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City of Coatesville, PA
Chester County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of Coatesville 10-10-1989 by Ord. No. 845-89 as Ch. 42 of the 1989 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Administration of government — See Ch. 5.
Pensions — See Ch. 38.
Salaries and compensation — See Ch. 51.
Social security — See Ch. 55.
The purpose of the City of Coatesville Personnel Code is to establish a uniform system of personnel administration by indicating the conditions of employment in the city service and the construction of procedures to ensure protection of the city's interests and the employees' rights.
Except as otherwise provided in contracts with the Police Department or other recognized bargaining units of municipal employees, all employees of the City of Coatesville shall be subject to the application of the Personnel Code, except where the code conflicts with any statute of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
DIVISION OR DEPARTMENT HEAD
The individual appointed by City Council to oversee each respective department.
[Amended 1-24-2011 by Ord. No. 1345-2011]
SUPERVISOR, IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR or DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
The Superintendent of Public Works and the Assistant Superintendent for streets, parks, utility maintenance, water plant and sewage plant, respectively, and the administrative director in all other departments.
The rate of pay for employees of the City of Coatesville shall be determined in the Wage and Salary Ordinance of the city budget for the current year.
[Amended 1-24-2011 by Ord. No. 1345-2011]
The qualifications for all permanent positions shall be established by the City Manager, with the exception that the qualifications of the City Manager and Division or Department Heads shall be approved by City Council.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 35-6, Transfer of employees, was repealed 1-24-2011 by Ord. No. 1345-2011.
A. 
When appropriate and in the interest of the city government, compensation and other conditions of employment for part-time and temporary employees may be set by the department supervisor and the administrative director, subject to approval by City Council.
B. 
Except as may be otherwise specifically provided, temporary and part-time hourly employees shall not be entitled to such benefits as annual leave, sympathy leave, sick leave, health benefits, life insurance, longevity, personal days or such other benefits which may be provided to other employees.
In addition to voluntary retirement, an employee may be separated from the service of the City of Coatesville by any one of the methods described below:
A. 
Resignation. To resign in good standing, an employee must give his or her department supervisor or department head at least 14 calendar days' prior notice.
B. 
Quitting. An employee who fails to report to work for three consecutive workdays without authorized leave shall be separated from the payroll and reported as quit.
C. 
Layoffs.
(1) 
Any involuntary separation not involving delinquency, misconduct or inefficiency shall be considered a layoff.
(2) 
When it becomes necessary to reduce the working force in a department or division thereof because of lack of funds or other cause, employees shall be laid off. Prior to a reduction in force, the names and job titles of any and all permanent employees scheduled for layoff shall be submitted to the City Council for approval, and not until the City Council has approved and confirmed the names submitted for layoff shall any layoff be consummated.
(3) 
When an employee is unable to continue his or her work because of a physical or mental disability and has exhausted his or her accumulated leave, he or she shall be separated by means of a layoff or given a leave of absence without pay. Disability shall be determined by a physician authorized by the administrative director.
D. 
Dismissals. Dismissals are discharges or separation made for delinquency, misconduct, inefficiency or inability to perform the work of the position satisfactorily. All dismissals shall be made in accordance with the City Charter and applicable state law. The City Manager shall publish to all City employees a personnel manual, which is approved by Council, which shall contain procedures governing the separation from service due to dismissal.
[Amended 1-24-2011 by Ord. No. 1345-2011]
Except as otherwise provided for by statutes, the following provisions shall govern disciplinary actions affecting employees in the city service:
A. 
Dismissals. See § 35-8D.
B. 
Suspensions. A division or department head may, for disciplinary purposes, suspend without pay an employee in his or her department for such length of time as he or she considers appropriate. In cases involving an employee subject to the City's civil service regulations or an applicable collective bargaining unit, a written statement specifically setting forth reasons for such suspension shall be furnished to the affected employee by his or her division or department head and a copy filed with the Administrative Director. Except for cases involving a division or department head, the City Manager may approve a suspension of an employee for a longer period, pending the investigation or criminal trial of any charges against him or her. In cases involving a division or department head, the City Manager may suspend the division or department head with the approval of City Council.
[Amended 1-24-2011 by Ord. No. 1345-2011]
C. 
Reasons for disciplinary actions. Listed below are some of the reasons which might be causes of disciplinary action, but disciplinary action is not limited to the offenses listed:
(1) 
Being convicted of a crime.
(2) 
Insubordination (disobedience).
(3) 
Too much lost time.
(4) 
Being absent without leave.
(5) 
Excessive tardiness.
(6) 
Inefficiency.
(7) 
Abuse of city property.
(8) 
Giving false statements to supervisors or the public.
(9) 
Use of alcoholic beverages on city property, including vehicles, or during duty.
(10) 
Violation of city ordinances, administrative regulations or departmental rules.
(11) 
Any disgraceful conduct which reflects unfavorably on the city as an employer.
(12) 
Membership in any organization which advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States by force or violence.
(13) 
Discovery of a false statement in an application which had not been detected previously.
(14) 
Repeated failure to pay acknowledged debts.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection D, Appeals; employee rights, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 1-24-2011 by Ord. No. 1345-2011.
[Added 1-24-2011 by Ord. No. 1345-2011[1]]
The City Manager shall publish to all City employees a personnel manual, which shall be approved by Council, which describes the hours of work, sick and vacation leave, holidays, overtime, compensatory time off and/or compensation for same and other benefits provided by the City to its employees. Terms of collective bargaining agreements that are inconsistent with the personnel manual shall apply to the subject bargaining unit members.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former § 35-11, Sick leave; § 35-12, Health benefits; § 35-13, Insurance; § 35-14, Longevity; § 35-15, Personal days; and § 35-17, Continuation of benefits; and renumbered former § 35-16 as § 35-11.
[Amended 11-28-1994 by Ord. No. 981-94]
A. 
Employees may retire under the provisions of the City of Coatesville Pension Plan in effect at the time and as amended.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 38, Pensions.
B. 
Normal retirement date. The normal retirement date will be the first day of the month on or following the employee's 65th birthday.
C. 
Early retirement. An employee may retire up to 10 years before his or her normal retirement date if he or she has completed 10 years of service.
D. 
Late retirement. With the approval of the City Manager, an employee may continue to work after his or her normal retirement date. In such cases, retirement income will begin on the first day of the month following his or her or her retirement.
E. 
Termination of employment. If an employee terminates employment with the city before his or her normal retirement date and has completed five years of service with the city, he or she will be eligible for a retirement income. This retirement income, referred to as "vested benefit," will begin on his or her normal retirement date.