HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Civil Services Commission - 11/25/1985 (3) CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
November 25, 1985
The regular meeting was called to order by Chairman T. Richard Ried at
8:00 a.m. In attendance: Mr. Ried, Commissioners Michele G. Hinz and Joseph
A. Street. Also present: City Attorney DiJulio, Assistant City Administrator
Webby, Fire Chief Angelo, and Acting Police Chief Byerly.
Mr. Street moved, Ms. Hinz seconded, to approve the minutes of the October 10,
1985 meeting as submitted. Motion carried.
Mr. Webby reported that he was unable to bring the rest of the material
relating to the Police Chief recruitment process as he had intended. Due to
the snow, the consultant from the executive search firm, Waldron and Company,
was unable to bring it to him as planned. He reported that the firm has begun
to recruit, placing ads in newspapers in cities in eight western states, in
professional journals, and has developed a recruitment letter to be sent to
over 400 police agencies throughout the western states. Tear sheets from
these ads will be made available to the Commission. Recruitment will be based
on the minimum standards which the Commission specified, including performing
the duties of a police officer and educational and experience requirements.
He said there has been very good response from the newspaper ads. Mr. Webby
also stated that the consultant is developing the profile for the position of
Police Chief based on input from staff, business community, City Council , and
Police command staff as well as input and meetings with the Police Union. He
said the profile will be used by the consultant as a standard to measure and
select the top candidates for the final selection process which would be the
oral board. It will be handled the same as when the Fire Chief was recruited
in 1981 . The profile will also be available to the Commission prior to the
next meeting for its review and approval . He said the consultant is also
developing a scoring device to score the resume and ask questions requiring
written responses to be scored for management characteristics and
compatibility of the applicant for the position. He said the alternatives
are: 1 ) the use of profile and resume and the consultant recommending the
final list, or 2) that we can include (1 ) and a questionnaire scoring device.
The final candidates will appear before an oral board consisting of someone
from the City Council , Police professional , and other key staff members. The
consultant would coordinate that activity, and the candidates would be
interviewed with a structured questionnaire, and responses would be recorded.
From that, the candidates would be ranked. All the candidates would be
interviewed by a psychologist who would have the profiles and background
information. The psychologist would also prepare a written recommendation
regarding each candidate. Mr. Street suggested including one or two citizens
not connected with the City to be included on the oral board.
When asked by the Chairman for his recommendation, Mr. Webby responded that
the City has been very successful with using the profile and the consultant's
recommendations.
Mr. Street questioned the Chairman, since he was the only one of the
Commission from the previous time, if he was satisfied with the process used
for the Fire Chief selection. Mr. Ried responded that he thought it was a
fair way to go. Mr. Street moved to direct the Assistant City Administrator
to proceed as before and have the profile available prior to the meeting.
Ms. Hinz seconded. Ms. Hinz questioned the City Attorney if more involvement
by the Commission would better the scoring device. The City Attorney
responded that that was one of the alternatives that was outlined by Mr. Webby
and one of the issues to be focused. He said there has to be an objective
method which results in the final candidates, and this Commission has to be
satisfied with the method to be employed in this objective and to be satisfied
with the standards to reduce the number of candidates to a workable level .
The Commission will be asked to approve it at the next meeting. With no
further discussion, motion carried.
Chief Angelo reported that he received a letter, a copy which will be
forwarded to the secretary, from a former firefighter, Andy Speier, who left
to work for the New York City Fire Department. He is asking to be reinstated
under Rule XVI , Section 4, based on the fact there will be a vacancy. Chief
Angelo said he is proposing a psychological examination to be done and then he
will return to the Commission with a recommendation. He stated he is also
asking other supervisors for their written recommendation before making his
recommendation. Mr. DiJulio clarified that reinstatement requires approval of
the Chief and consent of the Commission, and if the Chief does not give
approval , the alternative is the Commission can place him on the eligible
list. He also explained that reinstatement carries no seniority privileges.
Ms. Hinz moved to authorize the psychological and medical exam for
Mr. Speier. Mr. Street seconded. Motion carried.
The secretary reported that the firefighter exam was held on November 14 and
15 with 418 out of 561 applicants taking the exam. The physical agility exam
is scheduled for December 2 and 3 for the top 100 which will actually be 103.
The copy of a letter of November 6, 1985 to Chief Angelo from Ed Barnes; copy
of Chief Angelo's response of November 14, 1985; Chief Angelo's memo to the
Commission, dated November 15, 1985; and a sample copy of a pre-employment
agreement were the next items on the agenda. Mr. Street moved, Ms. Hinz
seconded, to accept the correspondence into the record. The Chairman
clarified for Chief Angelo that the pre-employment agreement has been a
department policy and not a part of the Commission rules. The Chairman
suggested the City Attorney have the agreement for the Fire Department in
final form, and he would also ask the City Attorney at that time if it should
be a department policy, as the police agreement is, or be made a part of the
rules. Mr. Street requested more details regarding the contents in Barnes'
letter. Chief Angelo agreed to the request.
Acting Chief Byerly reported that Allan Emerson has been reinstated as of
November 15, 1985 and doing well .
The City Attorney referred to the last meeting regarding Dennis Byerly's
appointment as Acting Chief of Police, when he gave his interpretation of the
rule regarding temporary appointment. He said the appropriate application is
"provisional " appointment. Copies of a proposed amendment to Rule XII,
Section 4, were distributed to accommodate cases such as provisional
appointments caused by vacancies due to disability as in Byerly's case.
Attorney DiJulio drafted a new section, Section IV, which reads as follows:
Section 4. "PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT:"
4.1 Provisional appointment may be made only in the absence of lists
appropriate for the position to be filled. In such case, the Chief of the
department may select a person meeting the minimum prerequisities for the
class to which the position is allocated for nomination to the secretary and
chief examiner. If the osition to be filled is that of Chief, the Ma or
shall appoint the person, su jict to the secretary an c ie examiner s
confirmation that the appointee meets the minimum prerequisites for the
osition of Chief. The secretary and chief examiner shall interview, or may
use any of .er method to determine whether or not the nominee possesses tFie
necessary experience, training and other prerequisites for the position. As
soon as possible, the secretary and chief examiner shall announce and conduct
the examination and shall certify a name for regular appointment in the usual
manner.
4.2 No provisional appointment shall be continued longer than six
(6) months and no person appointed provisionally shall be again appointed in
the same year unless (he) qualified by competition examination and is
appointed in the regular manner. No time spent as a provisional appointee
shall be credited to the probationary period.
4.3 Nothwithstandin the rovisions of Section 4.2, above, and in
recognition of tip ems create y isa6T ty eat and retirement
pursuant to Chapter 41 .26 RCW, the Commission may extend a provisional
appointment beyond six months upon application of the appointing authority.
Such an extension ma be ranted when a osition is vacant as a result of a
disabilityleave or retirement, or for such of er reason as t e Commission
finds to pride a time yl an regu al r appointment.
Ms. Hinz moved, Mr. Street seconded, to approve the amendment proposed by the
City Attorney. Acting Chief Byerly referred to the word "he" in the third
line of Section 4.2. Motion carried with the deletion of "he" as indicated.
The memos to Officer Douglas Glaze, dated November 15, 1985, and to Officer
Joseph Gagner, dated November 18, 1985, from Acting Chief Byerly informing
them of their completion of their respective probationary periods were read.
Mr. Street moved, Ms. Hinz seconded, to accept the correspondence into the
record. Motion carried.
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 19, 1985, at 8:00 a.m. in
the Council Chambers.
With no further business, Mr. Street moved, Ms. Hinz seconded, to adjourn the
meeting. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:50 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy E. Kato
Secretary and Chief Examiner
Approved:
T. Richard Ried, Ch irman
93V-1V