§ 33:2452 — Civil service department

A.(1) There shall be a civil service department, which shall receive adequate annual funding for salaries and administrative expenses, office space, furnishings, and equipment in order to effectively carry out the department's function as provided for by the Part. It shall consist of a classified civil service director, who shall be the executive head of the department, and a civil service board, which shall be policymaking and quasi judicial in nature.
(2) The civil service director shall be appointed by the civil service board. The civil service director shall be qualified and experienced in personnel administration and shall be responsible to the civil service board for the administration of the classified parish departments, offices, and agencies in accordance with civil service rules adopted pursuant to this Part.
B. The duties of the civil service director shall include, but shall not be restricted to the following:
(1) To develop and, upon adoption, to administer a position classification plan which shall provide for the classification of all positions on the basis of duties and responsibilities of each position. The classification plan shall be submitted to the civil service board, and it shall become effective upon approval by the civil service board after public hearing.
(2) To develop and, upon adoption, to administer a salary plan for all positions in parish service. Such salary plan shall be submitted to the civil service board, which, after public hearing, shall submit it together with such amendments as it deems necessary, to the police jury.
(3) To prepare civil service rules to carry out the provisions of this Section. These rules shall be submitted to the civil service board which, after public hearing, shall make amendments as it deems necessary. These rules shall become effective upon approval by the civil service board and shall have the full force of law. Such rules shall apply to all parish departments, offices, agencies, and special districts and shall provide for:
(a) Policies and procedures for the administration of the classification plan.
(b) Policies and procedures for the administration of the salary plan.
(c) Policies and methods for holding civil service tests to determine the merit and fitness of candidates for all regular position appointments.
(d) The establishment and maintenance of lists of persons eligible for appointment by reason of successful participation in competitive tests and procedures for the certification of persons from eligible lists for filling vacancies.
(e) The procedure for layoff, suspension, demotion, and dismissal of employees, which shall provide for public hearings before the personnel board in cases of demotion or dismissal of permanent employees.
(f) Hours of work, attendance regulations, leaves of absence with or without pay, working test periods, and temporary appointments.
(g) An actuarially sound retirement system for parish employees which shall take into account any existing system or systems.
(h) Prohibition against political activity of employees and assessment for political purposes.
(i) Other policies, practices, and procedures necessary for the administration of the parish classified civil service system.
C.(1) The civil service board shall be appointed or elected as provided under the provisions of this Subsection and shall consist of five electors of Rapides Parish, who hold no other public office or position in parish government except for the elected employee member, and who have resided within the parish for at least one year. Members of the board shall serve without compensation.
(a) The first members shall be appointed for terms of one, two, three, four, and five years, respectively. The members shall select their terms by lot, except the employee member shall serve the five-year term. Thereafter, appointment shall be for three-year terms, except the employee member shall serve a five-year term.
(b) One member shall be appointed by the police jury from a list of three names submitted by the chancellor of Louisiana State University at Alexandria.
(c) One member shall be appointed by the police jury from a list of three names submitted by the president of Louisiana College.
(d) One member shall be appointed by the police jury from a list of three names submitted by the president of Grambling State University.
(e) One member shall be appointed by the police jury from a list of three names submitted by the Alexandria Bar Association.
(f) One member shall be elected by the Rapides Parish employees covered under this Part, as required by law.
(2) Within sixty days after a vacancy occurs, the nominating authority concerned shall submit the required nominations. Within sixty days thereafter, the police jury shall make the appointment. If the police jury fails to appoint within sixty days, the nominee whose name is first on the list of nominees automatically shall become a member of the board. If one of the nominating authorities fails to submit nominees in the time required, the board of directors of the Louisiana Civil Service League shall make the appointment. If one of the named nominators ceases to exist, the police jury shall choose the president of another accredited college or university within Louisiana to replace the nominator. The outgoing board member shall serve on the board until replaced by the newly appointed member.
D.(1) Whenever the term of a board member expires or there is a vacancy in an unexpired term, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment in accordance with the procedures of the original appointment, and from the same source.
(2) A member of the civil service board may be removed by the police jury for cause, after being served with written specifications of the charges against him and being afforded an opportunity for a public hearing thereon by the police jury.

Legislative History

Acts 1993, No. 387, §1, eff. June 7, 1993.