Item 21 - Omnibus Amendments to Chapter 2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code

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Omnibus Ordinance Amendment April 1, 2025 Page 2 4 9 4 2 Boards and Commissions. Section 2-328 addresses meetings, election of a chairperson and recording secretaries for all Boards and Commissions but also contains a provision specific to the Personnel Board which states that the Board will meet monthly provided that there is business on the agenda to come before it. This provision is being deleted and a new code section regarding meetings for the Personnel Board will be added to Division 3 which contains municipal code provisions specific to that Board. Section 2-331.5- [New] Meetings The City of Santa Ana Personnel Board was established by the City of Santa Ana Charter and Municipal Code. One of the Board's principal duties is to provide a final administrative review of disciplinary matters involving permanent employees of the City of Santa Ana who have been demoted, suspended, or dismissed/terminated from employment. The Board's appellate review is a full evidentiary hearing wherein the Board applies its independent judgment to the law, facts, and arguments presented in each case. The duration of individual hearings varies. These proceedings include pre-hearing procedures, the evidentiary hearing, and Board deliberation and decision proceedings. Hearings are conducted in the evenings and require the coordination of many schedules due to the large number of individuals involved, including the employee/appellant and their representative(s), the City representative(s), City staff, the seven (7) Board members, Board counsel, witnesses, and a court reporter. Hearings take at a minimum twenty to twenty-five (20-25) calendar days to conclude; see attached Sample Timeline of an Appeal to the Personnel Board (Exhibit 1). However, the average case is heard over ten (10) – fourteen (14) evenings which will take eight (8) to twelve (12) months due to scheduling coordination. The ordinance addition would change the Personnel Board meetings from a minimum of one meeting a month (assuming there is business before the Board) to a minimum of two meetings a month, on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, provided the Board has business. This will facilitate advance scheduling and a more efficient execution of the Personnel Board appeals by establishing a minimum of two (2) evenings per month available for hearing appeals. The Personnel Board has met on this issue and identified that they prefer the second and fourth Thursdays of the month as Regular Meeting dates. Establishing the Regular Meeting dates does not preclude the Personnel Board from meeting more often while hearing an appeal. Sections 2-748 and 2-749 [New] City Manager, City Clerk, and City Attorney Contracting Authority On November 5, 2024, the voters approved a Charter amendment to provide contracting authority to the City Clerk and City Attorney based upon the purchasing policies and dollar limitations established for the City Manager or at such other amounts adopted by the City Council. A municipal code amendment is proposed to implement such contracting