Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance Appointing Authority topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Merit System Commission tables proposed change to appointing-authority rule for further revision
Summary
The commission discussed a proposed amendment to MSC Rule 2 to align the definition of appointing authority with the city charter and a recently revised personnel manual. Commissioners asked for wording consistent with an ordinance the City Council adopted last September and tabled the amendment for return in April.
The Merit System Commission discussed a proposed amendment to MSC Rule 2 on March 6 that would revise the definition of "appointing authority" to align commission rules with the city charter and the personnel manual. The commission tabled the item to allow staff to draft language consistent with an ordinance the City Council adopted last September.
A staff speaker summarized the background: the city charter's Section 5.3 delegates appointment and removal authority to the city manager, but the personnel manual had contained a line giving the finance director appointment authority for finance department employees. The City Council adopted an ordinance on Sept. 12 of last year (ordinance number cited in the packet as "21 65-24" in the transcript) to revise the personnel manual so it reflects charter provisions. The staff speaker proposed updating MSC Rule 2 to be consistent with the charter and the personnel manual revision.
The proposed draft read, in part, that "the city manager will appoint and/or remove all officers and employees of the city in the classified service except those within the Department of Law and the Clerk of Council as provided in the charter. The officers and employees in these departments will be appointed or removed by the respective director." Commissioners raised questions about the status of the city clerk and finance director as appointing authorities. One commissioner suggested mirroring the ordinance language more explicitly, which states that City Council is appointing authority for the city manager, clerk of council, director of finance and director of law, and that the city manager is appointing authority for all other positions.
After discussion the commission decided to table the rule amendment so staff could revise the draft to match the ordinance and the personnel manual and return at the next meeting for a formal first reading and subsequent second reading no sooner than seven days later, per the commission's rules. No formal vote to adopt the amendment was taken at the March 6 meeting.
