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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Statement 1982/02/23 Item 7COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item ~ Meeting Date 2-23-82 ITEM TIT E: Resolution /D,8/ Amending Civil Service Rule 1.04.I - Veterans' Preference SUBMITTE BY: Director of Perso e (4/5ths Vote: Yes No X ) For over a year, the Civil Service Commission has been studying the issue of awarding veterans preference points on entry level employment examinations. Their work included studying the intentions behind the awarding of veterans' preference points and the effect of such oints on the employment of minorities and women within the City of Chula Vista. The Comm ssion discussed the issue of amending the rule at several meetings, all of which were ope to the public, including two sessions held in the Council Chambers which were publiciz d as hearings on the issue. Community groups and individual s, both for and against veterans preference points, were heard and their comments were weighed along with the statisti al information provided by the Personnel Department on the effect of veterans' preferen a points on eligibility lists. The outcome of the public hearing is a proposed rule whi h is supported by the Commission and veterans' groups as meeting the needs of the City while lessening the negative impact on the employment of minorities and women. This pro osed rule has also been reviewed by City department heads and unions, with no objectio s being raised. Therefore, it is my RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council adopt the resolution amending Civil Service Rule 1.04.I. CIVIL SE VICE RECOMMENDATION: At its meeting of 1-14-82, the Civil Service Commission voted un nimously to recommend to the City Council that the veterans' preference rule be amended see attached). BACKGROU D: In the Commission's review of the veterans' preference rule, they evaluated the foil wing information sources: 1) Studies completed by the City of San Diego and the County o San Diego before they modified their civil service rules regarding veterans' preferen e points; 2) A survey of the cities in the County of San Diego regarding their use of v terans' preference points; 3) An analysis of the 32 eligibility lists in effect on 5-10- 1 to determine the affect of veterans' preference points on the placement of women an minorities on those lists. (This study also determined the effect that the ro osed rule would have had on women and minorities.) 4) A mail survey of the southern California cities identified by Arthur Young & Co. as being related to the City of Chula Vista to deter ine their use of points; 5) Comments of employee groups and City department heads regardin the proposed change; 6) Two public hearings on 11-12-81 and 12-10-81; and 7) Ac- tivities surrounding the regulations of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission of California which temporarily made the awarding of veterans' preference points a violation of equal employment regulations. This regulation was succeeded by a bill introduced by Bill Cra en, R-Oceanside, again allowing employers the right to award points. All of t preferen 1. ~`, ese sources of information indicated that the effects of awarding veterans' e points as currently provided in Chula Vista had the following results: Minorities and women were adversely affected, since their participation in war time was not at the same level as white males. In the case of women, this was an artificial restriction placed on the number of women who were eligible to be a part of the armed forces. ~~ 7~~ Form A-113 (Rev. 11/79) Item 7 2-23-82 Page 2 Z. It was found that lists which were established on the basis of merit were changed by the imposition of veterans' preference points that had no relation- ship to ability to perform the duties of the job. 3. The goal of helping individuals who had served their country to mainstream into the regular work force was not being met since veterans of WWII, Korea and Viet Nam all received the same number of points, and because of the war time limitation, no individuals with service since the end of the Viet Nam war could receive any credit. It was n ted by the Commission that the City of Chula Vista was one of the only cities still aw rding veterans' preference points. In the County, only the cities of Oceanside and Chul Vista v~ere awarding points without any time limits; that is, although Coronado, E1 Cajon and the City and County of San Diego were still awarding points, the time restric- tion pla ed on the date of discharge following the end of the Viet Nam war resulted in no individu is still being eligible to receive points. Over 50% of the cities in the southern Californ a survey also were not awarding veterans' preference points. Additional informa- tion was gained by listening to groups, both for and against the awarding of veterans' preferen e points. As a res It of all of this input, the Commission has recommended a new veterans' preference rule whi h will amend the old method of awarding points in several ways. The proposed rule wil limit the awarding of points to a time period five years following discharge, without egard to whether or not service was performed during war time. The new rule will rec gnize spouses of deceased and disabled veterans for life, as long as they re- main unm tried. Another facet of the new rule is that it will award life-time points to an in ividual disabled during military service, but will tie the number of points to the perc ntage of disability. The Commission feels that these changes will improve the rule in erms of meeting its objective, while minimizing the impact on the affirmative action e forts of the City. As can b seen from the attached letters from local veterans affairs groups, this amend- ment to he Civil Service Rules, unlike those amendments proposed in the past, is being supporte by the affected groups. The Commission and staff feel that this proposed rule will hel the City meet its objectives of recognizing veterans and assuring merit hiring principl s. FISCAL SAT/bb ~~ ~~ ACT: N/A 0 ~y T.i~•- ckzu6a v,~~., c~~~~:;~ ~~i~ ~ - ~.3= Dated