(1) The Administrative Board shall approve or disapprove:

(a) All rules prescribed by departments, boards and commissions for their internal government;

(b) Those parts of the civil service regulations which deal with the position classification plan, pay plan, hours of work, holidays, and vacation and sick leave;

(c) The establishment of bureaus and divisions by departments, boards and commissions and the number of deputies in the several offices and departments;

(d) The payment of extra compensation for extra services to employees of departments, boards and commissions not in the civil service, all approvals to be certified to the City Controller prior to the rendering of such services;

(e) The transfer of inspection duties from any department, board or commission to the Department of Licenses and Inspections;

(f) Requests for the disposal of City records which are not needed for the current or anticipated future operations of any department, board or commission, and which date back a period of more than four years.

(2) The Administrative Board shall determine from time to time:

(a) The hours when offices of the City government shall open and close;

(b) By what officers of the City in addition to those of whom fidelity bonds are required by this charter, and by what members of boards and commissions, and by what employees of the City fidelity bonds shall be given and in what amounts;

(c) Whether and within or above what limits the Procurement Department shall procure insurance covering liability of the City and its officers and employees;

(d) The number and type of automobiles and other vehicles to be purchased by the Procurement Department, acting either on its own behalf or as purchasing agent for any other department, board or commission;

(e) Above what limit proposals for the purchase of equipment, material or supplies must be submitted by the Procurement Department to the Director of Finance for approval.

(3) The Administrative Board shall make and promulgate rules governing:

(a) The expenses for which officers and employees may be reimbursed;

(b) The use of City automobiles by officers and employees.

(4) The Administrative Board shall from time to time investigate duplication of work of the several departments, boards and commissions, the efficiency of the organization and administration thereof, and the better coordination of the activities of such departments, boards and commissions.

ANNOTATION

Sources: The Administrative Code of 1929, Act of April 9, 1929, P.L. 177, Section 709, as amended.

Purposes: 1. The Administrative Board is generally responsible for the determination of uniform policies to govern the myriad of administrative details of government. Its purpose is to promote efficiency and economy at this level of government.

2. Rules for the internal government of the various agencies are passed upon by the Administrative Board so that they will be uniform and in conformity with general administrative policy.

3. The Board is to pass upon phases of the civil service regulations which involve the expenditure of moneys so that the regulations will be financially realistic and in conformity with City fiscal policies.

4. The Board approves or disapproves the internal organization of departments, boards and commissions so that there will not be more bureaus, divisions and deputies than are necessary, and so that such as are authorized will fit into the established scheme of City government.

5. The approval or disapproval of the payment of extra compensation for extra services of employees not subject to civil service is required to make certain that the work for which extra compensation is to be paid is necessary and will be accomplished. A further check here is the requirement that all approvals shall be certified to the City Controller before extra services are rendered.

6. The Board is to approve the transfer of inspection duties to the Department of Licenses and Inspections so that this transfer will take place in an orderly manner and only after the Department of Licenses and Inspections is adequately staffed to handle them.

7. The Board is required to pass upon requests for the disposal of City records because it will be in a position to know which records are no longer needed from the point of view of over-all City operations.

8. The Board will determine when City offices are to be opened and closed so that policy in this respect will be as far as is possible uniform and related to the needs of the public and the City.

9. The Board will determine when fidelity bonds are required other than in the instances specified in the Charter and in what amounts they shall be so that policy in this respect may be uniform and determined on the basis of an over-all view of the need of protecting the City.

10. The Board will decide when liability insurance shall be procured so that it shall not be procured unnecessarily or in too large amounts.

11. The Board will determine how many and what kind of vehicles are to be procured for the City and will make rules governing the use of City automobiles so that economies may be achieved both in their acquisition and operation.

12. The Board is given discretion to determine above what limit proposals for purchases shall require the approval of the Director of Finance so that policy in this respect may remain flexible and be determined by the status of City finances and by general economic conditions.

13. The Board is to determine by rule the kind of expenditures for which officers and employees shall be reimbursed so that policy in this respect may be uniform and sound from the point of view of the expenditure of City funds.

14. The Board is charged with the general duty of preventing the duplication of work of the various agencies of the City government and of promoting of efficiency in such work and the improved coordination of the activities of the City agencies. The faithful performance of this duty should effect important economies.

15. Thus, while the shaping and development of broad City governmental policies remain a function of the Mayor and his Cabinet, the responsibility for controlling and regulating the many administrative details of City government is vested in a small compact Board which by virtue of its membership will be particularly qualified to discharge that responsibility.

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