(A) Generally. All appointments to and promotions in the Police Department shall be made solely on merit, efficiency and fitness, which shall be ascertained by open competitive examinations and impartial investigation by the Commission. Appointments shall mean all means of selecting, appointing, or employing any person to hold any position or employment subject to civil service. Promotion or demotion shall mean changing from one position to another, accompanied by a corresponding change in current rate of pay. Position shall mean an individual job which is designated by an official title indicative of the nature of the work.
(B) Requirements for civil service position applicants.
(1) An applicant for a position of any kind under civil service shall be able to read and write the English language, meet the minimum job qualifications of the position as established by the Mayor, and be of good moral character. An applicant shall be required to disclose his or her past employment history and his or her criminal record, if any. Prior to certifying to the Mayor the names of the persons eligible for the position or positions, the Commission shall validate the qualifications of the persons.
(2) The Commission shall require applicants to submit a full set of his or her fingerprints along with written permission authorizing the city to forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation through the Nebraska State Patrol, for identification.
(C) Filling of a vacant position.
(1) Considerations. If the Mayor, with the approval of the Council, fills a vacancy in a position subject to the Civil Service Act, he or she shall consider factors, including, but not limited to:
(a) The multiple job skills recently or currently being performed by the employee;
(b) The knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant which are necessary for the position;
(c) The performance appraisals of any applicant who is already employed in the Department, including any recent or pending disciplinary actions involving the employee;
(d) The employment policies and staffing needs of the Department together with contracts, ordinances, and statutes related thereto;
(e) Required federal, state, or local certifications or licenses necessary for the position; and
(f) The qualifications of the applicants who are already employed in the Department and have successfully completed all parts of the examination for the position. No person shall be reinstated in or transferred, suspended, or discharged from any such position or employment contrary to the Civil Service Act.
(2) Procedure for filling vacant positions. Whenever a position subject to the Civil Service Act becomes vacant, the Mayor shall make requisition upon the Commission for the names and addresses of the persons eligible for appointment and may decline to fill the vacancy for an indefinite period. If the Commission certifies fewer than three names for each vacancy to the Mayor, the Mayor may, with approval of the Council, appoint one of the persons to fill the vacancy, may decline to fill the vacancy, or may order that another examination be held by the Civil Service Commission.
(3) Temporary Appointments. If a vacancy occurs and there is no eligible list for the position or if the Commission has not certified the eligible list, a temporary appointment may be made by the Mayor. The temporary appointment shall not continue for a period longer than four months. No person shall receive more than one temporary appointment or serve more than four months as a temporary appointee in any one fiscal year.
(1972 Code, § 2-403) (Ord. 962, passed 7-16-2002)