Box 15, Folder 11, Document 28

Box 15, Folder 11, Document 28

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PERSONNEL BOARD
CITY HALL ANNEX
260 CENTRAL AVENUE, 5. W.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303
CARL T. SUTHERLAND ;
Director April 2 1968

Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr.
City of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Mayor Allen:

Pursuant to your guidance at the organizational meeting of
the Advisory Committee on Civil Disorders held in the City
Hall March 19, 1968, and to careful reading of Chapters 10
and 17 of Report of the National Advisory Commission on
Civil Disorders, I have reached the conclusion that the
City Personnel Department for several years gradually has
been putting into practice most of the recommendations of
the Commission pertaining to employment. I agree, however,
that other steps should be taken and have prepared two
recommendations, one that requires action and money from
the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Both require cooperation
from all departments of the City government.

Though it is true that the objective of the City Personnel
Department to provide the City government with the best
qualified personnel available and to do so by operation of

a competitive merit system designed to give priority to the
best qualified applicants, the Civil Service Act is suf-
ficiently flexible to provide for certain types of temporary
employment in the unclassified service. The Civil Service
Act also gives the Personnel Director wide latitude in estab-
lishing requirements for applicants, and I have exercised
the authority given me to adjust standards to meet condi-
tions that have confronted the City government during the
past several years.

Requirements have been reduced for nearly all classes of
jobs. Establishment of minimum standards is avoided as
Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. -—2= April 2, 1968

-™much as deemed practicable, and for most jobs the word
"desirable" has been substituted for "minimum" in listing
education, training, and experience standards. Performance
tests have replaced written tests wherever practicable.

With approval of the Personnel Board, employment of per-
sonnel with criminal records has been liberalized except for
positions concerned with law enforcement, working with
children in the schools and recreation departments, and in
other positions of trust and responsibility. Upon the
recommendation of state and county parole authorities, we
have approved employment of parolees with good prison de-
portment records.

The age limits have been lowered to 20 for Police Patrolmen,
18 for Firemen, and 17 for clerical and unskilled personnel.
Locker attendants and life guards may be employed at age 16.
Few job classes have maximum age limits except those set by
statute. Though there is reluctance by many department

heads to employ personnel above age 40, considerable numbers
above age 50, and several above age 60, have been employed.

As you are aware, since January 1, 1962, Negroes, whose ap-
plications prior to this time were accepted only for entrance
level jobs, have been encouraged to apply for all classes of
jobs, and many have been employed in jobs above the entrance
level.

The Personnel Training Coordinator with the cooperation of
the Public Works Department has established a training
program for truck driver aspirants, enabling both White and
Negro Laborers and Waste Collectors to be trained and to
meet the requirements for promotion. This program will be
continued.

Also, with the cooperation of the Atlanta Public Schools,

a training program for first level supervisory personnel

has been established to upgrade the qualifications of incum-
bents of first level supervisory positions and to qualify
applicants for promotion to these positions,
Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. =—3— April 2, 1968

The Personnel Training Coordinator also planned and organized
with the cooperation of the Sanitary Department (now the
Sanitation Division of the Public Works Department) the At-—
lanta Beautification Corps, a federally financed program
under the sponsorship of Economic Opportunity Atlanta. This
program employs approximately fifty disadvantaged persons
ranging from age 18 to age 68 and is composed of about 88%
women, largely Negro. Mr. Farrow still exercises overall
supervision of this program. Numerous favorable comments
concerning the deportment and accomplishments of this group
have been received from interested citizens and personnel of
the City government. Mr. Farrow reports that if funds were
available, several hundred additional personnel could be
employed in the Atlanta Beautification Corps with advantage
to both the employees and the City.

The positive actions referred to above have done much to
provide career opportunities for disadvantaged minorities,
but much still needs to be done. Two programs prepared by
members of my staff, outlines of which are attached hereto,
are proposed to assist in implementation of some of the em-
ployment objectives of the Report of the National Advisory
Commission on Civil Disorders. These programs would provide
employment opportunities for approximately 200 disadvantaged
personnel.

Respectfully,

CARL T,. SUTHERLAND
Director of Personnel

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