Sec. 11-64. - Examination procedure.

(a)

Announcements. The director of personnel shall publicly announce by official bulletins and other suitable informational releases all competitive examinations for entrance into or promotion within the classified service for a minimum period of 14 calendar days prior to the administration of the examination. Such bulletins shall be posted on a bulletin board in the city hall and in such other public buildings as will ensure that any interested resident may be informed about employment opportunities in the city classified service. The director of personnel shall also place advertisements on the city's website. The bulletins and advertisements shall specify the title and pay range of the class position, a description of the work to be performed, the minimum qualifications required, the time, place and manner of filing applications, the minimum score required on the written examination and any other pertinent information. If a minimum score is not announced, then the director will determine the passing score prior to the opening of applicants' identification envelopes.

(b)

Application forms. Applications shall be made on forms provided by the director of personnel. Such forms shall require information concerning experience, training and other pertinent information and may include fingerprinting. All applications must be signed by the person applying. Whenever an application is rejected, notice of such rejection with a statement of reason shall be mailed to the applicant. A defective application may be returned to the applicant with notice to amend the application.

(c)

Residency. No residency requirement shall be required with respect to applicants. All appointees to the city service shall be required upon completion of their probationary period to be residents of the state, or residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts residing in the area within a ten-mile radius of the city hall of this city, unless an extension of such period is granted by the city council.

(d)

Disqualifications. The director of personnel shall reject any application that indicates on its face that the applicant does not possess the minimum qualifications established for the class of position, is physically unfit for the performance of the duties of the class, is addicted to the habitual use of drugs or intoxicating liquors, has been recently convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, has wilfully made any false statement of any material fact or has practiced or attempted to practice any deception or fraud in his application.

(e)

Examinations generally. Examinations may consist of written, oral, performance or physical tests or any combination thereof or any other forms which will test fairly the qualifications of applicants. The following may be included:

(1)

A written test may be used to measure the knowledge, ability, judgment, aptitude or alertness of candidates insofar as such traits are related to the work in a class or career service.

(2)

An oral test may be used to evaluate the personal fitness, experience and training, knowledge, capacity and judgment of candidates. In considering personal fitness it will be appropriate to evaluate personality traits, but the evaluation shall be done on a basis that is as competitive as possible.

(3)

A performance test may consist of candidates actually doing samples of work or the class and then rating their work results, speed and accuracy.

(4)

A physical test may consist of competitive exercises or events designed to measure agility, strength, coordination or fitness. Such a test is in addition to the medical examination by a physician which may also be required.

(5)

The competitive evaluation of the candidates shall be based upon the above enumerated tests. Additionally such competitive evaluation may consider the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of experience and education offered by candidates as well as reports of superiors, former employers and educational institutions; however, consideration of these factors may not be used in lieu of, or as a substitute for, the above-enumerated testing procedures.

(f)

Conduct of examinations. Examinations for entrance into or promotion within the classified service shall be conducted in as many places in the city as the director may find necessary. The director may designate monitors to take charge of examinations under instructions. The identity of persons taking competitive written tests shall be concealed by the use of identification numbers instead of names on all test papers.

(g)

Rating examinations. The final score of a candidate shall be based upon all tests and evaluations in the examination. Failure in one part or test of the examination may be grounds for declaring candidates as failing in the entire examination or as disqualified for subsequent parts of an examination. In addition, in rating examinations for entrance into the classified service, except for police and fire candidates, the director shall increase the score of a candidate, one point for each consecutive year that such current resident-candidate has been a resident of the city up to a maximum of ten points. In rating examinations for police and fire candidates for entrance into the classified service, the director shall increase the score of a current resident-candidate one point for each consecutive year that such candidate has been a resident of the city up to a maximum of five points. Furthermore, in rating examinations for entrance into the classified service, the director shall increase the score of a veteran-candidate four points or five points for a post-9/11 veteran-candidate, up to a maximum of five points. However, the maximum amount of incentive points that a candidate may receive is to be capped at five points. For the purposes of this section, the terms "veteran" and "post-9/11 veteran" are as defined in the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) To Hire Heroes Act of 2011, 5 U.S.C. § 2108, as may be amended from time to time. Seventy percent shall be the lowest score on an examination to be acceptable as qualifying and the maximum score shall be 100 percent.

(h)

Domicile; established. For purposes of this section only, a person's residence is his fixed or established domicile. The determinant of one's domicile is that person's factual physical presence in the city on a regular basis incorporating an intention to reside for an indefinite period. This domicile is the place to which, upon temporary absence, he has the intention of returning. Once acquired, this domicile continues until another domicile is established. A person can have only one domicile.

(i)

Documents establishing residency. Upon application for an entrance examination the applicant shall provide to the director, for purposes of establishing residency for this section, two of the following documents: Voter registration, a state driver's license, a motor vehicle registration certificate, state and federal income tax returns, documents establishing the address furnished to the tax collector and/or assessor in those communities where the applicant owns taxable real or personal property for the purpose of notifying the applicant, a document establishing the address furnished to insurance companies with which the applicant maintains policies, document establishing the address furnished to their present employer, document establishing the address furnished to any business, professional, union or fraternal organization to which the applicant is a member and a document establishing the address furnished by the applicant to governmental agencies with which the applicant has contact.

(j)

Notice of examination results. As soon as possible after the conclusion of an examination, the director shall rate such tests and shall notify each competitor by mail of his relative position on such list or his failure to obtain a place on such employment or promotion list. After the eligible list has been established, the markings and test papers of each competitor shall be open to his personal inspection during business hours, provided that such inspection shall be limited to within 15 days after notices were mailed. Any marking error discovered during this time shall be corrected by the director, provided that such correction shall not invalidate any certification or appointment previously made.

(k)

Promotional examinations. As the needs of the service may require, promotional tests may be conducted from time to time and may include, in addition to the types of tests listed in this chapter, evaluations of performance for the city and accomplishments in special training courses. All candidates for promotion must be regular employees in the classified service and must possess the minimum qualifications for the class to which promotion is sought. Employees hired under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, who have successfully completed six months of service and who possess the minimum qualifications for the class shall also be admitted to such an examination, and a separate Comprehensive Employment and Training Act promotional list shall be establishment. In the filling of any classified vacancy on a promotional basis, the promotional list of regular classified employees shall be used first. Upon exhaustion of that list, the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act promotional list shall be utilized, except that if insufficient eligibles remain on the regular promotional list to constitute a full certification, eligibles shall be certified from the comprehensive employment and training act promotional list to complete the certification.

(Rev. Ords. 1987, § 11-64; Ch. 73, § I, 6-1-99; Ch. 564, § I, 9-4-12; Ch. 647, § I, 4-5-16; Ch. 666, § I, 3-21-17)