(A) The Mayor may appoint an individual by and with the consent of a majority of the City Council, to serve as a full time City Administrator. In the event that a full time Administrator is appointed, he or she shall be the administrative head of the municipal government under the direction and control of the Mayor and City Council and shall be responsible to the Mayor and City Council for the efficient conduct of his or her office. The office of the City Administrator may not be held by the Mayor. The appointed Administrator may concurrently hold any other appointed office provided for in this code of ordinances.
(B) In the event that a full-time Administrator is not appointed by the Mayor:
(1) The duties assigned by this section to a City Administrator shall be performed by the Mayor and Council of the city, and such other officers or employees of the city as are designed herein or in the city’s personal manual; and
(2) The Mayor shall be responsible for coordinating the work of the various departments and employees of the city, and shall provide a brief report at each Council meeting on the activities of the past month and the needs and plans for future work.
(C) The duties of the City Administrator (or such individual appointed or specified as set out above) shall be the following duties:
(1) He or she shall make and keep up to date an inventory of all property, real and personal, owned by the municipality;
(2) He or she shall act as purchasing agent for the purchase of all supplies, goods, wares and merchandise, equipment and material which may be required for the various departments, divisions or services of the municipality;
(3) He or she shall keep the Mayor and Council fully advised as to the financial condition and needs of the municipality and shall be responsible for and prepare the annual estimate of expenditures for presentation to the Mayor and Council prior to the passage of the annual appropriation ordinance;
(4) To serve as public relations officer of the municipal government, and in such, capacity to endeavor to investigate and adjust all complaints filed against any employee, department, division or service thereof and cooperate with all community organizations whose aim and purpose is to advance the best interests of the municipality and its people and to attend meetings of such organizations if in the judgment of the Administrator such attendance is necessary and desirable;
(5) To attend all meetings of the Council with the duty of reporting any matter concerning municipal affairs under his or her supervision or direction and to attend such other meetings of the municipal departments and officials as his or her duties may require;
(6) To analyze the functions, duties and activities of the various departments, divisions and services of the municipal government and of all employees thereof, and to make his or her recommendations regarding the same to the Mayor and Council;
(7) To carry out the Mayor and/or Council’s recommendations and operations of the various departments;
(8) To procure facts and submit long range improvements to the Mayor and Council;
(9) Recommend to the Mayor and Council the appointment and dismissal of all department heads over which he or she exercises jurisdiction. Appointment or dismissal of department heads will be made upon the recommendation of the Mayor and confirmation by the Council. The City Administrator may appoint and dismiss all subordinate employees of the municipality, as well as provide for the transfer of such employees from one department to another, except those employees covered under the Civil Service Act of the state, being Neb. RS 19-1825 through 19-1848;
(10) The City Administrator shall have the duty and the right to investigate and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council regarding duties and activities of any employee of the municipality covered under the Civil Service Act of the state and recommend to the Mayor and Council the promotion;
(11) Administer and be responsible for all departments and divisions of the municipal government, which are under the Mayor’s and Council’s direction, including the Board of Public Works and any public utilities hereafter acquired by the municipality and including Fire, Rescue and Police Departments, except insofar as such jurisdiction and administration conflicts with the Civil Service Law pertaining to such Fire, Rescue and Police Departments. The office of the Municipal Attorney and Municipal Physician shall not come under the administrator, however, to be available to assist these offices in any administrative matter that may arise and those officers in turn shall be available to assist the City Administrator in the discharge of his or her duties;
(12) Recommend to the Mayor and Council for adoption such measures and ordinances as are deemed necessary or expedient;
(13) Prepare and recommend to the Mayor and Council a classification and compensation plan;
(14) Make investigations into the affairs of the municipality and any department or division thereof, and any contract, or the proper performance of any obligations pertaining to the municipality;
(15) Exercise general supervision over all public buildings, streets and other public property which are under the control and jurisdiction of the Mayor and Council;
(16) Prepare and submit to the Mayor and Council as of the end of the fiscal year, a complete report on the finances and administrative activities of the municipality for the preceding year;
(17) Keep the insurable property of the municipality appropriately insured;
(18) Service in any appointed office or head of department within the municipal government if the need arises and when appointed thereto by the Mayor and Council and to hold and perform the duties thereof at the pleasure of the Mayor;
(19) The City Administrator shall have the duty to keep open his or her office for public affairs during days and hours set by the Mayor and Council; and
(20) Perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as may be delegated to him or her from time to time by ordinances or resolutions of the Council; and where action of the Council is not required such duties and powers as may be prescribed by the Mayor.
(D) The City Administrator, in the discharge of his or her duties, shall have the right to expend an amount not to exceed the limits set forth in the applicable state law, pertaining to cities of the second class, when entering into contracts for municipal work and improvements or purchase of equipment, or any lesser amounts set by the City Council, without advertising for bids and, within any dollar limitations as set by the City Council to make any contract on behalf of the municipality for general purchases, maintenances and improvements, the expenditure limitation herein to apply to all departments of the municipality.
(E) The Administrator is not authorized to obligate the municipality for any expense or expenses for entertainment, travel or similar items without the prior approval of the Mayor and Council. In the event of the authorization by the Mayor and Council to the Administrator to incur such expenses, the Administrator will be reimbursed by the municipality from time to time upon submission of an itemized account of such expenditures.
(F) The Administrator shall be entitled each year to a vacation based upon the number of days granted by the municipality to other employees of the municipality.
(G) If the Administrator is unable to perform his or her services by reason of illness or incapacity, the compensation otherwise payable to him or her during the continued period of such illness shall be based upon the policy adopted by the municipality then in effect with reference to other employees of the municipality. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the municipality may terminate such employment at any time after the Administrator shall be absent from his or her employment for whatever cause for a continuous period of more than three months. The City Administrator may be removed by the Mayor, with consent of a majority of the City Council.
(Prior Code, § 1-214) (Ord. 439, passed 3-7-1988)
Statutory reference:
Related provisions, see Neb. RS 17-604