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Grove City, Ohio Code of Ordinances
Codified Ordinances of the City of Grove City, Ohio
PRELIMINARY UNIT
GENERAL INDEX
COMPARATIVE SECTION TABLE
TABLES OF SPECIAL ORDINANCES
CHARTER of the CITY OF GROVE CITY, OHIO
PART ONE - ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
PART THREE - TRAFFIC CODE
PART FIVE - GENERAL OFFENSES CODE
PART SEVEN - BUSINESS REGULATION CODE
PART NINE - STREETS, UTILITIES AND PUBLIC SERVICES CODE
PART ELEVEN - PLANNING AND ZONING CODE
PART THIRTEEN - BUILDING CODE
PART FOURTEEN - HOUSING CODE
PART FIFTEEN - FIRE PREVENTION CODE
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155.02   EXAMINATIONS; PREFERENCES.
   (a)   All applicants for positions and places in the classified service shall be subject to examination, which shall be public and open to all citizens of the United States and those persons who have legally declared their intentions of becoming United States citizens, within certain limitations to be determined by the Civil Service Commission, as to citizenship, residence, age, experience, education, health, habit and moral character, unless otherwise provided in this chapter.
   (b)   Such examination may include an evaluation of such factors as experience, education, training, capacity, knowledge, habit and moral character, manual dexterity and physical or psychological fitness. Examinations shall consist of one or more tests in any combination. Tests may be written, oral, physical, 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. Examinations may include structured interviews, assessment centers, work simulations, examinations of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and any other acceptable testing methods. Where minimum or maximum requirements are established for any examination, they shall be specified in the examination announcement.
   (c)   Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, when a position in the classified service is to be filled, an examination shall be administered. The Commission shall have control of all examinations. The Commission shall prescribe the notification method that is to be used by the appointing authority to notify the Commission that a position in the classified service of the City is to be filled. Unless prohibited by a collective bargaining agreement, the Commission may allow the appointing authority to fill a position without an examination provided that the appointing authority can provide sufficient justification for such appointment, and provided farther that the opening has been advertised internally and that the candidate meets the stated job requirements and is a current employee of the City.
      No questions in any examination shall relate to political or religious opinions or affiliations. No extra credit for seniority, efficiency, or any other reason shall be added to an applicant's examination grade unless the applicant achieves at least the minimum passing grade on the examination without counting such credit. Seniority shall be applied as set forth in this chapter. Reasonable notice of the time, place and general scope of every examination for appointment to a position in the civil service shall be given by the Civil Service Administrative Advisory Officer or designee. Notices of every examination shall be posted in conspicuous appropriate public places such as City Hall and Southwestern City School District Administrative office and posted electronically on the City's and District's internet sites on the World Wide Web for at least one week before any examination.
   (d)   Any person who is a resident of this State and who has completed service in any branch of the United States armed forces, who has been honorably discharged from the uniformed services or transferred to the reserve with evidence of satisfactory service, or who is a member of the national guard or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, has completed more than 180 days of active duty service, pursuant to an executive order of the President of the United States or an act of the Congress of the United States, may file with the Commission, or its designee, a certificate of service or honorable discharge, and, upon this filing, the person, on any original appointment, excluding an original appointment for the Chief of Police, shall receive additional credit of 10% of the person's total grade given in the examination in which the person receives a passing grade.
(Ord. C47-85. Passed 7-15-85; Ord. C50-01. Passed 8-20-01; Ord. C20-12. Passed 5-7-12; Ord. C08-13. Passed 2-19-13; Ord. C39-13. Passed 7-1-13.)
155.03   ELIGIBILITY LISTS.
   From the returns of the examinations, the Commission, or its designee, shall prepare an eligibility list of the persons who scored not less than the minimum score fixed by the Commission, and who are otherwise eligible. The names shall be ranked based on examination score, including military and seniority credit, without reference to when the application for the examination was made, with the examinee receiving the highest grade being placed first on the list. If two or more applicants receive the same score on an examination, including consideration of veteran and seniority credit, priority in the time of filing the application with the Commission, or its designee, shall determine the order in which their names shall be placed on the eligibility list, except that applicants eligible for veteran's preference under this chapter shall receive priority in rank on the eligibility list over nonveterans on the list with a rating equal to that of the veteran. Ties among veterans shall be decided by priority of filing the application.
   An eligibility list expires one year after its creation or upon the administration of a new examination. The Commission may approve an additional one-year extension.
(Ord. C08-13. Passed 2-19-13.)
155.04   ORIGINAL APPOINTMENTS; CERTIFIED AND PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENTS; PROBATIONARY PERIOD.
   (a)   Upon written request of the appointing authority in which a position in the classified service is to be filled, the Commission or its designee shall certify to the appointing authority the names and addresses of the 12 candidates standing highest on the eligibility list for the class or grade to which the position belongs; provided that the Commission may certify less than 12 names if 12 names are not available. If more than one position is to be filled, the Commission shall certify to the appointing authority a list of names consisting of the original 12 plus one name for each additional position to be filled.
   (b)   Upon written request of South-Western City School District for a position in the classified service is to be filled, the Commission or its designee shall certify to South-Western City School District the names and addresses of the 12 candidates standing highest on the eligibility list for the class or grade to which the position belongs, or the top 25% of the eligible list, whichever is greater; provided that the Commission may certify less than 12 names if 12 names are not available. When less than 12 names are certified to South-Western City School District, appointment from the list shall not be mandatory.
   (c)   The appointing authority shall appoint from the candidates on the certified list. The certified list expires upon the filling of the position(s) for which the list was requested. Each time a candidate removes himself/herself from the certified list, the appointing authority may request a new certified list.
   (d)   A person certified from an eligibility list more than three times to the same appointing authority for the same or similar positions, may be omitted from future certification to such appointing authority, provided that certification for a temporary appointment shall not be counted as one of such certifications.
   (e)   If an eligibility list becomes exhausted, or when no eligibility list exists for a position, and it is unreasonable or administratively burdensome to delay filling a vacancy in the classified service until an eligibility list can be created, names may be certified by the Commission from eligibility lists deemed to be most appropriate for the group or class of positions in which the vacancy exists.
   (f)   Appointments to all positions in the classified service that are not filled by promotion or transfer, shall be made only from those persons whose names are certified to the appointing authority, and no employment, except as provided in such sections shall be otherwise given in the classified service of the City, unless otherwise provided in this chapter.
   (g)   All original and promotional appointments, including provisional appointments made pursuant to this chapter, shall be for a probationary period of one year. No original appointment or promotion is final until the appointee has satisfactorily served the required probationary period. Service as a provisional employee in the same or similar class shall be included in the probationary period. If the service of the probationary employee is unsatisfactory, the probationary employee may be removed or reduced at any time during the probationary period. A probationary employee removed or reduced in position for unsatisfactory service does not have the right to appeal the removal or reduction. The provisions of this subsection relating to the probationary period shall not be applicable to employees of South-Western City School District unless provisions in conformity therewith have been included in the adopted policies of the Board of Education or any collective bargaining agreement applicable to such employees.
(Ord. C47-85. Passed 7-15-85; Ord. C50-01. Passed 8-20-01; Ord. C08-13. Passed 2-19-13; Ord. C39-13. Passed 7-1-13.)
155.05   FILLING VACANCIES ABOVE RANK OF POLICE OFFICER.
   (a)   No positions above the rank of police officer in the Division of Police shall be filled by original appointment, except for the position of Chief of Police, which may be filled by either promotion or original appointment, following an examination as defined in this chapter.
   (b)   No position above the rank of police officer in the Division of Police shall be filled by any person, unless that person has first passed a promotional examination. Promotion shall be by successive ranks so far as practicable, and no police officer in the Division of Police shall be promoted to the rank of Sergeant unless that person has first passed a promotional examination and has served at least 60 months as a police officer. No person with the rank of Sergeant or above shall be promoted to the next higher rank unless that person has first passed a promotional examination and has served at least 12 months in the then next lower rank. No person who takes an examination shall be appointed to the position of Chief of Police unless that person has at least 12 months experience in an equivalent rank or next lower rank in another police department or law enforcement agency.
   (c)   No examination or promotional examination shall be held unless there are at least two persons eligible and willing to compete. Whenever the Commission determines that there are fewer than two persons eligible and willing to compete, such Commission shall allow persons in the Division of Police holding positions in the second lower rank than the position to be filled who are eligible and willing, to compete for the position to be filled. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the position above the rank of police officer in the Division of Police and there is no eligibility list for such rank, the Commission shall, within 180 days of such vacancy, hold a promotional examination. After such examination(s) has been held and an eligibility list has been established, the Commission, or its designee, shall forthwith certify to the appointing authority the names of the three (five for position of Chief of Police) persons receiving the highest rating, including any applicable seniority or other preference points. When less than three (five for position of Chief of Police) names are certified to an appointing authority, appointment from that list shall not be mandatory. When the minimum number of names required herein are certified, the appointing authority shall appoint one of the three (five for position of Chief of Police) persons so certified within 30 days from the date of such certification. An eligibility list expires one year after its creation or upon the administration of a new examination. The Commission may approve an additional one-year extension. ( Ord. C32-18. Passed 5-21-18.)
   (d)   No credit for seniority or any other reasons shall be added to an applicant's examination grade unless the applicant achieves at least the minimum passing grade on the examination without counting such extra credit. Seniority of service for a promotion in the Division of Police, beginning with the date of employment as a full-time police officer with the City, shall equal for each of the first four years of service, 1% of the total grade attainable in the promotion examination, and, for each of the fifth through fourteenth years of service, 0.6% of the total grade attainable. Notwithstanding any provision herein, a candidate for promotion in the Division of Police may petition the Commission for additional seniority credit, up to the maximum set forth herein, for other full-time positions the candidate held if such positions provided training or other skills that were related to and/or beneficial to the candidate's current or prospective position within the Division of Police. When ruling on such a determination, the Commission shall have the ability to award full or partial credit up to the maximum set forth herein. The decision of the Commission shall be final and not subject to appeal.
(Ord. C12-90. Passed 2-5-90; Ord. C50-01. Passed 8-20-01; Ord. C08-13. Passed 2-19-13.)
155.06   PROMOTIONS.
   (a)   This section shall apply to promotions outside of the Division of Police.
   (b)   Vacancies in positions in the classified service shall be filled insofar as practicable by promotions, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. The Commission shall provide for making promotions in the classified service on the basis of merit, to be ascertained as far as practicable by promotional examinations and by seniority in service. In all cases where vacancies are to be filled by promotional examination, the Commission shall certify to the appointing authority only the names of the three persons having the highest score.
   (c)   In promotional examinations, seniority in service shall be added to the examination grade, but no credit for seniority or any other reason shall be added to an examination grade, unless the applicant achieves at least the minimum passing score on the examination without counting such extra credit. For all promotions, seniority of service beginning with the date of full-time employment with the City shall equal for each of the first four years of service, 1% of the total grade attainable in the promotion examination, and, for each of the fifth through fourteenth years of service, 0.6% of the total grade attainable. Unless otherwise provided herein, the procedural rules and processes for original examinations shall apply to promotional examinations.
(Ord. C12-90. Passed 2-5-90; Ord. C50-01. Passed 8-20-01; Ord. C72-02. Passed 8-19-02; Ord. C08- 13. Passed 2-19-13.)
155.07   COMPETITIVE AND NONCOMPETITIVE POSITIONS IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   (a)   Classifications in the South-Western City School District shall be either competitive or noncompetitive. The Board of Education shall determine whether each civil service classification for South-Western City School District is competitive and therefore subject to examination pursuant to Section 155.02(a) or is noncompetitive and therefore not subject to examination; provided that, in determining whether a class shall be designated as competitive or noncompetitive, the Board shall consider the following factors:
      (1)   The practicality of testing for the class by competitive examination in accordance with generally accepted psychometric standards;
      (2)   Whether the positions in the class require peculiar and exceptional qualifications of a scientific, managerial, professional, or educational character as demonstrated by:
         A.   The level of education, the field of study, and the degree of specialization required;
         B.   The kind, level, and amount of work experience required;
         C.   A special license or certificate required; and/or
         D.   Any recruiting or other information relating to the number and availability of qualified applicants.
      (3)   Whether the class consists of unskilled positions for which it is impractical to test for competitively;
      (4)   Whether other area school districts require competitive examinations for similar positions; and
      (5)   Any other relevant information.
   (b)   Upon the effective date of this section, the Board of Education shall certify to the Commission a list of job classifications under the jurisdiction of this Commission with an indication as to whether such classifications are to be deemed competitive or noncompetitive. Once a classification has been deemed or determined to be competitive or noncompetitive, the Board may reconsider its status at any time and must reconsider its status upon request of the Commission.
   (c)   Upon establishing a new classification for the South-Western City School District, the Board of Education shall, in keeping with the foregoing criteria, determine whether such classification is competitive or noncompetitive, and promptly notify the Commission of its determination.
   (d)   Classifications deemed or determined to be noncompetitive shall not be subject to civil service examinations under this chapter or Ohio R.C. Chapter 124 and all South-Western City School District appointments into noncompetitive positions shall be subject solely to South-Western City School District's internal hiring process and shall not be subject to this chapter or Ohio R.C. Chapter 124.
(Ord. C39-13. Passed 7-1-13.)