Civil Service

Battle Creek Civil Service Commission Special Meeting City Hall 10 N. Division Street Commission Chambers Battle Creek, Michigan July 24, 2023 4:00 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: Commissioner Chris Dopp and Calvin Hardin MEMBERS ABSENT: Commissioners Chris McCoy STAFF PRESENT: Victoria Houser, City Clerk: Bill Beaty, Fire Chief: Jonathan Baber, Deputy City Attorney: Michelle Hull, HR Director: Chelsea Sears, HR Generalist: Michelle Hughey, Battalion Chief: Kimberly Holley, DEI Officer OTHERS PRESENT: Yoshi Fujita, Fire Fighter CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Dopp called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Dopp noted the first order of business was to approve the June 9, 2023 Civil Service Commission minutes. Comm. Hardin, supported by Comm. Dopp, made a motion to approve the Civil Service Commission meeting minutes of June 9, 2023. All in favor, none opposed. Motion approved. PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS: There were no petitions or communications. REPORTS: There were no reports. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: There was none. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Proposed Rule Changes a. Rule 4: Filling Vacancies above the rank of Firefighter: (6) Promotional Scores The final score for every promotional exam will be determined in the following: (a) It will be possible to receive one hundred (100) points in each of the following categories: written examinations and Assessment Center. Fifty percent (50%) of the score will be for the written examination and fifty percent (50%) will be for the Assessment Center. Written Exam (minimum score of 70% required to move forward to the Assessment Center). The Line Officer Assessment Center (40% tactical scenario, 20% role-play exercise, 20% in- basket exercise, and 20% interview exercise) cumulative score of 70% to pass Assessment Center. The Non-Line Assessment Center (25% structured oral interview exercise, 25% oral presentation exercise, 25% in-basket exercise, and 25% role-play scenario exercise ) cumulative score of 70% to pass Assessment Center. The Assessment center structured oral interview exercise will take into consideration a person’s training and education. (Rule Change: 7-13- 2020, 6-9-2023) Clerk Houser noted the highlighted language, to be added to the rules, was mistakenly removed in 2020 when language related to the Assessment Center was added. Comm. Hardin, supported by Comm. Dopp, made a motion to amend Civil Service Rules, Rule 4, section (6) Promotional Scores, as presented, to include language related to Fifty percent of the score to be for the written exam and fifty percent of the score to be for the Assessment Center. All in favor, none opposed. Motion approved. 2. Certify the “2023 Fire Inspector Eligibility List” Comm. Hardin, supported by Comm. Dopp, made a motion to certify the “2023 Fire Inspector Eligibility List.” All in favor, none opposed. Motion approved. 3. Certify the top candidate on the “2023 Fire Inspector Eligibility List” (Zach Mueller) Comm. Hardin, supported by Comm. Dopp, made a motion to certify the top candidate on the “2023 Fire Inspector Eligibility List.” All in favor, none opposed. Motion approved. 1  4. Certify the 2nd candidate on the “2023 Fire Inspector Eligibility List” (Patrick Cleland) Comm. Hardin, supported by Comm. Dopp, made a motion to certify the 2nd candidate on the “2023 Fire Inspector Eligibility List.” All in favor, none opposed. Motion approved. 5. Removal of 8 candidates from the 2021 Entry Level Firefighter Eligibility List: (a) #8 Austin Brophy – Hired, then resigned (b) #11 Casey Smith – Non Responsive (c) #12 David Wilcox – Declined offer, via email (d) #13 Dylan Lydy – Non Responsive (e) #14 Owen Gedler – Non Responsive (f) #15 Travis Sweet – Non responsive (g) #16 Cody Richardson – Non responsive (h) #21 Steward Edwards – Request to be removed, via email (i) #22 Steven Woolley – Declined offer, via phone call Michelle Hull, Human Resource Director, informed the Commission that she, or her staff, have sent communications to each candidate, noting several were nonresponsive, while others requested to be removed from the Eligibility List. Comm. Hardin, supported by Comm. Dopp, made a motion to remove the above candidates from the “2021 Entry Level Firefighter Eligibility List.” All in favor, none opposed. Motion approved. 6. Authorize the City Clerk to initiate the Promotional Testing process for the Battalion Chief Comm. Hardin, supported by Comm. Dopp, made a motion to authorize the City clerk to initiate the Promotional Testing process for the Battalion Chief. All in favor, none opposed. Motion approved. 7. Authorize the City Clerk to initiate the Promotional Testing process for the Fire Captain Comm. Hardin, supported by Comm. Dopp, made a motion to authorize the City clerk to initiate the Promotional Testing process for the Fire Captain. All in favor, none opposed. Motion approved. PUBLIC COMMENT: There were no public comments. Jonathan Baber, Deputy City Attorney, referring to agenda item #5, suggested the Commission consider an amendment to the Civil Service Rules to authorize Human Resource staff to remove candidates from the eligibility list so that the hiring process could move efficiently, instead of waiting for a Civil Service Commission meeting. Attorney Baber also suggested the language require the Human Resource staff to report each removal, along with the reason for removal, to the Civil Service Commission at the meeting immediately following the removal. Comm. Dopp and Hardin requested staff prepare the amended language and present the amendment at the next meeting. COMMISSION COMMENT: There were no commission comments. NEXT MEETING: August 28, 2023 at 4:00 PM. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Dopp adjourned the meeting at 4:10 P.M. 2