Ordinance Amendment for Civil Service Commission MeetingsCity of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
Action Items # 03.
Copyrighted
November 7, 2022
ITEM TITLE: Ordinance Amendment for Civil Service Commission Meetings
SUMMARY: City Clerk recommending City Council approval of an ordinance
amending the Civil Service Commission's meeting frequency to monthly
meetings.
ORDINANCE Amending City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances Title 2
Boards and Commissions, Chapter 2 Civil Service Commission, Section
2-2-10 Meetings
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Motion B; Motion
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Staff Memo Staff Memo
Ordinance Ordinance
Dubuque
THE COF
City Clerk's Office
City Hall
-merayDubuque,
DtUBEI
50 W. 13th Street
I 1 52001-4864
(563) 589-4100 office
I
Iftl
(563) 589-0890 fax
ctyclerk@cityofdubuque.org
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 20077.2012.2013
www•cityofdubuque.org
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Adrienne N. Breitfelder, City Clerk
DATE: October 31, 2022
SUBJECT: Ordinance Amendment for Civil Service Commission Meetings
Iowa Code Chapter 400 governs public sector positions that are classified as civil service.
Current City of Dubuque positions classified as civil service are police officer entry and
promotional positions and firefighter entry and promotional positions. Iowa Code §400.1
requires cities having a population of eight thousand or over and having a paid fire
department or a paid police department establish a civil service commission. The purpose
of the civil service commission is to conduct entrance examinations, conduct promotional
examinations, and act as an appeals board as provided in chapter 400 of the Iowa Code.
Consequently, the civil service commission is integral to many stages of the civil service
hiring process, including approving civil service examination dates, approving the types
of civil service examinations, proctoring certain civil service examinations, approving
passing scores for civil service examinations, and certifying the lists of eligible candidates.
Per City Code §2-2-10(A), civil service commission meetings currently occur when called
by the chairperson or at the written request of a majority of the commissioners. In
consulting with Police Chief Jeremy Jensen and Fire Chief Amy Scheller, it has been
determined that altering the frequency of civil service commission meetings from an ad
hoc basis to a monthly basis will serve multiple benefits in the civil service process.
Currently, the commission may experience delays in meeting resulting from identifying a
meeting time in which a quorum will be present. Having an established monthly meeting
date will prevent these procedural delays, thus preventing delays in the hiring process.
Additionally, monthly meetings could improve communications through the police and fire
departments providing the commission with updates on hiring progress, recent
retirements, department activities, and educational and regulatory discussions. Regular
meetings are an opportunity to bring consistency to the civil service process.
City Code must be updated to change the commission's meeting frequency. The
proposed ordinance amendment updates §2-2-10 to specify that the commission meets
monthly and that there is no obligation to meet if there is no business. Additionally, a
special meeting section specifies that special meetings may be called by the chairperson
or at the written request of the majority of the commissioners. Special meetings may be
necessary to promptly address time sensitive items in the civil service hiring process,
such as certifying candidate lists after exams, if those items occur before a scheduled
meeting.
I respectfully request City Council approval of an ordinance amending the Civil Service
Commission's meeting frequency to monthly meetings.
cc: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jeremy Jensen, Police Chief
Amy Scheller, Fire Chief
Shelley Stickfort, Director of Human Resources
Kecia Dougherty, Strategic Workforce Equity Coordinator
Pamela McCarron, Permit Clerk
Prepared by: Crenna M. Brumwell, Esq. 300 Main Street Suite 330 Dubuque IA 52001 563 589-4381
ORDINANCE NO. 37-22
AMENDING CITY OF DUBUQUE CODE OF ORDINANCES TITLE 2 BOARDS AND
COMMISSIONS, CHAPTER 2 CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, SECTION 2-2-10
MEETINGS
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
DUBUQUE, IOWA:
Section 1. Section 2-2-10 of the City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances is amended
to read as follows:
2-2-10: MEETINGS:
A. Regular Meetings: The commission meets monthly. When there is no business,
there is no obligation to meet.
B. Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the chairperson or at the
written request of a majority of the commissioners.
C. Open Meetings: All meetings must be called and held in conformance with the
Iowa open meetings law.
D. Attendance:
1. In the event a commissioner has been absent for three (3) or more
consecutive meetings of the commission, without being excused by the
chairperson, such absence will be grounds for the commission to recommend to
the city council that the position be declared vacant and a replacement appointed.
2. Attendance must be entered upon the minutes of all meetings.
E. Minutes: A copy of the minutes of all regular and special meetings of the
commission must be filed with the city council within ten (10) working days after each
meeting, or by the next regularly scheduled city council meeting, whichever is later.
F. Quorum: Two (2) commissioners constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business. The affirmative vote of a majority of the commissioners present and voting is
necessary for the adoption of any motion or resolution.
Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect upon publication.
Passed, approved, and adopted this 7th day of November, 2022.
• -296k •
Attest:
al,?X 2 &"
Adrienne N. Breitfel er, City Clerk
EFFECT OF AMENDMENT
2-2-10: MEETINGS:
A. Regular Meetings: The commission meets monthly. When there is no business, there is
no obligation to meet.
B. Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the chairperson or at the written
request of a majority of the commissioners.
C. Open Meetings: All meetings must be called and held in conformance with the Iowa open
meetings law.
D. Attendance:
1. In the event a commissioner has been absent for three (3) or more consecutive
meetings of the commission, without being excused by the chairperson, such absence will
be grounds for the commission to recommend to the city council that the position be
declared vacant and a replacement appointed.
2. Attendance must be entered upon the minutes of all meetings.
E. Minutes: A copy of the minutes of all regular and special meetings of the commission must
be filed with the city council within ten (10) working days after each meeting, or by the next
regularly scheduled city council meeting, whichever is later.
F. Quorum: Two (2) commissioners constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The
affirmative vote of a majority of the commissioners present and voting is necessary for the
adoption of any motion or resolution.
STATE OF IOWA SS:
DUBUQUE COUNTY
CERTIFICATE OF PUBLICATION
I, Kathy Goetzinger, a Billing Clerk for Woodward
Communications, Inc., an Iowa corporation, publisher
of the Telegraph Herald, a newspaper of general
circulation published in the City of Dubuque, County
of Dubuque and State of Iowa; hereby certify that the
attached notice was published in said newspaper on the
following dates:
11/11/2022
and for which the charge is 25.19
Subscribed to before me, a Notary Public in and for
Dubuque County, Iowa,
this 15th day of November, 2022
Notary P
in and for Dubuque County, Iowa.
JANET K. PAPE
Commission Number 199559
My Comm. Exp. DEC 11, 2022
Ad text : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
ORDINANCE NO. 37-22
AMENDING CITY OF DUBUQUE CODE OF ORDINANCES TITLE 2 BOARDS
AND COMMISSIONS, CHAPTER 2 CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, SECTION
2-2-10 MEETINGS
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA:
Section 1. Section 2-2-10 of the City of Dubuque Code of
Ordinances is amended to read as follows:
2-2-10: MEETINGS:
A. "Regular Meetings: The commission meets monthly. When
there is no business, there is no obligation to meet.
B. "Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the
chairperson or at the written request of a majority of the
commissioners.
C. "Open Meetings: All meetings must be called and held in
conformance with the Iowa open meetings law.
D. "Attendance:
1. "In the event a commissioner has been absent for three (3)
or more consecutive meetings of the commission, without being
excused by the chairperson, such absence will be grounds for
the commission to recommend to the city council that the
position be declared vacant and a replacement appointed.
2. "Attendance must be entered upon the minutes of all
meetings.
E. "Minutes: A copy of the minutes of all regular and special
meetings of the commission must be filed with the city council
within ten (10) working days after each meeting, or by the
next regularly scheduled city council meeting, whichever is
later.
F. "Quorum: Two (2) commissioners constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business. The affirmative vote of a majority of
the commissioners present and voting is necessary for the
adoption of any motion or resolution.
Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect upon
publication.
Passed, approved, and adopted this 7th day of November,
2022.
/s/Brad M. Cavanagh, Mayor
Attest: /s/Adrienne N. Breitfelder, City Clerk
Published officially in the Telegraph Herald newspaper on
the l lth day of November, 2022.
/s/Adrienne N. Breitfelder, City Clerk
It 11/11