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Council restores charter protection for current permanent employees, sends section 8-2 back to commission
Summary
After debate, the council voted to reinstate a grandfathering clause that preserves the employment status of permanent city employees on the charter27s effective date and sent the reinstated language back to the Charter Revision Commission for final drafting.
The council voted to restore language that protects current permanent city employees from losing their positions if the charter27s organizational structure changes.
Councilman Chienese argued the deleted provision would unintentionally make current employees vulnerable to administrative restructuring: "We should protect current employees so they do not become unemployed overnight," he said. Several members requested the commission clarify the text so a modern department reorganization (for example creating a new Department of Technology Services) would not strip employees of their positions.
Corporation counsel explained that the reinstated provision would apply to employees who occupy permanent positions in city service on the charter27s effective date and that the commission can refine the language to make the protection explicit and modern.
The council carried a motion to return section 8-2 to the Charter Revision Commission and to recommend reinstatement of the present-employee protection; the commission was asked to draft language assuring that employees in permanent positions remain so after any departmental or structural charter changes.
Next steps: The Charter Revision Commission will reinsert and update the employee-protection text and return a proposed phrasing at the joint conference.
Provenance: Discussion and vote recorded in chapter 8 debate (SEG 68962DSEG 7448).
