(a) Notice of Position. Notice of an open position for a police officer shall be made in accordance with the City of Geneva's general personnel hiring policies.
(b) Application for Position. An application with instructions for completion shall be made available at the City's reception window or other location designated in the notice for the open position.
(c) Eligibility for Positions.
(1) Candidates for full-time certified sworn officer must reach twenty-one years of age and have obtained an Ohio Police Officers Training Certificate by the hiring date. All associated costs for police academy training, completion and passage shall be borne by the applicant.
(2) Candidates for promotion to the rank of police sergeant must have completed at least thirty-six months as a full-time certified sworn officer in the Geneva Police Department
(d) Appointment. Appointments in the classified service may be filled by promotion, qualification through the competitive civil service examination or lateral transfer.
(e) Competitive Examination. Competitive civil service examinations shall be administered by the Civil Service Commission at the request of the Appointing Authority. The Commission may utilize an outside testing agency with the approval of the Appointing Authority.
(1) Entrance examinations. Notice of competitive entrance examinations shall be given in a manner determined by the Commission by advertising same in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Geneva and by posting notices in such places as may be deemed advisable.
(2) Identity of examinees. The identity of all persons taking competitive written examinations shall be concealed by the use of an identification number which shall be used on all written examination papers. This number shall be used from the beginning of the written examinations until the written examinations have all been scored. Any written examinations bearing the name of the applicant or any other identification mark shall be rejected and the applicant so notified.
(3) Entrance examinations. The test shall consist of three parts. The Commission shall set the sequence and time frame of the examinations after consultation with the Appointing Authority. Applicants must pass each test with a score of at least seventy percent. Failure to pass either of the steps shall preclude the applicant from consideration for the position, but shall not preclude the applicant from future competitive examinations.
A. Physical agility examination. A physical agility examination shall be designed to determine the capacity to discharge the duties of the position for which appointment is sought. The Commission shall prescribe the activities and standards for each physical agility examination after consultation with the Appointing Authority and department head. If the Commission utilizes an outside testing entity, the Commission may accept an applicant's existing certified passing results as determined by the Commission and Appointing Authority.
B. Written examination.
1. Written examinations shall be practical in character and shall relate to those matters which will fairly test the relative capacity of the person examined to discharge the duties of the position for which appointment is sought. If the Commission utilizes an outside testing entity, the Commission may accept an applicant's existing certified passing results as determined by the Commission and the Appointing Authority.
2. Participants in any written examination may inspect the written examination questions together with the rating key for the questions for a period of not more than five days after the date of the examination (Sundays and holiday excluded).
3. Any protest by a participant as to the questions asked or the rating key answers must be filed in writing within the five day period and must contain detailed information and authority therefore. Immediately following this inspection period, the Commission shall carefully consider all objections and make such changes in the tentative rating key as are warranted after which the rating key adopted shall be used in the actual scoring of the written examination papers.
4. The written examination papers of each applicant shall then be graded and each applicant shall be notified by mail as to his grade. After notice of grade has been received, each participant shall have the right to inspect his written examination papers together with the rating key within ten days of the postal date stamped on the mailed notice of his grade (Sundays and holidays excluded) and to inform himself as to the markings given to him on each subject or question. The participant shall file a protest to any marking in writing within the ten-day period. The Commission shall then give consideration to all protests and make such changes as are warranted. The Commission shall then establish the eligible list and no grades given in any written examination shall be changed after the posting of any eligible list.
C. Oral examination. An oral interview shall be based upon criteria to test general suitability for the position to be filled. The oral examination shall be pass/fail with a seventy percent score needed to pass.
(4) Visitors. No visitor shall be admitted to the examination room during the examination except by special permission of the person in charge.
(5) Posting of eligibility list. Upon successful completion of the examinations, the Commission shall devise an eligibility list of all candidates who passed all parts. The cost of the examinations(s) shall be the responsibility of the applicant as determined by the Commission and Appointing Authority. The Commission shall prepare and keep open for public inspection an entrance eligible list of the applicants who have received passing grades on the examinations. If a determination is made to hold a subsequent examination in order to obtain additional candidates, the Commission may consolidate all qualified candidates into one list.
(6) Duration of eligibility lists. The term of both entrance and promotional eligible lists and of the names appearing thereon shall expire one year after certification of the list to the Appointing Authority. Prior to the expiration date of an entrance and promotional eligible list the Commission may extend the term of the entrance and promotional eligible list for one additional period not to exceed one year if such extension is requested by the Appointing Authority. Said extension shall be certified in writing by the Commission to the Appointing Authority.
(7) Disqualification. If, at any time after the creation of an eligible list, the Commission has reason to believe that any person whose name appears on any list is disqualified for appointment because of false statements made in his application; errors disclosed in determining a passing score on either test; fails to notify the Commission of a change of address; or other comparable reasons, as determined by the Commission, such a person shall be notified and given an appointment to be heard. If such person shall fail to appear for a hearing, or upon being heard, fail to satisfy the Commission, his name shall be removed from such eligible list.
(f) Lateral Transfer. The Appointing Authority may fill vacancies for the position of police officer with a lateral transfer without requiring the applicant to participate in the competitive civil service examination. In addition to the minimum requirements set forth in subsection (c) above, lateral transfers must be currently employed in a local, State or Federal police department with at least three years of continuous service, and must be able to pass a standardized police officer physical agility test by the hiring date.
(g) Interviews and Additional Examinations. The Appointing Authority may require applicants to participate in interviews and any other tests it may deem necessary to assess the qualities and professionalism of candidates.
(h) Probationary Period; Probationary Removal or Reduction. All appointments to the classified service shall be for a probationary period of one year. If the service of the probationary employee is unsatisfactory as determined by the Appointing Authority, he may be removed or reduced at any time during his probationary period by the Appointing Authority.
(i) Residency. In order to ensure adequate response times to emergencies or disasters, all certified sworn police personnel shall secure residence in Ashtabula County or an adjacent county in the State of Ohio no later than twelve calendar months after their appointment, and shall continue to reside within such area while employed in the Geneva Police Department. Failure to establish permanent residence as specified herein shall be grounds for dismissal from the classified service.
(j) Temporary Appointments. In case of an emergency, as determined by the Appointing Authority, a temporary appointment may be made without regard to the provisions of this chapter, but in no case to continue longer than ninety days, and in no case shall successive original appointments be made; providing, however, that interim or emergency original appointments, made necessary by reason of sickness, disability, or unavailability of a regular employee, may exceed ninety days, but shall continue only during such period of sickness, disability or unavailability.
(k) Reductions, Discipline, and Removal. Reductions, discipline and removal shall be in accordance with the prevailing collective bargaining agreement (CBA), or in the absence of a CBA, by the City of Geneva Personnel Policy.
(Ord. 3145. Passed 11-24-14; Ord. 3242. Passed 12-10-18.)