Civil Service Commission Meeting

MINUTES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 2, 2025 4:00 P.M. The City of Madeira Beach Civil Service Commission meeting was scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on December 2, 2025, in the Patricia Shontz Commission Chambers at City Hall, located at 300 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, Florida. MEMBERS PRESENT: Jerry Cantrell, Chair/Commissioner Judithanne McLauchlan, Vice Chair/Commissioner Scott Haufe, Commissioner Paul Tilka, Commissioner James “Jim” Paul, Commissioner Clara VanBlargan, Ex-Officio Secretary MEMBERS ABSENT: None CITY STAFF PRESENT: Clint Belk, Acting City Manager Megan Powers, Assistant to City Manager/HR Staff Attorney Rob Eschenfelder, Trask Daigneault, L.L.P. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Jerry Cantrell called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL City Clerk Clara VanBlargan called the roll. All were present. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT There were no public comments. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. 08-05-2025, Civil Service Commission Meeting Minutes B. 10-14-2025, Civil Service Commission Meeting Minutes Commissioner Tilka motioned to approve the Civil Service Commission Meeting Minutes as written, seconded by Commissioner Paul. The motion carried 5-0. 5. HR REPORT December 2, 2025, Civil Service Commission Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 5 Ms. Powers presented the HR report, noting several open positions, including: ● Building Official (working with a recruitment firm but focusing on city manager first) ● Engineer I (replacement for an employee promoted to Community Development Director) ● Sanitation Worker (in final hiring stages, expected to start within two weeks) ● Recreation Leader I (replacement for employee who left for school) ● Building Compliance Supervisor (new position) ● Stormwater Grounds Maintenance (replacement needed as the previous hire did not work out) Ms. Powers reported that both the HR Director and Communications Manager positions would be evaluated after the new city manager is hired. Recent hires included a Senior Planner recruited from Treasure Island with barrier island experience, and an internal promotion of a Recreation Leader II. Current HR projects include: ● City manager recruitment ● Creating a list of projects for the new HR Director ● Scheduling sexual harassment training for all employees in January ● Monthly cybersecurity training for state compliance ● Researching leadership training options (found free training through Vector Solutions but exploring paid options as well) 6. NEW BUSINESS A. Appointment of Chair Chair Cantrell expressed willingness to serve another term as Chair but stated he was open to other commissioners serving if interested. Vice Chair McLaughlin motioned to appoint Jerry Cantrell to serve another year as Chair, seconded by Commissioner Haufe. The motion carried 5-0. Chair Cantrell thanked the commission for their continued trust. B. Appointment of Vice Chair Chair Cantrell asked if anyone wished to volunteer for the Vice Chair position before making a nomination. Commissioner Paul inquired about the responsibilities of Vice Chair. Chair Cantrell explained that the Vice Chair leads the group in the Chair's absence and would become Chair if the current Chair resigned, though he noted there was no risk of his resignation. December 2, 2025, Civil Service Commission Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 5 Commissioner Tilka motioned to appoint Commissioner Paul as Vice Chair, seconded by Commissioner McLaughlin. The motion carried 5-0. C. Establishing 2026 Quarterly Meeting Schedule The commission discussed the 2026 meeting schedule, aiming to schedule quarterly meetings at 4:00 PM. After checking the calendar and discussing potential conflicts with school breaks, elections, Board of Commissioners meetings, Planning Commission meetings, and holidays, the Commission established the following schedule: ● Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 4:00 PM ● Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM ● Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 4:00 PM ● Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM (tentative - to be revisited at the September meeting due to proximity to Thanksgiving) D. Exit Interview for Voluntary Resignations The Commission reviewed exit interview forms for voluntary resignations. Acting City Manager Belk explained that the Fire Department created an internal form to gather feedback from departing employees, primarily to understand why people were leaving and identify areas for improvement. He noted that salary had been a common reason for departures, but the department had improved its compensation compared to other departments in Pinellas County. Commissioner Haufe shared his experience that most people do not complete exit interviews unless they are leaving on good terms and suggested that anonymous annual surveys might be more effective for gathering candid feedback. The commission agreed to revisit this topic at the March meeting, potentially involving the new HR Director in developing a standardized approach. E. New Job Description Format by Gehring Group The Commission reviewed the new job description format developed by the Gehring Group. Ms. Powers explained that the Gehring Group did not provide a specific format for job descriptions but rather provided content based on survey responses from staff. The formatted job descriptions would be entered into Paycom and made ADA compliant on the city's website. During the discussion, several commissioners expressed concern about the length of the job descriptions (3-4 pages). City Attorney Eschenfelder explained that the detailed descriptions were necessary for government positions, particularly to identify essential functions for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. The Commission made several recommendations: ● Include FLSA status (exempt/non-exempt) on all job descriptions ● Keep salary ranges on descriptions, ensuring they are updated when posted December 2, 2025, Civil Service Commission Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 5  ● Consider adding language to application forms confirming applicants have reviewed job descriptions ● Print job descriptions for personnel files with revision dates clearly marked F. Salary Recommendation – Board of Commissioners City Attorney Eschenfelder advised that this topic was outside the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission. He noted that, under the city charter, the Commission sets its own salaries by ordinance, and that the Civil Service Commission's duties extend only to classified city positions, not to elected officials. Chair Cantrell, who had placed the item on the agenda, acknowledged the potential conflict of interest of being married to a sitting commissioner and agreed to address any salary concerns as a private citizen at a future Board of Commissioners meeting. 7. OLD BUSINESS The commission briefly reviewed three items from the October meeting: ● HR Director position - covered in the HR report by Ms. Powers ● Pay grades - covered in the job description discussion ● Legal advice for employees moving to exempt status Regarding the third item, Acting City Manager Belk explained that before the FY 2026 budget approval, the Gehring Group had recommended moving several employees from non-exempt to exempt status. After review with the City Attorney, only three positions: Marina Manager, Parking Supervisor, and Fire Marshal were moved to exempt status as they met all the required criteria under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The remaining positions would be reviewed throughout the fiscal year. 8. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION – 2025 PROGRESS REPORT A. 2025 Progress Report City Clerk VanBlargan presented the 2025 Progress Report, which included: Future items scheduled for discussion: ● Employee satisfaction surveys ● Offer letter standardization ● Employee appeal form ● Madeira Beach safety manual ● Department policies (ongoing – to be added to the March 2026 meeting agenda) Completed items for the year: ● New employee personnel handbook (adopted on 4/2/2025) ● Civil Service Commission rules update (adopted on 4/2/2025) December 2, 2025, Civil Service Commission Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 5  ● Special Magistrate ordinance regarding grievance hearings (adopted on 4/2/2025) City Attorney Eschenfelder provided an overview of the Special Magistrate ordinance, explaining that for post-termination hearings, the city would contract with qualified attorneys to serve as hearing officers. If an employee is terminated and appeals, the magistrate would oversee a quasi- judicial hearing with authority to issue oaths and summon witnesses. The magistrate would issue a recommended order that becomes final after 10 days unless appealed to the Civil Service Commission, which could then review and recommend changes to the conclusions of law, with final action taken by the city manager. The Commission agreed to add a discussion item to the March meeting regarding how to fulfill their charter-mandated duty to monitor personnel policy implementation and compliance. 9. NEXT MEETING The next Civil Service Commission was scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 4:00 PM. 10. ADJOURNMENT Before adjourning, the Commissioners introduced themselves for the benefit of new Commissioner Haufe. Each shared their backgrounds and connections to Madeira Beach. Chair Cantrell adjourned the meeting at 5:03 PM. ______________________________ ATTEST: Jerry Cantrell, Chair ______________________________________________ Clara VanBlargan, City Clerk/Secretary Ex-Officio December 2, 2025, Civil Service Commission Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 5