(A) Power Of The Hearing Officer: The Hearing Officer shall have all of the powers granted to him under common law relative to the conduct of an administrative hearing including the power to:
1. Preside over all Village hearings involving PSEBA;
2. Administer oaths;
3. Hear testimony taken under oath and affirmation and accept evidence that is relevant to the issue of eligibility under PSEBA;
4. Issue subpoenas to secure attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant papers or documents upon the request of the parties or their representatives;
5. Rule upon objections in the admissibility of evidence and other motions;
6. Preserve and authenticate the record of the hearing and all exhibits in evidence introduced at the hearing;
7. Issue a determination based on the evidence presented at the hearing, after entertaining arguments in either oral or written format, at the discretion of the Hearing Officer, the determination of which shall be in writing and shall include a written finding of fact, decision and order.
(B) Appointment Of Hearing Officer: The Village President, with the consent of the Board of Trustees, is hereby authorized to appoint a person to hold the position of a Hearing Officer for any hearing that shall be scheduled by the Village. In making said selection, the Village President shall consider all pertinent information including, at a minimum:
1. The candidate's ability to competently perform the services; and
2. The candidate's service record and performance data made available to the Village President on file with the Village or otherwise obtained by the Village.
3. The candidate must be an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois for at least three (3) years prior to appointment and have knowledge of and experience in employment and labor law, general civil procedure, the rules of evidence, and administrative practice. (Ord. 17-3, 2-23-2017)