HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Civil Services Commission - 06/20/1996 CITY OF KENT
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION JUNE 20, 1996 MEETING MINUTES
Members Present: Mike Pattison
Callius Zaratkiewicz
Scheduling Conflict: Ron Banister
Others Present: Lt. Cline, Lt. Holt, Captain C. E. Miller, Ofc Pagel, Chief Angelo, Dave
Santos, Karen Ford, Lt. Shepard, B/C Scott, Elaine Decker, others
present.
Chair Pattison called the meeting to order at 8:10 a.m.
I. COMMISSION BUSINESS:
II. HEARINGS
III. OLD BUSINESS
A. Accept into Record
1. Chair Pattison moved to approve the minutes from the May 16, 1996 Civil Service
Commission Meeting. Seconded and carried.
B. Action Items for Discussion
1. Chair Pattison opened for discussion Kevin Backlunds request for Appeal to include:
a. Mr. Backlunds letter dated May 1, 1996 which was received after the May 16,
1996 Civil Service Meeting.
b. Certified letter dated May 16, 1996 from the Civil Service Examiner to Mr.
Backlund informing him of the Commissions decision to table his request for
appeal until his formal packet had been received. The letter also noted that the
packet had been received by the Examiner in her Mail box after the meeting.
The certified letter was returned as unclaimed.
Chief Examiner Guiguet stated that the candidates are required to notify the Civil
Service Office of any change of address. Mr. Backlund did not do so.
Chair Pattison stated as the Commission had not seen Mr. Backlund at the meetings
that he must have moved and dropped the matter.
City Attorney Lubovich stated that failure to receive a certified letter does not necessarily
• mean the candidate has moved, it might be that he is refusing to pick it up.
Civil Service Minutes
June 20, 1996
Page 2
Chair Pattison moved to deny the request for appeal as the Commission had tabled the
issue before and given ample opportunity to Mr. Backlund to come before the
Commission. Seconded and carried.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
A. Approval and Accept into Record
1. Chair Pattison moved to approve and accept into record the memo dated May 17, 1996
from Lt. Woods informing the Examiner that Acting Sgt. R. E. Miller had returned to full
duty status effective May 17, 1996. Seconded and carried.
2. Chair Pattison moved to approve and accept into record the memo dated May 22, 1996
from Chief Angelo to the Commission requesting extension of the Entry Level
Firefighters Eligibility list to December 24, 1996. This is the first extension. Seconded
and carried.
3. Chair Pattison moved to approve and accept into record the letter dated May 28, 1996
• from Commissioner Zaratkiewicz to the Civil Service Examiner confirming that the one
applicant for the Support Services Manager position meets the criteria needed for the
position. Seconded and carried.
4. Chair Pattison moved to approve and accept into record the Certification letter dated
May 28, 1996 from the Civil Service Examiner establishing the Eligibility List for Police
Support Services Manager. Seconded and carried.
5. Chair Pattison moved to approve and accept into record the memo dated May 31, 1996
from Lt. Bob Cline notifying the Commission that:
a. Dave Santos will be promoted to Police Support Services Manager effective
June 1, 1996.
b. Marla Platt will be promoted to Police Records Specialist effective June 15,
1996.
Seconded and carried.
6. Chair Pattison moved to approve and accept into record the Certification letter dated
May $1, 1996 from the Civil Service Examiner establishing the Eligibility List for
Assistant Fire Chief. Seconded and carried.
7. Chair Pattison moved to approve and accept into record the memo dated June 3, 1996
• from Chief Angelo notifying the Commission that Firefighter Pat Pawlak has been
promoted to the position of Probationary Lieutenant effective June 1, 1996. Seconded
and carried.
Civil Service Minutes
June 20, 1996
Page 3
8. Chair Pattison moved to approve and accept into record the Certification letter dated
June 11, 1996 from the Civil Service Examiner establishing the Eligibility List for Police
Sergeant. Seconded and carried.
B. Action Items for Discussion
1. Chair Pattison opened for discussion the memo dated May 31, 1996 from Lt. Bob Cline
requesting permission to conduct an Evidence Technician examination to fill the vacant
position.
Lt. Cline requested that the selection process be opened to the General Public and not
be restricted to City Employees because of the nature of the position and the specialties
required of the position. Content for the examination will be worked out with the Civil
Service Examiner.
Chair Pattison motioned to grant permission to conduct an Evidence Technician
Examination and to open it to the General Public. Seconded and carried.
• 2. Chair Pattison opened for discussion the memo dated June 7, 1996 from Captain C.E.
Miller with the proposed outline for the Corrections Sergeant Promotional Examination.
Captain Miller stated that he would be happy to answer questions regarding the process
but that the intent is to follow the same format used in the Police Sergeants selection
process.
As this item was informational, Chair Pattison moved to accept the memo into record.
Seconded and carried.
3. Chair Pattison opened for discussion the memo dated June 7, 1996 from Battalion Chief
Scott:
a. Requesting the Commissions permission to begin the selection process for Entry
Level Firefighter.
B/C Scott stated that they would like to begin the testing process and that Chief Angelo
would like to discuss item b.
Civil Service Minutes
June 20, 1996
Page 4
b. Discuss with the Commission to examine the feasibility of joint jurisdictional
testing during the 1997 year for Entry Level Firefighters.
Chief Angelo went into detail regarding joint testing with other agencies. He then
stated that he felt that it might be only feasible to do the recruitment and the
written portion and perhaps the orientation, in conjunction with other Agencies.
We would do our own physical agility testing as the Combat Challenge physical
agility exam used by other agencies tends to screen out women and minorities.
We would give our own Oral Boards.
The reason for asking for item a. was that if the joint testing did not pan out in
time for the 1997 year a current eligibility list would be in place.
The Examiner then asked Chief Angelo why he didn't extend the current Entry
Level Firefighter Eligibility List through to June 24, 1997 in time for joint testing.
There was discussion regarding the reasons for not extending the list through
June 24, 1997. Chief Angelo then stated that he had brought the item forward to
• the Commission to keep them abreast of what the Fire Department is looking
into.
Chair Pattison inquired what other jurisdictions were involved. Chief Angelo
stated Renton, Tukwilla, Auburn and SeaTac.
John Pagel of the Police Officers Association questioned whether or not a joint
jurisdictional test would be a violation of the Civil Service Rules. If it is not a
violation of the rules and the test as proposed by the Fire Chief met with existing
rules, wouldn't that be sufficient to comply with the Regulations that Civil Service
has?
Lt. Cline stated that in past years the Police Department has done joint testing.
In 1979 was a combined testing of five agencies. The written exam was given at
one central location where all candidates took it. Each individual agency then
gave their own physical agility exam and oral boards. This reduced costs and
used the same pool of candidates without having the problem of the candidates
being unable to come to testing because they had to test with another agency.
Captain C. E. Miller stated that the candidates also had the option of only testing
for one agency or any combination of agencies they wanted to.
Chair Pattison asked Chief Angelo if his intention was to give the candidates the
same type of flexibility?
Civil Service Minutes
June 20, 1996
Page 5
Chief Angelo stated that he felt he owed the Commission an explanation.. That
he had lost a very good friend and Firefighter Commissioner last evening and
that he needed to keep it simple and to forgive him for being blunt. If the other
jurisdictions go ahead, they won't have any choice but to test for all of them even
if we don't test. If anything it might save the candidates some money.
Chief Angelo stated that his concern is not to compromise the quality of our
current testing process. He stated that it there were other things that he and the
Examiner can come back to the Commission and say that it makes quality,
fairness and sense to do further to what he has previously said. He would bring
it back to the Commission and justify it. In no way would we allow another
jurisdiction to do our Oral Boards.
Its a complex issue and its not fair to ask the Commission to envision all the
pieces to it, which is why he wanted to start the process out in this manner in
order to have a safety net in case it wasn't going to work. To be in a position to
come back to the Commission later and give them the fullest information.
• C. Request clarification of Rule XI Section 2.2 with regard to the Fire
Department.
B/C Scott asked if the two year provisio on the Entry Level Lists also applied to
the Fire Department.
City Attorney Lubovich confirmed that Rule XI Section 2.2 does in fact apply to
the Fire Department.
Chair Pattison stated for the record that as Chairman of the Commission that
Rule XI Section 2.2 does apply to the Fire Department.
Commissioner Zaratkiewicz motioned to grant permission to begin the selection process for
Entry Level Firefighter. Seconded and carried.
Chair Pattison asked if there was any additional information to come before the Commission.
Lieutenant Bob Cline introduced Lieutenant Bob Holt to the Commission and announced that
they were switching duties with Lt. Holt taking over the Civil Service liaison and coordinating
with the Examiner for examinations and promotions. He then thanked the Commission and the
Examiner for the assistance over the past four years in getting his job completed. He then
stated his appreciation of the Examiner and her efforts and wanted the Commission to know
that.
• Chair Pattison acknowledge the Examiners hard work and welcomed Lt. Holt.
Civil Service Minutes
June 20, 1996
Page 6
Chair Pattison: 'There being no other business to come before the Commission, I move to
adjournP Seconded and carried.
Adjourned at 8:30 a.m.
The next Regular Meeting will be held on Thursday, July 18, 1996 at 8:00 a.m. in Council
Chambers West.
Respectfully submitted,
C04\��, SN 0��A
Catherine M. Guiguet
Civil Service Secretary & Chief Examiner
Approved:
• Mike Patttison, Chair