HomeMy WebLinkAbout15 - Civil Service Board Rule ChangeCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 15
July 24, 2007
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Human Resources Department
Barbara Ramsey, Human Resources Director
(949) 644 -3303, bramsev city.newport- beach.ca.us
SUBJECT: Civil Service Board Rule Change
Change Civil Service Rule 501.2.2.A to allow the Civil Service Board to make an exception
regarding the six -month waiting period for promotional exams only on a case -by -case basis
when recommended by the Police or Fire Chief.
DISCUSSION:
At the June 4, 2007 Civil Service Board meeting, a representative of the Fire Association
requested that the Board waive a section of the Civil Service Rules to allow an applicant to
participate in the Fire Engineer promotional testing less than six months from his previous
participation in a Fire Engineer testing process.
Civil Service Rule 501.2.2.A states:
Applicants will not be permitted to participate in the examination process if they
have participated in a previous examination by the City of Newport Beach for the
same position within the last six month period.
Proposed additional wording: On a case -by -case basis, the Civil Service Board may
waive this rule for promotional testing only when recommended by the Police or Fire
Chief.
The City Attorney advised that the Board could not take action at the June meeting, and
the Board placed it on the agenda for the July 9"' meeting. Civil Service Rules can only be
changed bythe City Council and, atthe July meeting, the Board requested thatthe Human
Resources Director place an item on the City Council agenda to approve this request for
future promotional testing only.
Civil Service Board Rule Change
July 17, 2007
Page 2
This rule was put into effect in 1972 and it is becoming more difficult to fill promotional
positions in both the Police and Fire Departments. An example would be the recent Fire
Engineer exam that we gave five months ago. We had seven openings and not enough
candidates to fill the vacancies. Two qualified candidates failed and are now not able to
participate in the Fire Engineer test we are giving this month. By not allowing them to
participate, we have a vacant position which causes a hardship on the department.
Both the Police Chief and the Fire Chief support this change to the Civil Service Rules
which would only apply to promotional testing on a case -by -case basis.
Prepared & Submitted by:
6 U"I 14n
Barbara Ramsey
Human Resources Director