sr-021478CA RLK:SIS:lcb 78-22
Council Mtg: 2-14-78
Santa Monica, California
February 1, 1978
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Attorney
SUBJECT: Ordinance Establishing Veterans Preference
Introduction
This report transmits the attached ordinance
establishing a veterans preference ih entry level exam-
inations and certain promotional examinations administered
by the City of Santa Monica for introduction for first
reading and public hearing,
Background
At its meeting of November 22, 1977, the City
Council authorized the City Attorney's office to draft
the attached ordinance in conformity with its motions
made at that time. The purpose of the ordinance is to
instate a veterans preference, which is based upon
service in the armed forces of the United States (as
opposed to service in such forces in time of hostility)
within ten years of the time of application for city
employment or promotion. Apreferencial credit of ten
percent is given in the attached ordinance to persons
who have been honorably discharged or released from
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the armed forces within ten years of the time of the
examination, and who are disabled veterans. A similar
preference of five percent is given to persons who are
veterans but who are not disabled. For purposes of the
attached ordinance, a veteran is defined as any person
who has served in the armed forces of the United States,
whether such service occurred during the time of
hostilities or otherwise. The preference applies to
all entry level employment examinations, and to all
examinations for promotional positions where one of the
considerations is goals, quotas, or compliance with
affirmative action programs.
Because, according to the minutes of November 22,
1977, the motion was adopted by the City Council to prepare
"the necessary documents and ordinance necessary to place
the ordinance on the ballot for the City election in
June, 1978 if the ordinance is adopted", the ordinance is
being forwarded to the City Council at this time for its
consideration.
The City Council has the options of adopting the
attached ordinance, either as written, or with modification,
and submitting the same to the voters for possible repeal,
of submitting the ordinance without adoption by the City
Council, directly to the voters for approval, of adopting
the ordinance without submitting the same to the voters;
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CA 78-22 2-1-',
or not adopting the attached ordinance.
Copies of the previous staff report and the
Council minutes regarding the matter are attached for
information purposes,
Alternative Solutions
As noted above, the alternatives are:
1, To adopt the ordinance, and thereafter
submit the same to the voters for repeal or
ratification, in which case the necessary
election - related ordinances will be prepared
for consideration by the City Council at its
next meeting,
2, To submit the ordinance, without
action by the City Council, to the voters
for adoption,
3. To submit a modified ordinance as
indicated in (1) or (2) above,
4, To adopt the ordinance without sub-
mission to the voters.
5. To not adopt the ordinance and not
submit the same to the voters.
Because of the possibility of submitting the
attached ordinance to a vote of the people, a section
has been included so as to provide, pursuant to State
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election law, that the ordinance, if approved or ratified
by the voters of the City, may be amended or repealed
by the City Council in the future, without resubmission
to the voters.
Recommendation
It is respectfully recommended that the City
Council, if it desires to place the attached ordinance
on the June ballot, either introduce the same for first
reading and hold a public hearing thereon, with a view
toward adoption at the next Council meeting on February 28,
1978, where at the appropriate election related ordinances
may be approved, or instruct this office to prepare the
necessary election - related ordinances for submission,
together with the attached ordinance at the next Council
meeting so that the attached ordinance may be directly
submitted to the voters, whichever is preferred; by. he
City Council.
Prepared by: Richard L. Knickerbocker, City Attorney
Samuel I. Streichman, Assistant City Attorney
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