ORD CC 03/06/79 - Amending Charter Sec. 4.13ORDINANCE NO. 79-3
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 4.13 OF ARTICLE IV
OF THE CHARTER OF CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS BY
DESIGNATING PRESENT SECTION 4.13 AS SECTION 4.13A
AND ADDING SECTION 4.13B PROVIDING AN APPEAL PRO-
CEDURE FOR ALL CITY OF HUNTSVILLE EMPLOYEES OTHER
THAN THOSE APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL AND PROVIDING
THAT SUCH AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER BE SUBMITTED
AT AN ELECTION TO BE HELD NOT LESS THAN THIRTY (30)
DAYS NOR MORE THAN NINETY (90) DAYS AFTER PASSAGE
OF SAID ORDINANCE.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HUNTS -
VILLE, TEXAS, that Section 4.13 of Article IV of the Charter of the
City of Huntsville, Texas, be amended as follows:
SECTION 4.13. REINSTATEMENT OF APPOINTED, SALARIED OFFICERS OR
EMPLOYEES SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY AND APPEAL PRO-
CEDURE FOR REGULAR EMPLOYEES HIRED BY CITY.
A. In the event six of the councilmen, qualified
and serving, suspend without pay any appointed, salaried officer
or employee of the City which the Council under this Charter has
the power to appoint or hire, in the manner authorized by this
Charter, such suspended officer or employee may within fifteen
(15) days after the date of his suspension file a written petition
with the Council requesting a hearing on such suspension.
Said Petition shall be signed by the Officer or
employee, shall contain his home address, and shall state whether he
desires a public or a private hearing. If the Petition is timely
and properly filed, the Council shall within ten (10) days there-
after set a time for hearing such petition, such hearing to be held
not less than six nor more than twenty (20) days thereafter and to
be either a public or a private hearing, as requested by the sus-
pended officer or employee in his Petition. The City Secretary
shall give written notice of the time of such hearing to the
suspended officer or employee at the address shown in the petition
by depositing the same, postage paid by registered or certified
mail, return receipt requested, in the United States mail at least
five days prior to the date of such hearing. All such hearings
shall be held at the City Hall of the City. At the hearing, the -
councilmen and the suspended officer or employee shall be given
the right to be heard. Within ten (10) days following such hearing,
six (6) of the councilmen qualified: and serving may remove sus-
pension and reinstate the officer or employee to his office or
position of employment, in which event such officer or employee
shall be entitled to receive all wages and benefits lost during
the period of his suspension. However, if the petition is not
timely or properly filed or if six of the councilmen qualified and
serving do not remove the suspension and reinstate such officer or
employee, his removal and discharge shall be effective as of the
date of his suspension by six of the councilmen qualified and
serving. The action of the councilmen on the question of the
removal of such suspension and reinstatement shall be final.
B. All city employees other than those employees
appointed by council may appeal to council to hear and resolve
grievances of personnel matters as they relate to promotions,
demotions, disciplinary actions and terminations after a proper
appeal to the City Manager for relief. Such appeal to council shall
be made according to same procedures available to employees
appointed or employed by council as set out in Paragraph A of this
section. With at least six (6) of the council, qualified and
serving, the decision by the council shall be by majority and the
decision may be to affirm, reverse, set aside or reduce any previous
decision as well as to reinstate the employee and such decision
shall be final.
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS, that these amendments be submitted to the
qualified voters of the City at an election to be held not less
than thirty (30) days nor more than ninety (90) days after passage
of this ordinance.
PASSED AND APPROVED IN OPEN COUNCIL ON THIS 6TH DAY OF
MARCH, A.D. 1979.
,C Y SEC1TARY
JAcp HANEY, C ATTORNEY
MORRIS 1. W.