“Allocation” means the official determination of the class in which a position shall be deemed to exist and the assignment of an individual position to an appropriate class.

“City service” or “service of the City” means all positions in all departments as herein defined, that are subject to control and regulation by the City Council of the City of Sebastopol.

“Class” or “class of position” means a definitely recognized kind of employment in the City service designed to embrace all positions having duties and responsibilities sufficiently similar so that the same requirements as to education, experience, knowledge and ability may be demanded of incumbents and so the same schedule of compensation may be applied with equity.

“Classified service” means all positions in the City service except those specifically placed in the exempt service.

“Compensation” means the salary, wage, allowance and all other forms of valuable consideration earned by or paid to any employee by reason of service in any position, but does not include any allowances authorized and incurred by incidents to employment.

“Continuous service” means employment with the City without break or interruption. In computing continuous service for the purpose of this chapter, neither military leaves nor leaves of absence on account of illness whether with or without pay shall be construed as a break in employment service. Other absences aggregating in excess of 90 days in any period of 12 months, including layoffs on account of lack of work, lack of funds, or abolishment of positions shall be construed as breaking continuous service.

“Employee” means a person legally occupying a position in City service.

“Exempt service” means all positions of elective and appointive officials and those specifically exempted by the City Council from the classification plan.

“Position” means a group of current duties and responsibilities assigned or delegated by competent authority, requiring the full- or part-time service of one person.

“Reallocation” means a reassignment or change in allocation of an individual position by raising it to a higher class, reducing it to a lower class, or moving it to another class at the same level on the basis of substantial changes in the kind, difficulty, or responsibility of duties performed in such position.

“Title,” “class title” or “title of class” means the designation given to or name applied to a class or to each position allocated to the class and to the legally appointed incumbent in each position allocated to the class. Its meaning is set forth in the corresponding definition and the class specification, and it is always to be used and understood in that sense, even though it may previously have had a broader, narrower, or different significance.