(a) It is the policy of the City that there shall be a comprehensive personnel system based on merit which considers diversity based upon the relevant labor pool as set forth in section 900(b). Such system shall be continued and maintained for the purpose of providing an equitable and uniform procedure for dealing with personnel matters; to serve the mutual interests of the people, the City as an employer and its employees through accepted modern concepts and practices of public personnel administration; to attract to municipal service the best and most competent person available; to assure that appointments will be based on merit and fitness as ascertained by practical competitive examination and by records of achievement; and to provide the employees security of tenure, with advancement or promotion within the service, where practicable, from among employees having appropriate qualifications, free of discrimination, subject to their adherence to established standards of performance and conduct, all as more particularly hereinafter set forth in this article.

(b) The City shall study its workforce in comparison to the relevant labor pool to determine if there are manifest racial or gender imbalances in traditionally segregated job classifications. If the study demonstrates such manifest imbalances, the City shall adopt a remedial voluntary affirmative action plan which shall be periodically updated and in effect only until the imbalances are eliminated. (Amended by: Stats. November 1988, March 1996.)

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