(a) Entrance Salary Rates.
(1) Starting rate on initial employment. Original appointment to any position shall be at the entrance rate, and advancement from the entrance rate into the maximum skill/merit step rate within a pay range shall be by successive steps. Upon recommendation of the Mayor, Council may approve initial compensation at a rate higher than the entrance rate in the pay range for the class when the needs of the service make such action necessary; provided that any such exception is based on the outstanding and unusual character of the employee's experience and ability over and above the qualification requirements specified for the class, or that a critical shortage of applicants exists. Such employee shall have his longevity computed as if he had already acquired the minimum service represented by the step into which hired for purposes of future salary increases only. In the latter case any incumbents receiving a lower rate shall have their rates increased to the rate established for entrance of new employees.
(2) Starting rate on return to duty. When an employee returns to duty in the same class of positions after a separation from the City service of not more than one year, which separation was not due to discreditable circumstances, such employee shall receive the base rate in the pay range corresponding to the base rate received at the time of separation and shall subsequently serve there for at least such period as is normally required for advancement to the next higher skill/merit step rate.
(3) Starting rate in new position. Whenever an employee is assigned to duty in a position not previously held by him and such change is not in the nature of a promotion, he shall receive the entrance rate in the range established for such position or such other rate within the applicable range as he may be entitled to by reason of crediting him in his new position with such prior service that is found to meet the following conditions: the character and nature of the duties of the position to which the employee was assigned are similar to those of the new position; and the service in the former position provided experience valuable to the performance of the new position.
(b) Salary Advancement Within Range by Skill/Merit Steps. Salary within the ranges for the respective classes shall be based on skill and/or merit and advancement shall be from the entrance rate or one of the skill/merit steps to the next higher available skill/merit step. There shall be a first year skill/merit step, a second year skill/merit step and a third year skill/merit step which may be granted at minimum intervals of one year between such steps over the first five years of employment. Upon the completion of five years of continuous service within the City, an employee shall advance to the fifth year skill/merit step. Advancement from the entrance rate to the first year skill/merit step may be granted after the first eleven months of employment. Advancement to any skill/merit step shall not be available and shall not be granted after five years and one day of employment.
(c) Longevity Factors. Longevity factors are provided in the Compensation Plan to provide financial recognition for long and faithful service where the opportunity for promotion is limited and where there is no provision for further advancement within the base pay range. Such longevity factors shall be applied as follows:
(1) Any employee performing satisfactorily in a position classified hereunder, specifically excluding, however, those listed in Section 139.03(d)(3) and (4), who has been continuously employed by the City for a period of five years or longer shall have his compensation increased to that amount which results from multiplying his base rate of pay by the longevity factor of base pay set forth in Section 139.10(a), Schedule I, to the right of the number of full years of service such employee has continuously been employed by the City.
(2) Effective January 1, 1999, the positions of Police Captain, Sewage Maintenance Crew Leader, Street Maintenance Crew Leader, Water Maintenance Crew Leader, Vehicle Maintenance Manager and Parks and Forestry Crew Leader shall be entitled to the following longevity payments according to the following schedule:
Completed Calendar Years of Service | Amount |
1 year through 6 years | $ 200.00 |
7 years through 11 years | 400.00 |
12 years through 16 years | 600.00 |
17 years or more | 800.00 |
(3) All full-time employees hired after January 1, 2000, specifically excluding all those listed in Section 139.03(d)(3) and (4), with five or more years of continuous service with the City shall be entitled to annual longevity payments in accordance with the following schedule:
Completed Calendar Years of Service | Amount |
5 years through 9 years | $ 400.00 |
10 years through 14 years | 700.00 |
15 years through 19 years | 1000.00 |
20 years through 24 years | 1300.00 |
25 years or more | 1600.00 |
(4) This “Longevity Factors” provision does not apply to promotions into the positions listed in Item (2) above or new hires on or after January 1, 2015.
All such longevity payments shall be paid on the pay date following the employee’s anniversary date. (Ord. 4-2000. Passed 1-3-00; Ord. 10-2013. Passed 1-22-13; Ord. 29-2015. Passed 5-4-15.)
(d) Requirements as to Continuity of Service and Limitation on Applicability of Longevity. Service requirements specified in this chapter shall have the implication of continuous service, which means employment in the City service without break or interruption.
(1) Leaves of absences with pay and leaves without pay of ten or less days shall not interrupt continuous service nor be deducted therefrom. Absences on leave without pay in excess of ten days shall be deducted in computing total service and shall be deemed to have interrupted continuous service except as provided in Section 139.07(e)(1).
(2) Except as provided for in Section 139.07(e)(1) any employee of the City whose employment with the City is terminated for any reason whatsoever, voluntary or involuntary, and who is subsequently re-employed by the City within one year of such termination, shall not be eligible for a base rate higher than skill/merit step five and shall not, anything to the contrary herein notwithstanding, be eligible to have his base rate on re-employment increased by the longevity factor until after five continuous years from the time of being re-employed and then only by the longevity factor on the salary and wage scale to the right of that total number of full years of service comprised of five years plus the years of service prior to termination and the years of service after being rehired, with no retroactivity permitted. If such a terminated employee is not re-employed within one year of such termination, he shall never have the right to any longevity benefits.
(e) Initial Adjustments to the Compensation Plan. In order to bring all pay rates into conformity with the new pay schedule provided in this chapter, the following rules for application and adjustment shall be effective, subject to dates of promotion, in fixing the rates of pay of incumbents of positions of January 1, 1979, the time of the effective date of this chapter:
(1) An employee’s base rate on January 1, 1979, depending upon years of service, shall be as follows:
YEARS OF SERVICE | BASE RATE |
Less than one | Entrance |
One, but less than two | Fie year merit step |
Two, but less than three | Second year merit step |
Three, four and five | Third year merit step |
(2) Each employee’s rate of pay under this chapter effective January 1, 1979, shall be compared with such employee’s rate of pay as it was immediately prior to January 1, 1979, and the higher of the two shall be utilized for the inauguration of this new plan effective January 1, 1979.
(3) The Treasurer is hereby authorized to promulgate such additional rules as may be necessary to implement the legislative intent on changing from a two-schedule salary and wage schedule to one schedule and from an automatic base rate step plan to a skill/merit base rate step plan.
(4) An employee’s base rate on and after January 1, 1991, depending upon years of service, shall be as follows:
YEARS OF SERVICE | BASE RATE |
Less than one | Entrance |
One, but less than two | First year merit step |
Two, but less than three | Second year merit step |
Three, but less than five | Third year merit step |
Five and more | Fifth year merit step |
(Ord. 57-91. Passed 6-17-91.)
(f) Rate of Pay Upon Demotion.
(1) An employee demoted while being paid within the base salary range, from a position in one class to a position having a lower salary range shall receive a salary decrease of not less than one salary step.
(2) An employee whose salary includes a longevity factor for his class and is subsequently demoted to a position in a class having a lower salary range shall have the longevity factor appropriate for his years of service applied to the base rate in the lower salary range.
(g) Rate of Pay Upon Transfer. An employee who is transferred to another position in the same class grade shall continue to receive the same pay rate until he is promoted or demoted, or until his pay rate is adjusted in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(h) Rate of Pay on Promotion. Upon promotion to a class grade having a higher salary range an employee shall receive the pay commanded by his new position at the base rate thereof increased by the appropriate longevity factor for his years of service. Advancement subsequent to promotion shall be on the same basis as described in subsection (b) hereof with the service prior to promotion being taken into account.
(i) Reassignment of Classes to Salary Groups. Whenever a class of positions is reassigned to a higher salary group, all employees occupying positions in such class at the time of reassignment shall be paid at the same step in the higher salary group to which the class of positions is reassigned. (Ord. 51-86. Passed 5-5-86.)