Minutes 10/14/1969 - Laserfiche WebLink

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October 14. 1969 69-313 - "At the last meeting of the City Council, Councilman Tutelar requested a report on equal onportu- .nity l~ittI%u :the City Government. The City is committed to the policy and philosophy of equal employment opportunities for all applicants and all its employees. Discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, age or national origin is strictly prohibited. With the installation of our n~¢ Personnel Department, equal pay for equal work will be assured by our new ClasSification and Pay Plan. Specifications are being written coverning all positions in. our City Govern- ment. ~lese specifications will describe the necessary knowledge, skill, ability, experience, and training necessary to perform each position. EmploYment practices will be uniform due to our central employment office coordinating the processing of applicants, administration of professional tests, and selection based on matchin the applicants' qualifications against the specifications of work to be perfOrmed. Promotion is soley on the basis of merit and whenever possible, we will promote from iwthin. All discharges are reviewed by the Director of Personnel to assure just cause for dismissal. Employees shall have the right of appeal on ~all cases of dis- missal if they desire. All employees will be treated equally with regard to working conditions and other facilities. - In my check of the various City departments, I found them quite aware that the City is committed to equal opportunity for employment. All department heads said they consider neither race nor creed when applicants are selected for j~b openings. There is data which supports this. The departments generally are interested in obtaining job candidates who meet the qualifications for a particular job. The qualifications vary department- wise due to the variation of the position requirements themselves. Education and experience are important in some departments, wh~le education is of little importance in others as a criteria for obtaining a job. Also, several departments come under provisions of the State Merit System as well as those of the City. Among the departments utilitizing the Merit System requirements are the Public Health Department and the SoC,.al Service Bureau. At the present time 34 of 10! employees in the Water Department are Negro. Of this number, 5 work in the Suffolk Division and are on monthly salaries. In Suffolk we have one Negro Purification Plant Operator and one Negro Waterworks Mechanic. These men occupy positions of equal classification with all other employees doin the sam. e job. These men were promoted to their present positions based on proven ability, tn Portsmouth, we emphasize equal opportunity and all employees are considered for openings based on proven ability. Presently, we have two Negro Foremen in our Construction Division. The Assessor's Office e~oloys four men and five women. Two these women are Negro. Buildings .and Grounds works Negro and white together. Three of the Unit's five maintenance men are Negro, all carrying MechDnic's rating. They are paid at a higher scale than some of the whites. In Public Works Department, there is a Negro Foreman promoted from the ranks of the Trash and Garbage Department, and another Foreman is in the Sewer Division. q~nis department has also employed on a part-time basis some STOP people throughtthe summer in the office. The Traffic Engineering Department policy on equal opportunity is the same. I was informed that an effort.was made recently to hire Negroes for several jobs witch- in this lmit but no applications were forthcoming. The Police Department has six Negro Detectives and three others hold the rank of Sergeant. There are no race restrictions; however¥~ physical requirements must be met and tests are given by the Civil Service Commis~ sion for entran~into this department. The Fire Department also operates under the Civil Service System, the same test ~ing given to all applicants. There are five Negroes presently employedin this department. All too!< the promotional exam for Engineer rating and are on the promotional list according to the resullS of their test grades. The Building Official requires experienced men for Inspector's jobs. There are only two clerical positions Equal opportunity as far as race and creed are concerned exists for all applicants. Two girls in the STOP pro- gram worked during the summer months. In the Recreation Department, meeting the qualifications again is the sole criteria. Just as playgrounds are desegregated, so are the recreational ~ersonnel employed. The Unit's athletic director is a Negro working out of'the main office in the Municipal B~ilding. The Program Director for all playgrounds and centers is also a Negro. His office is in Douglas Park. In the Library, the Acting Head for Circulation of the main Library is a Negro. The City Garage has two Specialists, an automotive man, a Negro, and the Body and Paint man, a white. Five of the~ge's eight auto mechanics are Negro. The Parks Department has two Negro Foremen and two white Foremen and all pay grades are the same. In the Planning Department, the Urban Analyst and Assistant to the School Superintendent for Site Develop- ment is rated a Planner III, one of the highest grades in the department. A Negro student was hired under the ICT Program, advancing to Draftsman I after finishing school, and has recently been called into the Army. Ail positions are defined on the basis of qualified needs." Motion of Mr. Turner~t~at the report be received was adopted, without dissenting vote. 69-$14 - "At the last meeting of the City Council, a complaint was referred to me concerning the dump at Sugar Hill in the Pinners Point area with a request that a report be made to the City Council. The Public Works Department advises me that ~cks do dump on this marsh land 24 hours per day from noon Monday throuin 4:00 P.~. Saturday. All burned refuse from the incinerator is deposited in this area which is approximately 200 loads per week. The damping in this area is confined to solid material; therefore, it does contain concrete slabs from street repairs. This material is used for containment of the slopes at the edge of the marsh. The bet tin cans from the incinerator will steam for a period of time even though they are sffbjected to a water bath before being carried from the incinerator. We do not burn at this disposal area nor is anyone else given permission to do so. With the exception of the area being filled at the moment, the area is completely covered with weeds and grass. The concrete slabs were placed along the edge of the field to retain it. All debris other than solid material is removed from the shoreline and buried on the site.