(a) Ascertainment of Merit and Fitness for Appointment, Lateral Transfers and Promotions. The Commission shall provide by rule for ascertainment of merit and fitness as the basis for appointment and promotion in the classified service of the City, as required by the Constitution of the State of Ohio
(1) The Commission shall determine if an applicant meets the requirements for original appointment or promotion to the classified service of the City by arranging for examinations designed to measure such requirements. Examinations shall be administered at any time prior to appointment to any position of employment.
(2) Ascertainment of fitness and merit for appointment to the Division of Police.
There shall be two methods for determining the merit and fitness of a candidate for an original appointment to the position of Patrol Officer in the Division of Police.
A. Civil service examinations, as determined by the Commission, shall be used to establish an eligibility list.
B. Lateral entries to the Division of Police as a Patrol Officer are exempt from written civil service examinations. The Commission shall determine the merit and fitness of the candidate through an oral interview, and any other tests, including, but not limited to a physical agility test, physical examination, psychological test, polygraph and/or voice test analysis.
(b) Scope of Examinations.
(1) Scope of Examinations. Entry-level and promotional examinations may be written, oral, physical, a demonstration of skill, or an evaluation of training and experiences and shall be designed to fairly test the relative capacity of the persons examined to discharge the particular duties of the position for which appointment is sought. Tests may include structured interviews, assessment centers, work simulations, examinations of knowledge, skills, and abilities, psychological tests, psychiatric tests, tests of physical abilities or agility, medical examinations, pre-employment drug testing and any other acceptable testing methods, as determined by the Commission.
(2) No educational requirement shall be imposed, and no test shall be designed to determine any educational level, except for such general education as may be related to the work of the position for which the test is to be given.
(c) Notice of Examinations and Opportunities for Lateral Transfers.
(1) Entrance examinations and Opportunities for Lateral Transfers. Notice of competitive entrance examinations shall be given through at least one publication of general circulation in the County of Cuyahoga, and by posting a notice on the City's website, on the City's social media accounts, and in such other places as the Commission may deem advisable, not less than fifteen calendar days prior to any scheduled examination
(2) Promotional examinations.
A. If each eligible employee has a City email address, the notice of a competitive promotional examination shall be provided through the employee's City email account. In addition, notice shall also be sent by regular mail to the employee's home using the address on file in the Payroll Office. Such notice shall be given not less than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the scheduled examination.
B. If each eligible employee does not have a City email address, the notice of a competitive promotional examination shall be provided by regular mail to the employee's home using the address on file in the Payroll Office. In addition, written notice shall be posted in a prominent place in the workplace of each eligible employee. Such notice shall be given not less than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the scheduled examination.
(d) Grading of Examinations.
(1) Written examinations and assessment centers shall be rated on a scale of 100, where 100 represents the highest possible attainment and seventy (70) represent the minimum acceptable attainment.
(2) Physical agility tests shall be rated as pass or fail.
(3) Other types of examination shall be rated in such a way as may be prescribed by the Commission.
(e) Special Credit. No additional credit, such as may have been given previously for military service, seniority, efficiency or any other reason shall be granted so as to artificially increase the grade on any examination with the exception that:
(1) Except in cases of lateral transfers, any applicant for an original appointment who has attained a passing grade on the written entrance examination, and who has completed one (1) year or longer in the service of the Armed Forces of the United States of America and has been honorably discharged therefrom, shall be given a credit of two percent (2%) of the basic score attained on such entrance examination, the credit to be added to the basic score in order to obtain the final grade upon such entrance examination; and
(2) Any applicant for a promotional appointment who has attained a passing grade on the written promotional examination, shall be given a credit of one percent (1%) of the basic score attained on such promotional examination for each of the first four (4) years of full-time service with the City immediately preceding such promotional examination, and six-tenths percent (.6%) of the basic score attained on such promotional examination for each of the next ten (10) years of full-time service with the City immediately preceding the first four (4) years of service, as above, the credit to be added to the basic score in order to obtain the final grade upon such promotional examination.
(f) Physical, Psychological and Psychiatric Examinations.
(1) The Commission may establish standards and requirements for physical and mental fitness necessary to perform positions of employment.
(2) The Commission may, as required, employ licensed professionals, and others, as consultants on all procedures, methods, examinations and policies relating to requirements for physical and mental fitness, as established in this Chapter.
(Ord. 2021-20. Passed 5-3-21.)