(a) The Village shall at all times have a standing list of persons eligible for new hire full- time Police Dispatcher positions. Competitive examinations for full-time Police Dispatcher positions shall be conducted on the third Saturday of June in every even-numbered year. If the Mayor, in his or her discretion, determines that conducting the examination on said date is impracticable, the Mayor shall schedule the examination to be held on another date within three months, before or after, said date. Additional examinations may be administered if a vacancy cannot be filled by the standing list of eligible persons or if the standing list of eligible persons contains less than ten names. All eligibility lists shall become effective upon the approval and posting of the eligibility list and shall remain in effect for a period of two years or until a new eligibility list is posted, whichever occurs earlier. Council may extend the effective date of any eligibly list through legislative action.
(b) No person shall be eligible to take an examination for original appointment as a full-time Police Dispatcher unless he or she is at least 21 years of age, has obtained a high school diploma or an Ohio GED equivalent, and is a natural born or naturalized citizen of the United States. The Mayor, with the approval of Council, may refuse to allow an applicant to be examined, or after an examination may refuse to consider an applicant for the position who is found to lack any of the established preliminary requirements for the examination; who is unable to perform the essential functions of the position with or without a reasonable accommodation; who is a current user of illegal drugs; who has been convicted of a felony; who has been guilty of infamous or notoriously disgraceful conduct; who has been dismissed from any public position for delinquency or misconduct; or who has made false statements of any material fact or practiced or attempted to practice any deception or fraud in his or her application or in his or her examination in establishing his or her eligibility or securing his or her appointment.
(c) Each applicant seeking initial appointment as a full-time Police Dispatcher shall file with the Mayor a formal application in which the applicant shall state under oath or affirmation as follows:
(1) His or her full name, residence and post office address;
(2) His or her age, place of birth and date of birth;
(3) His or her business employment and residence for the previous five years; and
(4) Such other information as may be reasonably required pertaining to the applicant's fitness for the position sought.
(d) Blank forms for an application shall be furnished by the Mayor without charge to any person eligible to take the examination. All applications shall be filed with the Mayor in duplicate and one copy, receipted by the Mayor, shall be returned to the applicant.
(e) The Mayor, with the assistance of either or both the Police Chief and Fire Chief if the Mayor desires, shall conduct a professional competency examination for all applicants for the position. Such examination shall be practical in character, maybe written and/or oral and shall relate directly to those matters which fairly test the capacity of the person examined to discharge the particular duties of a Police Dispatcher. Reasonable notice of the time, place and general scope of the competitive examination shall be given by the Mayor. At a minimum, such notices shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the Village Hall and in the Fire and Police Departments at least two weeks prior to the examination.
(f) A three-person Review Committee shall create the eligibility list, consisting of: (1) the Mayor, (2) the Chief of the Fire Department or the Police Department, chosen at the Mayor's discretion, and (3) the President of Council. From the results of the examinations, the Review Committee shall prepare an eligibility list of persons who have passed the examination by a grade of 70 points or better (70% on a 100% scale). The following credit points shall then be added to the candidate's score if applicable:
(1) An additional credit of five points to any applicant if the applicant has a current, valid LEADS/NCIC certification; and
(g) The Review Committee shall then rank the list of candidates in the order of their relative excellence as determined by the examination with the relevant bonus points added. In the event that two or more applicants for initial appointment receive the same total point score, inclusive of credits, priority shall be determined by lot. This eligibility list shall then be approved by the Review Committee and immediately posted in the Village Hall and in the Police and Fire Departments.
(h) When there is a vacancy or a vacancy appears imminent for the position of a full-time Police Dispatcher, the Mayor shall be notified of the vacancy. The Mayor shall review the standing eligibility list and then name the candidate for appointment. The Mayor shall appoint from the top ten candidates on the eligibility list. In the extraordinary circumstance where all candidates eligible for consideration for appointment based upon the foregoing methodology are not, in the Mayor's sole discretion, acceptable candidates for the position, the Mayor may proceed down the eligibility list in order until an acceptable candidate is found. In the event that an applicant refuses, for any reason, appointment to the position of full-time Dispatcher, his or her name shall be stricken from the eligibility list and such candidate shall be ineligible to be reinstated on such list. After the expiration of such eligibility list, the candidate shall be eligible to reapply to take any subsequent examination for initial appointment as a full-time Police Dispatcher. A person who has been considered for appointment by the Mayor from an eligibility list more than three times to the same position may be omitted from future consideration by the Mayor.
(i) Prior to an appointment, the Mayor shall cause the eligible applicant to be examined by an outside medical officer selected by the Village, who shall prepare a report which shall show that the applicant is both physical, mentally, and psychologically fit to perform his or her duties as a Police Dispatcher and the Mayor may cause the applicant to take a lie detector test administered by a company designated by the Village.
(j) The probationary period for the position of full-time Police Dispatcher shall be one year from the time of appointment and shall be determined according to the provisions of Section 246.11.
(k) Unless otherwise stated, the appointment, promotion, demotion or removal of Dispatchers shall be subject to the executive powers of the Mayor as set forth in Section 230.01.
(Ord. 2012-32. Passed 5-9-12; Ord. 2012-81. Passed 8-8-12; Ord. 2014-19. Passed 2-12-14.)