(a) Employees required to attend special training-development on city time by the department head shall be reimbursed in full for course and travel costs. Basic training, enabling the employee to meet the primary responsibility level of a position may be required at any time in the course of the employee's service. Employees may, if their performance is less than acceptable for their classification, be required by their department head to complete relevant training on their own time and at their own expense in order to maintain further employment in their present capacity.

    (1)    Limited to tuition expenses only, and not books, transportation, meals, lodging, activity, or any special fees;

    (2)    Limited in participation to individual departmental budgetary allotments for this purpose;

    (3)     Limited to a maximum of one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200.00) , or the cost of the course(s), whichever is less, per individual, per fiscal year;

    (4)    Limited to those courses passed with a grade of "C" or better, or "passed" if on an ungraded basis;

    (5)    Approved for full or part payment by the department head and director prior to enrollment in the course, with reimbursement by the city being made subsequent to presentation of official documentation of successful completion and receipt of cost for the course.

    (c) Reimbursement for approved college credit  correspondence school course work  shall be subject to the provisions in "(b)" above except that tuition costs may be reimbursed up to a maximum of seventy-five (75) per cent of the total cost of the course, within department budgetary limitations.

    (d) Reimbursement for formal class work or for correspondence training may be allowed in full (within aforementioned limits) dependent upon the relevance of the training to city operations and specifically, the employee's position and assigned duties as recommended by the department head and director. Employees shall be required to sign an agreement to reimburse the city for tuition costs if the employee leaves permanent city employment within twenty-four (24) months following completion of reimbursed coursework.

    (e) Costs incurred by the city shall be deducted from an employee's check if:

    (1)    General conditions in paragraph (b) of this section are not met; or

    (2)    The employee leaves the city service within twenty-four (24) months subsequent to completion of the course.

    (f) After October 1, 1978, employees receiving aid for educational/training endeavors from military programs, scholarships, or any other similar assistance shall not be eligible for tuition reimbursement from the city to the extent aid is received from military programs, scholarships, or similar assistance for such time as other aid is being received.

(Code 1964, § 22.655; Ord. No. 15355, § 1, 9-15-97; Ord. No. 17016, § 1, 9-17-01; Ord. No. 18710, § 1, 9-19-05 ; Ord. No. 20064; § 1, 9-15-08 )

     Cross reference(s)--Educational leave, § 19-125.