The Florida Retirement System has varying classifications (service classes) of employees with respective contribution rates.  The Chief of Police position has been classified in the Special Risk Service Class.  However, the position also qualifies for the Senior Management Service Class.  The current Chief of Police has already retired from the Special Risk Service Class and thus is not eligible to re-enter that classification.  Therefore, this request is to classify the Chief of Police position to Senior Management Service Class.

Per Florida Statute 121.055(1)(b)1, effective January 1, 1994, additional positions may be designated for inclusion in the Senior Management Service Class if:

a. Positions to be included in the class are designated by the local agency employer. Notice of intent to designate positions for inclusion in the class must be published once a week for 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county or counties affected, as provided in chapter 50.

b. Up to 10 nonelective full-time positions may be designated for each local agency employer reporting to the department; for local agencies with 100 or more regularly established positions, additional nonelective full-time positions may be designated, not to exceed 1 percent of the regularly established positions within the agency.

c. Each position added to the class must be a managerial or policymaking position filled by an employee who is not subject to continuing contract and serves at the pleasure of the local agency employer without civil service protection, and who:

(I) Heads an organizational unit; or

(II) Has responsibility to effect or recommend personnel, budget, expenditure, or policy decisions in his or her areas of responsibility.

The required Notice of Intent was published on the dates of August 20, 2015 and August 27, 2015. The City currently has nine (9) SMSC designated positions. The Chief of Police position meets all requirements regarding the managerial scope of responsibility over the Alachua Police Department including but not limited to the areas of budget, expenditure, policy and personnel.