A. Any person employed under the civil service provisions of this Charter, exclusive of members of the uniformed ranks of the police and fire departments as provided under Section 8.343 hereof, in a position defined by the commission as "permanent" may be removed or discharged by the appointing officer for just cause, after being provided with written notice of the charges, copies of all documentation upon which the charges are based and after an opportunity to respond to the charges before the appointing officer or his or her designee. Pending investigation of conduct involving misappropriation of public funds or property, misuse or destruction of public property, drug addiction or habitual intemperance, mistreatment of persons, immorality, acts which would constitute a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, or acts which present an immediate danger to the public health and safety the appointing officer may place the accused person on unpaid administrative leave for no more than 30 days unless the investigation shall be delayed beyond such time by the act of the accused person. When the appointing officer imposes discharge or removal he or she shall, in writing, notify the person removed or discharged of the right to appeal the discharge or removal by mailing such statement to his last known address. The employee shall have thirty days from the date of mailing of the notice to file an appeal of the matter in writing with the appointing officer. Upon receipt of a timely appeal, the appeal shall be conducted forthwith by a qualified and unbiased hearing officer who shall be employed under contract by the City and County and selected by procedures set forth in the rules of the civil service commission. The hearing officer shall publicly hear and determine the appeal, and may approve the discharge or removal, or exonerate, or suspend the accused.
If the employee is exonerated the hearing officer may, at his or her discretion, order payment of salary to the employee for the period of the discharge or removal or unpaid administrative leave, and the report of such period of discharge or removal or unpaid administrative leave shall thereupon be expunged from the record of service of such employee.
The civil service commission shall immediately be notified of the charges when made, of the action of the appointing officer to remove or discharge, of the appeal, and of the finding thereon. The finding of the hearing officer shall be final.
The civil service commission may remove or discharge an employee for any charge filed by a citizen or by any member of or authorized agent of the commission when the appointing officer neglects or refuses to take such action against the employee within 30 days of notification to the department head of the occurrence or event giving rise to the charge. Removal or discharge may be made for any cause after the employee is provided with written notice of the charges, copies of all documentation upon which the charges are based and after the employee has had the opportunity to respond to the charges before the civil service commission or its designee. The decision of the civil service commission shall be final.
Nothing in this section shall limit or restrict rules adopted by the commission governing dismissal of probationary employees, lay-offs or reduction in force or providing for the removal of any appointee who has abandoned his or her position as defined by civil service commission rule.
B. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A above, a recognized employee organization and any affected City department may agree to alternative procedures, including final and binding arbitration by a neutral arbitrator jointly selected by the employee organization and the City, to deal with charges brought against individual employees, the resolution of such charges and the appropriate discipline, if any, to be imposed on the employee. Said alternative procedures shall be included in a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the employee organization which shall be effective when ratified by the Board of Supervisors.