authority may make temporary appointments to remain in force not exceeding one hundred twenty (120) days, and only until regular appointments under the provisions of civil service can be made.
(8) Military preference is only applicable upon original entry.
Persons who were engaged in the military or naval service of the United States at any time between September 16, 1940 and July 25, 1947, at any time during the national emergency between June 25, 1950 and January 31, 1955, or at any time between January 1, 1961 and December 31, 1976 (the date that Congress declared the Vietnam Conflict had ended), and who were honorably discharged therefrom, shall be preferred for appointments to civil service positions of the City of Urbana provided they are found to possess the business capacity necessary for the proper discharge of the duties of such position as determined by examination. The civil service commission shall give preference for original appointment to persons as hereinabove designated whose names appear on any register of eligibles resulting from an examination for original entrance held under the Urbana Civil Service Commission jurisdiction on or after September 1, 1949* by adding to the final grade average which they received or will receive as the result of any examination held for original entrance, five (5) points. The numerical result thus attained shall be applied by the civil service commission in determining the position of such persons on any eligible list which has been created as the result of any examination for original entrance commenced on or after September 1, 1949 for purposes of preference in certification and appointment from such eligible list. The application for military preference must be submitted to the personnel office of the city as directed by the personnel officer. The personnel officer will direct this process, determine eligibility and adjust eligibility registers accordingly. Persons who are competing in promotional examinations under civil service shall not be eligible for military preference. The words `engages in the military or naval service of the United States' shall mean such person was on active duty status with the military or naval forces of the United States for at least one (1) continuous twenty-four-hour period at a military or naval installation under orders which required further continuing active duty for a minimum of an additional three hundred sixty-four (364) days. The military designation of `reserve component' or similar words shall not be controlling in the determination of whether or not such person is entitled to military preference status.
*Nothing in this section shall be construed to deprive a person otherwise qualified for military preference, from receiving such preference if such person took, and successfully passed, a Civil Service examination for original entrance commencing prior to September 1, 1949. As to any such persons, the relevant provisions of 65 ILCS 5/10-1-16 shall continue to apply.
(9) a. Classified employees, including probational employees, who are notified that they are to be suspended without pay or terminated may request a hearing by the appointing authority before such suspension or termination is final in order to determine and review the facts upon which such action is based.
b. Except as provided in (9)c., classified employees with nonprobational status who are notified that they are to be or have been suspended without pay or terminated by the appointing authority may appeal such action to the civil service commission in accordance with the rules of the commission; however, no hearing shall be required in the event of a suspension of less than thirty (30) days unless such hearing is required under the rules of the commission. After hearing such appeal the civil service commission may order either a reduction of the severity of such action or a confirmation of the initial action. The order of the civil service commission shall be binding upon the appointing authority.
c. Classified employees whose conditions of employment are covered by a collective bargaining agreement as provided for in the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act shall have only the right to appeal actions provided under such agreement.
(10) Residency preference. Residency preference is applicable only for original entry.
Persons who have resided in the City of Urbana for a continuous twelve-month period prior to testing shall be preferred for appointments to civil service positions of the City of Urbana in accordance with this paragraph. The civil service commission shall give preference for original appointment to persons as hereinabove designated who have taken an examination for original entrance held under the Urbana Civil Service Commission jurisdiction on or after the passage of this provision by adding five (5) points to the score they receive on an examination prior to the calculation of the final grade average. The numerical result thus attained shall be applied by the civil service commission in determining whether such person shall meet the minimum qualifications for placement on the register of eligible candidates.
The application for residency preference must be submitted to the personnel office of the city as directed by the personnel manager. The personnel manager will direct this process, determine eligibility and adjust eligibility registers accordingly. Persons who are competing in promotional examinations under civil service shall not be eligible for residency preference.
(11) The city's personnel officer shall serve as the chief examiner, secretary and agent for the Urbana Civil Service Commission.
(12) Internal applicants for original entry. The appointing authority may establish and administer, with the aid of the personnel manager, an internal application process by which part-time and/or temporary and/or seasonal internal employees may apply for and be considered for hire into civil service positions as an alternative or in addition to use of the civil service register of candidates from the general public. The positions to which this paragraph applies and the administrative procedures by which those applications are received and evaluated shall be approved by the civil service commission based on recommendations from the personnel manager and the appointing authority. Nothing in this paragraph precludes an appointing authority from making an appointment from the applicable civil service register.
(13) Publication of civil service rules. Changes in the civil service rules shall go into effect upon adoption by the civil service commission or at a later date if specified by the commission. Such changes will be recorded in the commission's minutes. Publication of the location of the civil service rules may be made on the city's web site in lieu of publication in a newspaper.
(Code 1975, § 2.72; Ord. No. 7980-113, § 6(C), 6-16-80; Ord. No. 8081-78, § 1, 2-2-81; Ord. No. 8283-55, 3-21-83; Ord. No. 8687-5, § 1, 7-21-86; Ord. No. 8990-1, §§ 1, 2, 7-10-89; Ord. No. 8990-52, §§ 1--3, 11-20-89; Ord. No. 9394-57, §§ 1, 2, 1-3-94; Ord. No. 9596-59, § 1, 12-4-95; Ord. No. 9798-48, § 1, 10-20-97; Ord. No. 9798-69, §§ 1--3, 11-17-97; Ord. No. 9798-124, 6-1-98; Ord. No. 2001-02-011, § 1, 2-19-01; Ord. No. 2002-01-009, § 2, 2-11-02; Ord. No. 2004-01-007, § 1, 1-30-04)
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