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Council tables ordinance giving department heads discretion on applicant screening
Summary
Council tabled proposed amendments to Section 300.5 of the personnel policy, which would have allowed department heads to select screening tools for applicants; members asked staff to draft additional language to guard against arbitrary or abusive waivers.
Council decided to table a proposed ordinance that would amend Section 300.5 of the personnel policy to let department heads choose applicant screening tools (drug tests, agility tests, license checks).
Staff member (S7) said the language would permit department heads to select the type of screening appropriate for each department, but council members raised concerns about objective criteria and the possibility of future misuse. One council member (S3) said the proposal "sounds simple cut and dry" but warned it should protect applicants from arbitrary treatment down the road.
Staff recommended tabling the ordinance so they could draft additional language to allow department heads discretion while also providing safeguards (for example, allowing department heads to waive redundant testing when recent, reliable tests exist). Council moved to table the item and asked staff to return with revised language at the next meeting in November.
