All words and terms used in this chapter and in any ordinance or resolution dealing with personnel policies or procedures, including Chapter 2.82 and 2.84, shall be defined as they are normally and generally defined in the field of personnel administration. For the purpose of convenience, however, unless the context of such ordinances or resolutions clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended, the following words and terms most commonly used are hereinafter defined:
1. "Acting appointment" means the appointment of a person to a classification in the city service on an interim basis during which that person will continue to occupy the position from which he/she was appointed.
2. "Advancement" means a salary increase within the limits of the pay range established for classes provided by resolution.
3. "Allocation" means the assignment of a single position to its proper class in accordance with the duties exercised, and the education and experience requirements; or, the assignment of a class to a salary range or rate.
4. Appointing Power. The "appointing power" to fill positions in the city service is the respective department head insofar as subordinate employees within the respective department is concerned.
5. "Appointment" means the employment of a person in a position.
6. "Base salary" means the salary range and step established in a salary resolution by the city council exclusive of any overtime, shift-differential, incentive or other type of premium pay an employee may receive.
7. "Benefit accrual" means the earning of various benefits by an employee through an incremental process tied to time served as an eligible employee of the city.
8. "Call-back duty" means when an employee is unexpectedly ordered by his/her department to return to duty, following the termination of his/her normal work shift or work week, because of unanticipated work requirements.
9. "Class" or "classification" means a group of positions sufficiently similar in duties, authority, responsibilities, and minimum qualifications for employment to permit combining them under a single title and the equitable application of common standards of selection and compensation.
10. "Classification plan" means the designation by resolution of the city council of a title for each class together with the specifications for each class as prepared and maintained by the personnel officer.
11. "Class specification" means a written description of a class, setting forth the essential characteristics, knowledge, skills, abilities, and requirements of positions in the class.
12. "Compensatory time-off" means time taken off, with pay, from work in lieu of overtime pay previously accrued by the employees.
13. "Competitive service" means all positions in the city service except those specifically excluded by these rules.
14. "Continuous service" means the employment without break or interruption of an employee having a probationary or regular appointment. A break or interruption in continuous service shall be construed as an absence of the employee from his/her employment initiated by either the city or the employee for periods of more than fifteen consecutive calendar days.
15. Day. For purposes of the grievance procedure, a "day" shall be defined as a calendar day, commencing at 12:01 a.m.
16. "Demotion" means a transfer of an employee to a position in the personnel system having a lower maximum rate of pay. No employee shall be demoted to a position for which he or she does not possess the minimum qualifications.
17. “Department head” means an exempt, senior management employee charged with responsibility for managing major activities or functions of the city and implementing policy set by the city council. For the purposes of this chapter, department head includes the positions of city manager, assistant city manager, police chief, and directors of community services/parks, recreation, and library services, planning and community development, public works, and finance, and any other position so designated by the city council, by resolution.
18. "Disciplinary action" means an action taken by a department head against an employee for a violation of some condition of employment or rule and regulation of the city. Except when dismissal is warranted, the purpose of such action is to alert an employee to problems in his/her performance and to provide an opportunity to the employee to improve his/her performance.
19. "Dismissal" means a termination of an employee's service.
20. "Eligible" means a person who may be appointed to a vacant position in the competitive service as provided by these rules.
21. "Eligibility list" means a list of names of persons who have taken an examination for a position in the competitive service and have been passed and ranked on the list in order of the score received.
22. "Employee" means a person occupying a position in the city service.
23. "Exempt classes" means those classes of positions that, by the nature of the job requirements, do not earn overtime and are not subject to the provisions of this chapter. These classes are set forth in Section 2.80.015.
24. "Full-time position" means a position in the competitive service of the city which requires at least forty hours of work per week, and accrues benefits.
25. Grievance. A "grievance" is a formal written allegation by a grievant that he or she has been adversely affected by a violation, misinterpretation, or misapplication of one or more of the specific provisions of the memorandum of understanding and/or provisions of these personnel rules and regulations.
26. Grievant. A "grievant" may be any bargaining unit employee who files a written allegation as outlined in the grievance procedure.
27. Immediate Supervisor. The "immediate supervisor" shall be the person having evaluation responsibility for an employee.
28. "Incidental overtime" means the designation given to overtime of fewer than thirty minutes, that is nonrecurrent.
29. "Interim position" means a full-time or part-time position for a designated period of time, which may extend beyond the six months' limit reserved for temporary positions. Interim positions accrue all fringe benefits and salary increases the same as full-time and part-time permanent positions during the authorized period of employment.
30. "Layoff" means a separation of an employee from city service for reasons of economy or efficiency or reductions or elimination of city services.
31. "Merit salary increase" means the increase of an employee's salary within the salary range established for the class of position he/she occupies as a result of satisfactory job performance in such position.
32. "Overtime" means the time which an interim, probationary, or permanent employee is required to work beyond the number of hours prescribed for a full-time employee in that classification in a week.
33. "Part-time position" means a position having a work week of fewer hours than the normal work week established for full-time positions. A part-time position may be either interim, temporary or permanent, and may or may not accrue benefits.
34. "Permanent position" means a full-time or part-time position which is expected to exist indefinitely.
35. "Personnel system" means this chapter as amended from time to time, and all ordinances, resolutions, rules, and regulations pertaining to the personnel system of the city.
36. "Position" means a combination of duties and responsibilities assigned to a single employee and performed on either a full-time or part-time basis.
37. "Probationary appointment" means the probationary employment of a person. A probationary appointment is for a specified period, during which job performance is evaluated as a basis for a subsequent regular appointment.
38. "Probationary employee" means an employee who has a probationary appointment.
39. "Probationary period" means a working test period that is part of the selection process and during which an employee is required to demonstrate his/her fitness for the duties of the position to which he/she has been assigned by actual performance of such duties. As used in this chapter, the term "initial probationary period" means an employee's first probationary period during his/her continuous city employment.
40. "Promotion" means the advancement of an employee from a position in one class to a position in another class having higher maximum salary rate.
41. "Reclassification" means the reassignment of a position from one class to a different class in accordance with a reevaluation of the minimum qualifications, duties and responsibilities of the position. A reclassification is distinguished from a demotion in that there is no reduction in the maximum salary rate.
42. "Reduction in salary" means a salary decrease within the limits of the pay range established for a class.
43. "Reemployment" means the reappointment of a person to the same or comparable class within twelve months of his/her layoff from a position previously held in the classified service of the city. Any employee who is "reemployed" shall receive credit for former service for purposes of seniority, benefit compensation, and salary advancement.
44. "Reemployment list" means an eligibility list containing the names of laid-off probationary or regular employees ranked in the order of their competency.
45. "Regular appointment" means the appointment of a person in a permanent budgeted position. A regular appointment follows successful completion of a probationary period and signifies satisfactory performance of duties and responsibilities in the position to which the employee is assigned.
46. "Regular employee" means an employee who has successfully completed his/her probationary period in a permanent position.
47. "Rejection" means the involuntary separation from the city service of an employee who has not successfully completed his/her probationary period, or, the reduction of an employee who did not successfully complete his/her probationary period to a position in a different class in which he/she had previously acquired regular status.
48. "Reprimand" means a written statement placed in the employee's personnel file which shall describe the deficiencies in the employee's conduct, the corrective action required, and what further disciplinary action may result if such corrective action is not taken.
49. "Reinstatement" means the reappointment of an employee to a position in the same or a comparable class within twenty-four months of his/her resignation in good standing. No credit shall be granted for prior service in terms of benefits accrued or seniority. A reinstated employee shall serve a probationary period.
50. "Resignation" means the voluntary separation of an employee from the city service.
51. "Salary anniversary date" means the future date on which an interim, probationary, or regular employee is eligible, on the basis of satisfactory job performance for a prescribed period, for a merit salary increase within the salary range established for the class of position he/she occupies.
52. "Salary plan" means the assignment by city council resolution of salary ranges and/or salary rates to each class.
53. "Salary range" means the range of salary rates for a class.
54. "Salary rate" means the dollar amount of each step in a salary range, or the flat dollar amount for a class not having a salary range.
55. "Salary step" means the minimum through maximum salary increments of a salary range.
56. "Standby duty" means when an employee who is released from duty is required by his/her department to leave notice where he/she can be reached and to be available to return to duty when required.
57. "Suspension" means a period of time during which the employee is not permitted to exercise his or her duties to appear at his or her work place. Suspension may be with or without pay and for any period of time. The department head may offer the employee the option to work extra duty without pay in lieu of suspension which the employee may accept or reject without prejudice to his or her appeal rights under Section 2.80.520.
58. "Temporary appointment" means an appointment to a temporary or permanent position for a period of six months or less which may be extended by the city manager for a maximum of an additional six months.
59. "Temporary employee" means a person who has been appointed to a temporary or a permanent position for a period of six months or less.
60. "Temporary position" means a full-time or part-time position of a duration not to exceed six months.
61. "Termination" means the separation of an employee from the city service because of retirement, resignation, death or dismissal.
62. "Title," "class title," "title of class" means the official name applied to a class, and to each position allocated to the class and to the incumbent of each position.
63. "Transfer" means a change of an employee from one position to another position in the same class or in another class having the same maximum salary rate, involving the performance of basically similar duties, and requiring substantially the same minimum qualifications.
64. Y-Rate. A "Y-rate" exists when an employee's monthly salary is higher than the top step salary of the classification to which he/she is assigned. The salary of an employee who is Y-rated is frozen at its then existing monthly rate, until such time as the top step salary of the employee's classification through general salary increases catches up with, or exceeds, the Y-rated employee's salary.
(Ord. 2023-11-1545 § 21, 2023; Ord. 86-03-970 § 1 (part), 1986)