HomeMy WebLinkAbout09779ORDINANCE NO. 9779
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CIVIL SERVICE RULES 18, 19
AND 20 OF CHAPTER 13 OF TITLE VI OF THE PUEBLO
MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF
COMPUTER BASED EXAMINATIONS
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PUEBLO, that: (brackets indicate matter
being deleted, underscoring indicates new matter being added)
SECTION 1.
Civil Service Rule 18 of Chapter 13 of Title VI of the Pueblo Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
Rule 18. - Examinations; general.
(a) All appointments and promotions in the classified service shall be made according
to merit and fitness to be ascertained, so far as practicable by competitive examination.
(b) Examinations shall be practical and shall relate to those matters which will test fairly
the capacity and fitness of the candidates to discharge efficiently the duties of the class or
classes for which examinations are held. Each applicant shall be treated equally and
tested solely on ability. Under all circumstances the Commission or the examiner shall
exercise due diligence to prevent collusion, fraud or discrimination throughout the
examination process.
(c) All examinations shall be given pursuant to procedures to be adopted by the
Commission. Examinations may consist of any of the following or any combination of the
following which validly serves the need to discover the relative fitness of applicants:
(1) Written job-related aptitude or job knowledge tests;
(2) Appropriate professional licenses or certificates issued by proper authorized
licensing authorities;
(3) Scored oral examinations or interviews designed to determine general fitness
for the class;
(4) Nonwritten performance tests of skills or abilities, required by the class;
(5) Scored evaluations of education and experience. Such evaluations shall be
objectively and uniformly applied and may be based on such factors as quantity,
remoteness in time, quality and relevancy of the education and experience;
(6) Physical tests of strength, agility, stamina or dexterity appropriate to the class
requirements; or
(7) Other forms deemed appropriate depending upon the duties of the class
involved.
(d) Time of Examinations. Regular promotional examinations for which there are
applicants shall be given at least once a year for all ranks in the uniformed police and fire
services, except for Deputy Police Chief, Police Captain, Deputy Fire Chief, Assistant Fire
Chief and Fire Inspector. Regular promotional examinations for which there are applicants
shall be given at least once every two (2) years for Assistant Fire Chief. Such examinations
shall be given at times to be determined by the Commission. All other entrance,
promotional and special examinations shall be given when necessary as determined by
the Commission or at the request of the Mayor, and shall be scheduled at times
determined by the Commission, but in no event more than sixty (60) days after a request
for such examination has been given by the Mayor.
(e) Notice. Notice of the time and date of an examination shall be given to each applicant
by first class mail or by electronic mail when an electronic mail address has been provided
by the applicant. Notice shall be mailed at least thirty (30) days prior to any regular
promotional examination and at least fifteen (15) days prior to all other examinations. The
foregoing notice requirement shall not, however, be applicable with respect to any
examination based on scored evaluations of education and experience.
(f) Time Limits. The time allowed applicants to complete any one (1) subject and the
time allowed to complete the entire examination shall be fixed by the Commission, or its
designated representative conducting the examination, and shall be stated on the
examination and announced prior to the commencement of the examination. Examination
time will in no case be extended except upon special direction of the Commission.
(g) \[Large Groups May Be Divided. When the number of applicants is in excess of the
number that can conveniently be examined at one (1) time, the Commission may provide
for separate examinations at another time and place. The placement of the applicants into
separate groups shall be made randomly, and all separate examinations shall be
conducted and concluded within a forty-eight-hour period. The Commission may adopt
additional safeguards deemed appropriate to assure the integrity of the examination
process.\] Separate Examinations. Computer based examinations may be
administered at separate times and places. For all other examinations, the
Commission may provide for separate examinations at another time and place when
the number of applicants is in excess of the number that can conveniently be
examined at one (1) time and where placement of the applicants into separate
groups is made randomly. All separate examinations shall be conducted and
concluded within a forty-eight-hour period. The Commission may adopt additional
safeguards deemed appropriate to assure the integrity of the examination process.
(h) \[Applicants Identified by Number Only\] Applicant identity and exam
administration. Applicants shall be admitted to an examination only on presentation of a
valid government-issued photo identification card.
(1) Computer based examinations which are administered and scored
electronically shall be administered fairly and impartially with sufficient
safeguards to ensure the integrity of examination answers and scores.
(2) All other written examinations shall identify applicants by number as
herein provided. Upon entrance, each applicant shall receive an examination
number which shall be unknown to the Commission. This number shall be placed
by the applicant in a sealed envelope and shall remain unknown to the
Commission until all test grades have been completed, at which time the
envelopes shall be opened and examination papers identified by name. No
applicant shall in any manner attempt to identify his or her paper other than by his
or her examination number.
(i) Form and Method. The form, manner and method of examining all applicants shall
be determined by the Commission in accordance with the provisions hereof.
(j) Substance and Preparation. Under the direction and supervision of the Commission,
examinations shall be prepared in such manner as to secure the highest possible level of
competence among the City's personnel. Toward this end, the Commission staff shall
continually make studies to correlate testing procedures and position requirements and
advise the Commission of improvements needed in the examination procedure.
(k) Discrimination prohibited. No aspect of any examination shall in any manner relate
to the political or religious beliefs or other affiliations of the applicants. Nor shall any
appointment, retention, removal or promotion in any manner be influenced by such beliefs
or affiliations.
(l) Examiner. The Commission staff, and such other persons or agencies as the
Commission shall authorize, may act as examiners to conduct all examinations, and shall
act under the direction and supervision of the Commission.
SECTION 2.
Civil Service Rule 19 of Chapter 13 of Title VI of the Pueblo Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
Rule 19. - Conduct of written examination.
The examiner shall see that all examinations are carried out in accordance with the
following rules and any special directives of the Commission:
(1) Examinations shall be held in the presence of or otherwise monitored by one (1) or
more examiners.
(2) Time limits for tests or complete examinations shall be announced to the candidates at
the beginning of the examination.
(3) Writing paper furnished by the Commission shall be used exclusively by the candidates.
Unless otherwise specified in the announcement, pens, pencils, etc., shall be furnished
by the candidates.
(4) Books of reference or data of any kind shall not be brought into the examination \[room\]
area or be otherwise available during the examination or used by any candidate
unless otherwise specified in the announcement.
(5) Written tests shall be done with pen and ink unless otherwise directed by the
Commission or the examiner. Mathematical work may be required to be shown in full.
(6) Individual explanations to candidates are prohibited.
(7) Communication between candidates is prohibited.
(8) Candidates shall not leave the examination \[room\] area without permission from an
examiner.
(9) All examination \[papers\] materials shall be taken up or otherwise surrendered and
delivered to the examiner upon expiration of the time limit set.
(10) Should a candidate withdraw from an examination, he or she shall turn in \[all papers\]
or otherwise surrender and deliver all examination materials to the examiner that
he or she has received.
(11) In case of irregularity in an examination, the examiners shall make a written report
thereof, to be filed with the working papers of the examination and submitted to the
Commission.
SECTION 3.
Civil Service Rule 20 of Chapter 13 of Title VI of the Pueblo Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
Rule 20. - Examination \[papers\] materials confidential.
(a) No examination \[papers\] materials or questions shall be carried away or otherwise
retained by the applicant. All such material shall be \[returned\] surrendered and
delivered to the examiner upon completion of the test.
(b) No material relating to, or a part of, any examination shall be copied, reproduced,
carried off or displayed to anyone without the permission of the Commission.
(c) No applicant shall offer or solicit aid from any other person during the course of an
examination.
SECTION 4.
The officers of the City are directed and authorized to perform any and all acts consistent
with the intent of this Ordinance to effectuate the policies and procedures described herein.
SECTION 5.
This Ordinance shall become effective on the date of final action by the Mayor and City
Council.
Action by City Council:
Introduced and initial adoption of Ordinance by City Council on August 24, 2020 .
Final adoption of Ordinance by City Council on September 14, 2020.
President of City Council
Action by the Mayor:
☒ Approved on September 17, 2020 .
□ Disapproved on based on the following objections:
_
Mayor
Action by City Council After Disapproval by the Mayor:
□ Council did not act to override the Mayor's veto.
□ Ordinance re-adopted on a vote of , on
□ Council action on _______ failed to override the Mayor’s veto.
President of City Council
ATTEST
City Clerk
City Clerk’s Office Item # R-5
Background Paper for Proposed
Ordinance
COUNCIL MEETING DATE: August 24, 2020
TO: President Dennis E. Flores and Members of City Council
CC: Mayor Nicholas A. Gradisar
VIA: Brenda Armijo, City Clerk
FROM: Manuel Alcala, Civil Service Administrator
SUBJECT: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CIVIL SERVICE RULES 18, 19 AND 20 OF
CHAPTER 13 OF TITLE VI OF THE PUEBLO MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO
THE ADMINISTRATION OF COMPUTER-BASED EXAMINATIONS
SUMMARY:
Attached is an Ordinance making desired changes to Civil Service Rules 18, 19 and 20 relating
to the administration of computer-based examinations.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION:
Civil Service Rules are periodically amended and updated as necessary. The procedure for such
amendment is set forth in Civil Service Rule 40 with public hearing before the Civil Service
Commission culminating in a Civil Service Commission Report submitted to Council with the
proposed amendments.
BACKGROUND:
See attached Civil Service Commission Report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no financial implications as a result of this Ordinance; however, the Ordinance will allow
for remote Civil Service testing, and there may be future costs associated with an exam proctoring
service.
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
See attached Civil Service Commission Report.
STAKEHOLDER PROCESS:
Not applicable to this Ordinance.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council could elect not to pass the Ordinance and the Civil Service Rules would continue to
be applied without the desired changes.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Civil Service Commission and staff recommend passage and approval of the proposed
Ordinance.
Attachments: Proposed Ordinance and Civil Service Commission Report.