A. Generally: It shall be the duty of the commission to make and maintain suitable rules and regulations not inconsistent with the purpose of this chapter, for the purpose of carrying the provisions of this chapter into effect.
B. Duties Enumerated; Requirements:
1. Rules And Regulations: The commission shall make suitable rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of Revised Code of Washington 41.12 and this chapter and necessary for this chapter's implementation as it relates to full time employees of the Police Department. Such rules and regulations shall provide the manner in which examinations may be held, and how appointments, promotions, transfers, reinstatements, demotions, suspensions and discharges shall be made where such rules and regulations are not provided in detail within this chapter or subsequent amendments adopted by ordinance. Further, the commission may provide for any other matter, which may be considered desirable to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Such rules and regulations may be changed from time to time. All rules and regulations and amendments thereof shall be printed and copies made available to the public upon request.
C. Scope And Purpose: The commission's rules shall govern the continuing administration of the civil service system of the city and the terms and conditions of civil service employment in the city. The purpose of such rules is to assure that the civil service system in the city is administered in accordance with Revised Code Of Washington chapter 41.12 and ordinances of the city, and that all proceedings before the commission are conducted in an orderly, fair and timely manner. The purpose of a civil service system created pursuant to state law is to establish a system to provide for promotion on the basis of merit, give police officers tenure, and provide for a civil service commission to administer the system, and to investigate by public hearing, removals, suspensions, demotions, and discharges by the appointing power to determine whether such action was or was not made for political or religious reasons and whether it was or was not made in good faith for cause.
The civil service system is intended to protect the honest and efficient public employee from adverse discriminatory action, whether from political or other improper motive, and thus to secure for the people the services of honest, efficient and experienced public employees. At the same time it is intended that the administrative officers shall have ample authority to correct where possible, and to remove when necessary, dishonest or inefficient employees without placing upon the administrators an impractical or unfair burden in the discharge of such duties.
The objective and intent of civil service rules is to establish personnel policies and procedures that will ensure to the people of Orting the maximum in honest and efficient public service by attracting to and retaining in the city's classified service the most qualified and highest motivated employees available.
D. Presumption Of Validity: The civil service system implemented by this chapter substantially accomplishes the purpose of chapter 41.12 Revised Code Of Washington. Variation from state models are based on local conditions and are intended to maintain the purposes of civil service systems: merit selection, tenure, and an independent civil service commission. The commission's rules are presumed to be valid and shall be upheld unless in direct conflict with the purpose of chapter 41.12 Revised Code Of Washington.
E. Interpretation: The commission has the power and authority to interpret its rules. (Ord. 2015-976, 12-9-2015)