HB 1545

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to the City of Lakeland, Polk County;
3amending the Charter of the City of Lakeland; providing
4for replacing all current members of the civil service
5board; increasing membership of the board; deleting an
6obsolete provision; providing that the civil service
7director shall be a city employee and supervised by the
8city manager; providing membership of the pension board;
9providing qualification of members; providing that the
10board may employ a retirement services director; providing
11duties of the retirement services director; providing an
12effective date.
13
14Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16     Section 1.  Sections 2, 3, 6, and 8 of Article I of
17Division II and section 22.1 of Article II of that division of
18the Charter of the City of Lakeland are amended, and sections
1922.3, 22.4, and 22.5 are added to Article II, to read:
20
ARTICLE I.
21
CIVIL SERVICE BOARD
22     Section 2.  Appointment of initial members.
23     On June 1, 2008, or as soon thereafter as practical As of the
24effective of this section, in addition to those members then
25serving on the present civil service board who shall continue to
26serve for the terms for which they were appointed, the city
27commission shall appoint three (3) two (2) persons and the full-
28time employees of the city shall appoint three (3) two (2) persons
29to the board. The six (6) four (4) new members shall be appointed
30in the following manner: Two (2) One (1) to serve a one-year terms
31term; two (2) one (1) to serve a two-year terms term; and two (2)
32to serve three-year terms. Upon taking office, those members shall
33select a seventh member. That member shall serve a three-year
34term.
35     Section 3.  Appointment of subsequent members; terms.
36     Upon the expiration of the terms described above, successor
37members shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years. Each year
38the city commission shall appoint one member and the full-time
39employees of the city shall appoint one member. Successors to the
40seventh member serving as the selection of the other members of
41the board shall be selected by the other members of the board.
42Beginning January 1, 1977, and each third year thereafter, or upon
43any earlier vacancy in the membership by the member appointed by
44the members of the board, the board shall appoint one member. The
45method of election of members to the civil service board by full-
46time employees of the City of Lakeland under this section and the
47previous section shall be prescribed by ordinance.
48     Section 6.  Authority to employ civil service director,
49clerk, etc., and prescribe their duties.
50     The civil service board is authorized on behalf of the City
51of Lakeland, with the concurrence of the City Manager, to employ,
52as a City of Lakeland employee, a director of civil service. The
53City of Lakeland, who shall employ such staff of employees as may
54be reasonably necessary for the proper performance of the duties
55of the board. The board shall prescribe the duties to be performed
56by the director of civil service, who shall be supervised on a
57day-by-day basis by the City Manager or his or her designee.
58     Section 8.  Election of chairman; term; filling of vacancy.
59     Upon initial appointment of the board and immediately after
60the first of January each year, the board shall organize by
61electing one of its members as chairman to hold office until the
62election and qualification of his or her successor at the next
63organization meeting of the said board. In the event the office of
64the board member, who shall be chairman, shall become vacant, a
65new chairman shall be elected by the board immediately after such
66vacancy shall be filled.
67
ARTICLE II.
68
CITY OF LAKELAND EMPLOYEES' PENSION AND RETIREMENT SYSTEM
69     Section 22.1.  Board of trustees, members, terms of office.
70     (a)  The City of Lakeland Employee Pension System shall be
71administered by a pension board consisting of seven (7) trustees.
72Those trustees serving on May 31, 2008, shall continue to serve
73until the expiration of the terms for which they were appointed.
74Subsequent appointments shall be made in accordance with Section
7522.3. The present members of the civil service board and their
76successors in office shall serve also on the pension board. Before
77entering upon his or her duties as a member of the board, each
78member shall take and subscribe to the oath of office required by
79the city charter, which oath shall be administered and filed by
80the city clerk.
81     (b)  Immediately after the first of January each year, the
82board shall, by majority vote, elect from the trustees a chairman.
83The chairman shall serve for the calendar year. In the event the
84office shall become vacant, a new officer shall immediately be
85elected by the board from among the board members. The retirement
86civil services director shall serve as secretary of the board and
87shall keep a complete minute book of the actions, proceedings or
88hearings of the board. The retirement civil services director
89shall also be the custodian of all records and files of said
90board.
91     (c)  The trustees shall not receive any compensation as such
92but may receive reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred in
93connection with their duties as a trustee, provided such
94reimbursement is approved by the board.
95     (d)  Any action by the board shall require the vote of at
96least four (4) trustees present and eligible to vote. Four (4)
97trustees present and eligible to vote shall constitute a quorum.
98Any action by the board shall require the vote of at least four
99(4) trustees.
100     (e)  Those board members serving on the effective date of
101this article are hereby continued in office for the remainder of
102their terms.
103     (f)  The board shall meet as often as is necessary, upon the
104call of the chairman or any member thereof, or upon the request of
105the retirement services director of civil service.
106     (g)  The board shall promulgate rules of procedure as may be
107required for the conduct of its business.
108     Section 22.3.  Appointment of subsequent trustees; terms.
109     Upon the expiration of the terms described in Section 22.1,
110successor members of the pension board shall be appointed for
111terms of three (3) years each as follows: Each year the city
112commission shall appoint one trustee and the full-time employees
113of the city shall appoint one trustee. Successors to the seventh
114trustee serving as the selection of the other members of the
115board shall be selected by the other members of the board. The
116method of election of members to the pension board by full-time
117employees of the City of Lakeland under this section shall be
118prescribed by ordinance.
119     Section 22.4.  Qualification of members.
120     Any qualified voter residing in the City of Lakeland who is
121over the age of twenty-one (21) years shall be eligible to hold
122office as a member of the pension board, provided that no person
123who has been convicted of a felony and, except as provided in
124this section, no person who is or has been within one (1) year
125prior to his or her election or appointment an officer or
126employee of the city shall be eligible for election or
127appointment to such office. The city commission may appoint one
128person to the pension board who is or has been within one (1)
129year prior to his or her election or appointment an officer or
130employee of the city and the full-time employees of the City of
131Lakeland may appoint one such individual to the board, provided
132that no more than two such individuals may serve on the board at
133any one time.
134     Section 22.5.  Authority to employ retirement services
135director and prescribe duties.
136     The pension board is authorized on behalf of the City of
137Lakeland, with the concurrence of the City Manager, to employ, as
138a City of Lakeland employee, a retirement services director. The
139City of Lakeland shall employ such staff of employees as may be
140reasonably necessary for the proper performance of the duties of
141the board. The board shall prescribe the duties to be performed by
142the retirement services director.
143     Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.