(a) All appointments and promotions of city officials and employees must be made on the basis of merit and fitness demonstrated by a valid and reliable examination or other evidence of competence.
(b) No person who is a spouse, spousal equivalent, child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, or the spousal equivalent of any of them, whether by marriage, or by blood, or by adoption, of any member of city council, of the mayor, or of the city manager may be hired or promoted during the term or tenure of that officer, and no employee of the city may be supervised by a relative.
(c) In accordance with law, city council may provide by ordinance for the establishment, regulation, and maintenance of merit based personnel policies necessary to conduct effective administration of the employees of the city’s departments, offices, and agencies, including but not limited to classification and pay plans, examinations, force reduction, removals, working conditions, provisional and exempt appointments, in-service training, grievances, relationships with employee organizations, and severance for those employees not otherwise covered by an employment contact or labor agreement. There must be an employee reference manual that outlines the personnel policies.
(d) Employees of the city have the right to organize and bargain collectively in accordance with law.
(e) The city council may provide for a hearings board to which employees not otherwise covered by a grievance system may appeal any proceedings or situations having a bearing on employment status or conditions,
(f) Each employee must be protected against retaliation for lawful disclosure of information which she or he reasonably believes evidences a violation of any law, rule, or regulation; mismanagement; gross waste of monies; abuse of authority; or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.
(g) No former employee who is drawing a pension from the City may hold a paid position with the City or may be a paid consultant for more than seventy (70) hours in any one month. However, this does not preclude a retired city employee from holding office as mayor or city council member.