Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Civil Services Commission - 08/15/1996 • CITY OF KENT CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES August 15, 1996 Members Present: Mike Pattison Callius Zaratkiewcz Ron Banister Others Present: Lt. Shepard, Lillian Hernandez, Dave Santos, Lt. Bob Holt, Captain C.E. Miller, P.O.A. President Officer Bob Burwell, AFSCME President- Dea Drake, Sue Viseth - H.R. Director, Karen Ford - H.R. Analyst, Lt. Mitchell and Chief Crawford, others present. I. COMMISSION BUSINESS: II. HEARINGS III. OLD BUSINESS A. Accept into Record 1. Chair Pattison moved to approve the Minutes from the July 18, 1996 Civil Service • Commission Meeting. Seconded and carried. IV. NEW BUSINESS A. Approval and Accept into Record 1. Chair Pattison moved to approve the Police Departments Position Descriptions for Police Chief, Police Officer, Captain, Administrative Assistant II, Kelli Rogers, Police Records Specialist Decker, Police Records Supervisor Leroy and Accounting Services Assistant Allard. Seconded and carried. 2. Chair Pattison moved to approve the memo dated July 24, 1996 from Chief Angelo notifying the Commission that firefighter Buddy Sizemore has successfully passed his First Class Promotion effective July 24, 1996. Seconded and carried. 3. Chair Pattison moved to approve the memo dated July 30, 1996 from Chief Angelo to the Commission advising them that Steve Hamilton accepted the position of Assistant Fire Chief effective August 12, 1996. Seconded and carried. 4. Chair Pattison moved to approve the letter dated July 31, 1996 from Chief Crawford to Diederik G. Peter confirming his appointment as a probationary Police Officer effective August 22, 1996. Seconded and carried. 5. Chair Pattison moved to approve Memo dated July 31, 1996 from Chief Angelo notifying • the Commission that firefighter Marty Hauer has successfully passed his First Class Promotion effective July 30, 1996. Seconded and carried. • Civil Service Minutes August 15, 1996 Page 2 6. Chair Pattison moved to approve the Disciplinary Action memo dated August 8, 1996 from Chief Crawford to Officer Tom Hankins . Seconded and carried. 7. Chair Pattison moved to approve the Certification letter dated August 8, 1996 from the Civil Service Examiner establishing the Corrections Sergeants Eligibility List. Seconded and carried. Action Items for Discussion 1. Chair Pattison opened for discussion the Certified letter dated July 30, 1996 from the Secretary and Chief Examiner to Entry Level Police candidate Sean E. Robertson informing him that his name has been removed from the Entry Level Police Officer Eligibility List due to the fact that he has accepted employment elsewhere. There being no discussion, Commissioner Zaratkiewitz moved to approve and accept the letter into the record. Seconded and carried. 2. Chair Pattison opened for discussion the memo dated August 5, 1996 from Captain C.E. Miller requesting permission to go to the General Public in order to fill the Corrections Administrative Assistant 1 position. Captain Miller stated that the reason for requesting to go to the outside for candidates was that none of the internal candidates passed the process. He then outlined the testing process to be used for the position: Written test (to be prepared by a professional agency). Weighted 40% of final score. Typing test of 55 wpm which will be a pass/fail Oral Board weighted 60% of final score. Must have a passing score of 70% on the written and oral board portions. Dea Drake, President of AFSCME questioned why go to an outside agency for the written test. Chief Examiner Guiguet stated that the Agency to be used have stock tests for the position which cover all the areas needed to assess the outside candidates skills. The inside candidates were a known quantity and did not require a written exam. City Attorney Lubovich stated that this has been done before. Chief Examiner Guiguet agreed and stated that it is done quite often when going outside for filling the position. Chair Pattison asked if this was a standard operating procedure? • Civil Service Minutes August 15, 1996 Page 3 Chief Examiner Guiguet said yes and stated that it had been suggested to her that people would like to see a more uniform procedure. To use a written test internally and then use the same test when we go to the outside. This would be something to look at when we do the Rules Revisions. Dea Drake stated that it seemed unfair to her as a representative of AFSCME that we use different criteria for our outside people than we do for the inside people. It might well be that our inside people could have passed the test that we use for outside. You are not going to allow the inside people to reapply for the test. It seems to me that what is good enough for the inside people should be good enough for the outside people. The Chief Examiner explained that the inside candidates actually got a bye regarding the written portion of the test because they were not required to write one to go on in the selection process. The portion that the inside candidates did not pass was the Oral Board. The Oral Board will have the same format that we had for the inside candidates. Captain Miller stated that the written test would be harder to pass, and with our inside candidates who were know quantities we skipped the written portion of the exam because we already knew what they were capable of in that area. Sue Viseth, H.R. Director stated that it is important not to duplicate the same test. The written test that may be given to internal candidates and then to use that same written test for external candidates could be a concern that the testing material is already out there. We're still looking for the same skill level, we're still testing for that but modifying the test so that we don't have it out there. Dea Drake: "I'm still concerned that there are times that it doesn't appear or there is no action that would impugn the process in the sense that the people that tested inside might feel that they were tested harder or the test changed that they might have passed it if they had taken it with the outside group. Obviously they didn't pass the Oral Board but the truth is that one of the people who did not pass is going to be acting in that capacity and probably training the person who comes in. So, why didn't that person qualify? I think that you have to be really careful in your process if you are changing the tests that it gives the appearance that the internal test was more difficult." Captain Miller: "Again I'd like to stress that the external process is actually more difficult and harder than what we used in house because we had a certain level that already qualified to work for the City and we don't know the people who are coming in from the outside so we want to test all of their skills." Chief Examiner Guiguet: "In order for the outside candidates to go forward to the Oral Board they would have to pass both the 55 wpm typing test and a written. Our internal people when • they took the typing test, we had them compose a letter which was not scored by the Examiner but by the Assessors at the Oral Board portion. Those who passed the Typing moved forward to the Oral Board. Outside candidates have to pass both the typing and the written in order to • Civil Service Minutes August 15, 1996 Page 4 go forward to the Oral Board." Captain Miller: "We are requesting that only the top eight candidates from the written exam go forward to the Oral Board so we don't get into a lot of days of Oral Boards." Commissioner Banister: "I'm still seeing a question or something from Dea that is..." Dea Drake stated that she understood about the written exam but she wanted to raise her concern. Commissioner Bannister moved to approve the process as listed in the supporting document dated August 5, 1996 and go forward with the process. Seconded and carried. 3. Chair Pattison opened for discussion the memo dated August 9, 1996 from Battalion Chief Scott notifying the Commission that the Fire Department has decided to table the joint testing until a later date and would like to go ahead with the Entry Level testing this September. • As there was no one present from the Fire Department to address this, the Chief Examiner stated that the Commissioners had received a copy of Chief Angelos letter dated August 13, 1996 justifying why they wish to go forward and not extend the list. After some discussion by the Commissioners Commissioner Banister motioned to allow the department to go ahead with their testing as requested and accept Chief Angelos letter into record. Seconded and carried. 4. Chair Pattison opened for discussion the Position Description for Community Service Specialist. Sue Viseth stated that she has met with the Police Officers Association and AFSCME regarding the creation of this new position. This is a new position for the Police Department and Labor and Management have come to agreement that this position will be represented by the AFSCME union. They have also come to an agreement for the salary level for that. Salary is equivalent to that of Police Records Specialist. Chair Pattison motioned to approve the position description of Community Service Specialist. Seconded and carried. Chair Pattison: "Is there any further business to come before the Commission?" Lt. Bob Holt requested that the application period for Lateral Police Officer be extended to August 30, 1996 and readvertise due to receiving only ten applications. After much discussion • Commissioner Banister moved to extend the application period to August 30, 1996 and to readvertise. Seconded and carried. • Civil Service Minutes August 15, 1996 Page 5 There being no other business Chair Pattison moved to adjourn. Seconded and carried. Adjourned at 8:32 a.m. The next Regular Meeting will be held on Thursday, September 19, 1996 at 8:00 a.m. in Council Chambers West. Respectfully submitted, CA��� C �J!(�* Catherine M. Guiguet Civil Service Secretary & Chief Examiner Ap oved: • Mike Pattis n, Chair w