Civil Service Commission

MINUTES OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEETING May 4, 2022 – 8:00 A.M. Members Present: Chairman Jan Naso Commissioner Christine Higham Commissioner Tom Kot Non-Members Mayor Dave Kline Present: Director of Public Service Michael Rorar Director of Law Megan Raber Human Resources Administrator Jill Stritch ______________________________________________________________________________ The May 4, 2022 Civil Service Commission meeting was called to order. Minutes of the March 30, 2022 meeting were approved as published. Mr. Naso stated that the Civil Service Commission 2021 Annual Report of Activities has been filed with the State Personnel Board of Review. Members had a discussion on three aspects of Ordinance 50-20222 that is in front of Council which are the Police Department Part-Time Records Clerk position, the Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police and the removal of the part-time designation to the Director of Public Safety. Due to the lack of qualified candidates applying for the position of the PT Records Clerks, the Commission has recommended that the position be changed from classified to non-classified, allowing the administration to seek candidates outside the written test format and use the interview process to fill the positions. All current employed classified Part-Time Records Clerks will remain classified and subject to Civil Service rules. There is an urgent need to fill this position, as a Part-Time Records Clerk was recently moved to a full-time position after passing a written competitive exam. Chairman Naso made a motion that the Commission stands in support of the change of classification for future Police Department Part-Time Records Clerks from Classified to Non-Classified. Motion was seconded and passed (3-0) with no further discussion. Members discussed the position of Administration Assistant to the Police Chief. The current person filling this position is soon retiring and needs to be replaced. Most Administration Assistants in the City are non-classified and at one time this position was non-classified also; it was agreed that this was the opportune time to make this change, Page 2 May 4, 2022 A motion was made that the Commission is in support of a change of classification for the Police Department Administrative Assistant from Classified to Non-Classified. Motion was seconded and passed with no further discussion. Mayor Kline discussed the proposed change of removing the Part-Time status for the Director of Public Safety. Currently, the Mayor acts as the Director of Public Safety. With the increasing number of issues regarding the safety forces and the Summit County Regional Dispatch Center being located in Tallmadge, the Mayor is considering appointing a Full-Time Director of Public Safety, causing the current designation of Part-Time to be removed. A motion was made that the Commission is in support of removing the Part-Time designation from the Director of Public Safety. Motion seconded and passed (2-0, Commissioner Higham abstaining) with no further discussion. A discussion took place regarding the classified Part-Time General Laborer’s position. The Commission has had poor results in obtaining applications for the testing of this position. Due to the lack of qualified candidates , the Commission discussed that the written testing format be waived and an interview and skills testing formant be used. This is allowed under ORC 124.11 Article A Item 12: ORC 1245.11 (12) Such teachers and employees in the agricultural experiment stations; such students in normal schools, colleges, and universities of the state who are employed by the state or a political subdivision of the state in student or intern classifications; and such unskilled labor positions as the director of administrative services, with respect to positions in the service of the state, or any municipal civil service commission may find it impracticable to include in the competitive classified service; provided such exemptions shall be by order of the commission or the director, duly entered on the record of the commission or the director with the reasons for each such exemption. Chairman Naso made a motion that due to the current lack of qualified candidates for the position of Classified Part-Time General Laborers to participate in the written exam process that the Commission orders that the hiring process be by use of individual candidate interviews and skills testing for the position. Any candidate that is offered and accepts the position of Part-Time General Laborer will remain Classified and subject to Civil Service Rules and the benefits described in the Teamsters CBA Article 8, Union Security; Section 8.07. Motion was seconded and passed (3-0) with no further discussion. Page 3 May 4, 2022 Members discussed the positions of Assistant Road Superintendent and Technician I. Regarding the Assistant Road Superintendent position, the Commission has advertised and scheduled two separate written exams; the first exam had four applicants and only three passed with one withdrawing from the process. A second exam had to be cancelled because of no applications. The City has spent $2,161.92 in advertising and exam costs Regarding the Technician I position; we have had limited success in qualified applicants applying for and testing for the position. Based on the current hiring climate in the country and a lack of qualified applicants to take the written exam, a discussion on waiving the current written exam process to an interview and skills testing process took place. There is an urgent need to fill these positions. The Assistant Road Superintendents position has been vacant for several months after the former Assistant Road Superintendent was promoted to Road Superintendent. There have been three vacancies in the Technician I position and only have been able to fille two of these. Chairman Naso made a motion that due to the lack of qualified applicants to participate in the written exam process for Assistant Road Superintendent and Technician I position, the Commission orders that the written exam format be waived and an interview and skills testing format be used. Motion was seconded and passed (3-0). Director of Public Service Mike Rorar will speak with the Civil Service Clerk about advertising for the positions using the interview and skills testing format for both positions. Page 4 May 4, 2022 Chairman Naso discussed the upcoming Fire Department Lieutenants Exam scheduled for May 24, 2022 and the Assessment Center scheduled for June 2, 2022. Mr. Naso stated that the Police Department Captain’s position has been filled by Sgt Doug Bohon and the Police Department Sergeant’s position has been filled by Officer Patrick Fairhurst. He also mentioned that two of the three open Full-Time Technician positions in the Service Department have been filled by Benjamin Mathie (Street) and Jonathan Davis (Utility). Meeting adjourned at ___ a.m. Jan T. Naso, Chairman Civil Service Commission TALLMADGE OHIO JTN