8.01  Merit System.
   (A)   While the Municipality has the status of a Village under the general laws of Ohio, the employees of the Village shall be entitled to the tenure provided, if any, under the laws of Ohio applicable to general statutory plan villages, unless otherwise provided in this Charter. When the Municipality achieves City status under the general laws of Ohio, then Divisions (B) and (C) of this Section shall apply and the Village tenure statutes shall not be applicable to the Municipality.
   (B)   Upon the Municipality achieving City status under the general laws of Ohio, all appointments and promotions of employees in the service of the Municipality shall be made according to merit and fitness, to be ascertained, as far as practicable, by competitive examination. The Council by ordinance or resolution shall provide that the Administrator or his or her appointee is to be the Personnel Director of the Municipality. The Council by ordinance or resolution shall establish and define a classified and unclassified service for employees of the Municipality and shall adopt a Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures to implement the mandate of this Section; provided that appointments to and removal from all elected and appointed offices, including boards and commissions created by this Charter or by ordinance or resolution, shall be made in accordance with the specific applicable provisions of this Charter or the specific applicable ordinance or resolution, and shall not be subject to this Article unless otherwise specifically provided in this Charter. The Code of Personnel Practices shall include provisions for causes and procedures for the dismissal, suspension and other disciplinary action against employees in the classified service. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, the Administrator shall appoint, promote, dismiss, suspend and otherwise discipline employees in the classified and unclassified service of the Municipality.
   (C)   Upon the Municipality achieving City status under the general laws of Ohio, there is hereby created a Personnel Board of Review consisting of three electors of the Municipality not holding other office, appointment or employment with the Municipality, to be appointed by motion passed by a majority vote of the Council for a term of three years, except that of the three members of the Board first appointed, one shall be appointed for a term of one year, one for a term of two years, and one for a term of three years. The Personnel Board of Review shall be organized as provided in Division (C)(1) of this Section and shall have the powers, duties and functions provided in Division (C)(2) of this Section.
      (1)   The Personnel Board of Review shall designate one of its members as Chairman and the Council by ordinance or resolution may authorize the appointment by said Board of a Clerk who may be a person having other employment with the Municipality.
      (2)   The Personnel Board of Review shall have the power to hear appeals from administrative determinations made pursuant to the Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures, as may be authorized by the Code, and may have such other powers and duties as may from time to time be given to it by ordinance or resolution of the Council. The Board shall keep a record of its proceedings which shall be open to public inspection and shall conduct its proceedings in accordance with the ordinances and resolutions of Council enacted pursuant to this Charter and the rules and regulations of the Board adopted by it pursuant to authority granted by ordinances or resolutions of the Council.