HomeMy WebLinkAboutA014 - Motion to suspend certain Civil Service Requirements for the Police DepartmentITEM #:14
DATE:09-22-26
DEPT:POLICE
SUBJECT:TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
Chapter 400 of Iowa Code requires that cities follow civil service rules in the hiring, promotion,
discipline, and discharge of most full-time employees. The purpose of these rules is to ensure
that employment decisions are made on the basis of merit. One aspect of the civil service
regulations is that the process to hire employees can be more cumbersome than hiring
for non-civil service positions. This can be challenging in areas where there are a
substantial number of vacancies to fill.
In July 2024, legislation went into effect that created Iowa Code Section 400.12A. This
new section provides the option for a City Council, by majority vote, to suspend certain
Civil Service requirements for a City department for a period of 12 months. Specifically,
the City Council now has the authority to suspend Section 400.11(1)(a), which
describes the process of creating a Civil Service list.
In September 2025, City Council approved a request from City staff to suspend the
requirements of Iowa Code section 400.11(1)(a) as they apply to the Ames Police
Department starting October 8, 2025. City staff is asking the Council to continue
utilizing this flexibility to suspend the requirements of Iowa Code section 400.11(1)(a)
as they apply to the Ames Police Department for another 12-month period.
The civil service process for hiring employees in the Police Department includes certifying a
list of eligible candidates at a monthly Civil Service Commission meeting. Once a list has been
certified, all names on the list are considered eligible for hire, and the City cannot begin a new
recruitment process until the people on the list have been hired or removed from the list. The
background process in the Police Department is extensive, and oftentimes candidates are
removed from the list due to a failure of some aspect of this process. This means recruitments
can take considerably longer than for other departments.
Operating without certifying a Civil Service list has allowed the City to conduct a
number of recruitments throughout the year. In October 2025, there were five vacant
Police Officer positions. Six other officers were in training and not yet able to be assigned to
shifts. Five other officers were on military leave or light duty assignments as a result of injuries.
The Police Department currently has three police officer vacancies, with five new officers
recently hired and in training. The Police Department also currently has three public safety
dispatcher vacancies, which utilize a similar hiring process. Continuing to operate with this
flexibility will allow the department to move through recruitment processes more
quickly, which will in turn allow for vacancies to be filled more efficiently.
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In approving this measure, all candidates would continue to be evaluated for positions
based on previously used requirements (including a preliminary qualifications
screening, oral interview, written exam, Chief's interview, background investigation,
psychological exam, polygraph exam, clinical interview, and physical exam,
a s applicable for the position). However, by removing the requirement for the Civil
Service Commission to certify a list of qualified candidates for another 12-month
period, staff can run more frequent and/or continuous recruitments. This allows a more
efficient hiring process that should allow the department to reach full staffing levels
more quickly.
The suspension of the Civil Service Commission certification process does not affect
the rights of an employee once they have been appointed to a position--the employee
would still have the right to appeal certain employment actions to the Civil Service
Commission if such an action occurred. The suspension of the civil service hiring practices
may be in effect for no more than one year, unless the City Council votes for an extension
upon the expiration of the original suspension period.
If approved by the City Council, staff would continue to launch non-civil service recruitment
processes in regular intervals during the next 12 months.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. In accordance with the authority in Iowa Code Section 400.12A, approve the suspension
of the Civil Service hiring requirements in Iowa Code Section 400.11(1)(a) for the Police
Department for the period of October 9, 2026, through October 8, 2027.
2. Direct staff to revert to previous methods of recruitment for Police Department
employees in accordance with normal civil service requirements.
3. Refer this item back to staff for additional information.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Iowa Code Chapter 400.12A is a provision that allows a City Council to suspend the
creation of a list of eligible hires (Iowa Code Section 400.11(1)(a)) for a department of
the City for a period of 12 months. Taking this action for the Police Department will
sustain a more efficient process that allows for continuous recruitments and help the
department fill vacancies more quickly. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City
Manager that City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as outlined above.
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