(a) Educational Panel. There is hereby established an Educational Panel. The membership of the Panel shall consist of the Safety Director, two members of the Safety Committee of Council, to be appointed by the Chairman of such Committee, and two Educational Officers, one from the Police Department and a second from the Fire Department, each to be appointed by the Chief of each Department.
(1) The Panel shall establish the criteria and guidelines which must be met by the participating members. Such criteria and guidelines shall include the accreditation of those professional courses applicable to the respective departments and the establishment of credits to be earned through attendance and successful completion by the participating members. The Panel shall further review and approve those academic courses for which credits may be earned through attendance and successful completion by the participating members.
(2) At least once each year, the Panel shall meet to review the criteria and guidelines.
(3) At least once each year, the Panel shall establish, maintain and update a master listing of all courses available and approved for the receipt of educational points.
(4) The Panel shall maintain an active file on each eligible member showing his or her current achievement level.
(5) The Safety Director shall certify the total approved points earned each year by the participating members and shall submit this certification to the Director of Finance by December 1 of each year. The Director of Finance shall compute the amount of additional compensation to be paid on or about December 31 of each fiscal year.
(b) Point System. There is hereby established a point system to determine the level of achievement. Points shall be awarded to the participating members upon the successful completion of a course approved by the Panel, as follows:
(1) For each college quarter credit hour earned, one point shall be awarded.
(2) The relative values of nonaccredited professional courses shall be determined and established by the Panel subject to the following maximum values:
A. Schools. Not more than 0.1 point shall be awarded for each hour of time spent in class and for each two hours of time spent in the laboratory or in a field activity for those courses involving assignments and examinations for which time must be spent outside of class.
B. Seminars. Not more than 0.1 point shall be awarded for each two hours of time spent in class, in the laboratory or in a field activity for which time must be spent outside of class.
(3) No points shall be awarded for a course successfully completed before January 1, 1971.
(4) No points shall be awarded for the successful completion of a course that is or may be required for qualification to become or remain a member of the Police or Fire Department.
(5) Within the Fire Department, no points shall be awarded for the appropriate course of study prerequisite to certification and/or registration as an Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic and/or Advanced Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance. In the event such course of study is taken for credit leading to a degree, there shall be points earned for the remaining courses only.
(c) Eligibility. All full-time members of the Police Department and of the Fire Department shall be eligible to participate in the additional compensation for achievement programs.
(d) Payment of Benefits.
(1) The rate for computing payment shall be one-half of one percent for each ten points accumulated up to 100 points and one-half of one percent for each twenty-five points accumulated in excess of 100 points, but in no event shall the payment exceed seven percent of the annual salary of the participating member unless college credit has been earned. If an Associate's Degree has been earned, there shall be an additional payment of three percent of the annual salary of the participating member; if a Bachelor's Degree has been earned, there shall be an additional payment of six percent of the annual salary of the participating member. In no event shall the payment exceed eight percent, for an Associate's Degree, or thirteen percent, for a Bachelor's Degree, of the annual salary of the participating member.
(2) It shall be the responsibility of each participating member to provide his or her respective Educational Officer with a school transcript or equivalent evidence that the course or courses were successfully completed.
(3) There shall be no additional compensation paid for a course completed successfully before January 1, 1971.
(4) There shall be no additional compensation paid for the successful completion of a course that is or may be required for qualification to become or remain a member of the Police or Fire Department.
(5) There shall be no additional compensation paid, including the additional payment for achieving an Associate's or a Bachelor's Degree, for any course of study exempted under subsection (b) hereof. In the event such course of study is taken for credit, leading to a degree, there shall be additional compensation paid for the remaining courses only.
(Ord. 28-83. Passed 2-28-83.)
(6) No points will be awarded for courses paid for by the City.
(Ord. 114-87. Passed 10-27-87. )
(e) Policy Governing Future Employees. Any member appointed to the Police or Fire Department, who has previously achieved an Associate's Degree or a Bachelor's Degree or who has previously completed nonaccredited professional courses approved by the Panel, shall be eligible to receive payments for the total number of points earned prior to the member's appointment, after two years of service to the City.
(Ord. 28-83. Passed 2-28-83.)