Oversight Board Committee - Regular Meeting

Alright. Hello, everyone. At this time, I'd like to call the meeting to order. Can we get a roll call, please, to establish quorum?

Commissioner Billingsley? Aye. Commissioner Dodzinski? Commissioner Pierowet? Aye. Chair Pumarejo?

Aye. Forum has been established. At this time, I ask that you all join me for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay.

Thank you. Okay. As for our first agenda item, the passage of the rule the meeting minutes. Action to approve the civil service commission meeting minutes of 11/13/2025. Is there any public comment on the matter?

There's no comment in the Zoom.

Thank you. Alright. Seeing none, can I get a motion to approve?

I move that we approve anything 2020.

Do you have a second?

I second that motion.

K. Can we get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Billingsley. Aye. Commissioner Dodzinski. Aye. Commissioner Pirouette. Aye. Chair Pimarejo.

Aye. Passes. Secondly, do we have any oh, sorry. The, second one. The noting and filing of the current status and recognition report dated 02/28/2026. Do we have any public comment on the matter?

There's no public comment on Zoom.

K. Do I have a motion to approve the current status and requisition report?

I make a motion to approve 26Dash111.

Okay. Do we have a second? Second. Okay.

Can we get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Billingsley? Aye. Commissioner Dodzinski? Aye. Commissioner Parowip? Aye. Chair Pumarejo?

Aye. Motion passes. K. Thirdly, do we have any public presentations today? Okay. Alright. Moving to regular agenda items.

There's no public presentations in the Zoom.

Okay. Alright. Moving to general business. First agenda item, action to extend probationary period of a police officer. Do we have a status report?

Yes. So we are bringing this item forward to extend a probationary period for a police officer who was on leave for approximately one month. So for these, the commission because we do have several of the probation extensions coming forward tonight. That is subject to civil service commission approval, so that is why you are seeing them. For this particular instance, the probationary period is an eighteen month probationary period, so the employee can complete the full eighteen months.

We are requesting an extension by approximately one month. Or if for some reason the employee is placed back on leave, we would like to have add the caveat in that the probationary period would be for whatever duration they are actually on leave. This means the probationary period would be ending on or approximately 05/02/2026.

K. Great. We have any, questions regarding the status report?

I have a concern that, after seventeen months, it seems that we would already have a feel for what this employee is like, what kind of, individually is. I mean, it's only one eighteenth of the period. It seems to me like unless he was out on disciplinary action, which we don't know, it seems like they'd already have an understanding of this employee. It's just making a comment.

Right. So understood. When employees are placed on leave for a first time probationary period employee, we can only extend for reasons of absence or sickness. So I would say the general practice of the city is regardless of the duration of time is to bring them forward, just so that way they can fully assess the entire period because there could be, training components that may be missed for that period, and really just for, like, fairness for all employees who are going through the process. So I would say, generally, we don't have a hard and fast rule of of how long that time frame is.

But in this instance, you know, the department has determined, anything that is longer than thirty days, we would recommend to bring forward to the commission in this instance.

Okay. Because they do earn vacation time and CTO time off during this period, and they are allowed to use it during this period. So Mhmm. Yes. That's correct. Could actually be off for that amount of time without any incident of any kind?

So this is more of if they are on placed on leave, not including, like, vacation or CTO time. So, I mean, I would say most commonly, we're gonna see if someone is on a leave of absence, if maybe they are on modified duty, if they have been injured on the job. Those are generally the reasons why we're bringing these requests forward.

Okay.

Questions?

One question. So this is sorry. I didn't get the reasoning behind. What is the reason for extension? Do we want to assess certain criteria?

So we are just bringing the request forward so that way they can have the full eighteen month probationary period because they were on leave for about a month during their probationary period.

Well, I do have one question, and it might be generally applicable to extension patient or periods. So when it comes to the extension, if, say, hypothetically, we were to extend this officer's probation, How can we ensure that would it just be for that limited time of one month or just so we make sure they're not granted a blanket extension?

Correct. So we would say, in this case Oh,

that's cool. I can always look at look at this here.

Yes. So we are requesting just for the duration that they were actually on leave. That's how long the probationary period would be extended by. However, in some instances, and this would actually be applicable to the next one, if an employee is currently out on leave, that leave duration could change. So that is why we do have the caveat for however long they're actually out so that way we don't have to bring it back to the commission. Because, you know, we could request a month, but let's just hypothetically, let's just say they were injured and they're gonna be out for maybe two months. We would just like the flexibility, administratively to extend it for however amount of time they're actually on leave. But it would really, in practice, only be for whatever the duration is that they're out on leads.

Okay. So I wanted to make the motion to approve it just to make sure that as long as necessary to make sure that they have enough time. Would it be to the period of 05/02/2026 or however long as or as long as necessary to ensure that

You yes. You can actually just read the recommendation as is.

Yeah. We'll use the amount of time.

Okay. Great. Thank you. That's that's really helpful to just be able to Yeah.

Okay. I have one more. I have question. What could be possible reason that you would recommend not extend that period, if ever?

It there is a caveat just to add on to that. So and and just generally for the ones that we're bringing forward tonight, they're all first time probationary employees. So the rules are very specific. We can only extend for reasons of sickness or absence. If an employee is a promotional employee, in that case, we can only extend, so let's just say they pass probation in a lower level classification. They've been promoted to a higher level classification. In those instances, we can only extend probation for to allow them the opportunity to obtain additional licenses, if maybe they were not able to get it during their probationary period, but those are very specific. So would it not be it's not based on performance.

Any other questions? Do we have any public comments on the matter?

There is no public comment in the Zoom.

Now time for discussion.

I'm kinda stuck on the fact that it's already been seventeen months.

I'm curious why that extension is not kind of automatic. I mean, unless you recommend not to do it, we might just give automatic approval for that without going through it individually every time. It is required. Cannot give blanket approval. Yeah. Okay.

Over here, I guess. Alright.

That'd be one reason or another. Right.

Yeah. Okay. Do I have a motion?

Yeah. I move that we approved item 26 dash one two five and extend probationary period for a police officer.

Okay. That'd sufficient. Do I have a second? Okay. Yeah.

Can we get a reframing of the meeting, please?

Do you want me to I move that we accept staff recommendation from item twenty six dash one two five.

K. Do we have a second?

I second that.

Alright. Can I get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Billingsley? Nay. Commissioner Dansinski? Aye. Commissioner Pierowicz? Aye. Chair Pumarillo?

Aye. Motion passes. K. Moving to the next item. Action to extend probationary period of a public safety dispatcher two. Do we have a status report?

Yes. So, this is another request from the police department. We do have a public safety dispatcher two, which is a lateral dispatcher, who we are requesting to extend the probationary period by approximately nine months and two weeks, or in the event, the leave is longer, whatever the equivalent duration of the leave is. For public safety dispatcher choose, the probationary period is eighteen months. So this means that the new proposed end date would be on or about 03/23/2027.

'27 next year. Numbers.

Alright. Okay. Do we have any questions regarding the status report? Oh, apparently, we're doing it differently now. Yeah. Because it's new rules of order. Ask questions regarding the status report and its public comments. Yeah. K. Any questions? No. K. Any public comment on the matter?

There is no public comment in the Zoom.

Any discussion? We can open it up for discussion.

More for out of curiosity. So this one has an extension request of one year?

So this one is gonna be by the duration that they're on leave. So right now, it's approximately nine months and two weeks. So it just has been pushed out by that amount of time, since the employee was hired 09/29/2024. So, essentially, we're extending it. So normal operation period is eighteen months, but then we're gonna add the nine months and two weeks onto that.

Just to make sure I understand correctly, this still fits within the two categories of absence

Correct. Because they are on leave for reasons of absence or sickness.

K. It's all good. Alright. Do we have a motion regarding this agenda item?

I'll make a motion to, follow staff's recommendation on two six dash one two six.

K. Do we have a second?

I second that.

Can we get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Billingsley? Aye. Commissioner Densinski? Aye. Commissioner Pierowicz? Chair Pumarejo?

Aye. The motion.

Thank you, officer.

Alright. The third and final general business item, action to extend the probationary period of a water and sewer maintenance worker. One. Do we have a status report regarding this?

Yes. So, this is for a water sewer maintenance worker one in the water and sewer utilities department. The normal probationary period is twelve months. We are requesting to extend the probationary period by seven weeks. The duration for the time of the employee was on, a leave of absence. And then in this particular case, they're they do rotate water sewer maintenance workers throughout different assignments. So we wanna make sure, again, they can complete the entire rotational assignment, and give them the full twelve months probationary period. This means the new probationary period would end on or about 05/05/2026.

Any questions regarding?

Yeah. For my again, out of curiosity. So probationary period is generally that something questionable, was done by the person listed here. What is the what is the basis of assigning probationary So the probationary periods

so that applies to all classified positions. So in the civil service rules, classified positions are subject to a probationary period. The duration of the probationary period is also outlined in the civil service rules. So in this case, it's a twelve month probationary period. There are some distinctions for, like, electricians, public safety positions where they may be eighteen or twenty four months. Those are unique ones, but generally, it's a twelve month period. And that's really where the department is assessing the performance of the employee. If for some reason an employee is not performing well, the department can reject from probation, but they would have to do that within that probationary period.

More like training period.

On the job assessment. Mhmm. Yeah.

Okay. Every newly hired employees goes on probation.

Classified positions specifically. So so there is a difference. For instance, our management or unclassified employees, they are not covered under the civil service rules. They are considered at will employees, so they do not have a probationary period. So this is very specific to our classified employees.

I do have a question for in general about probationary periods and our evaluation of an extension request. So I understand that for the most part, the reasons for a leave of absence would be confidential, and they'd be private. Of course, we wouldn't wanna inquire into those. So is it the expectation of our commission that we're supposed to assume that the proper, you know, investigation has been done until what? Yes.

That would be correct. So we would not disclose the exact reason as to why confidentiality, you know, for the employee, but there is a formal process. So whether they're they need to submit a leave of absence request, or, you know, maybe they're out on FMLA or maybe they've had a workers' comp injury and they're out on leave, these would all be going through the proper channels where we know and we can confirm the exact amount of time they're on leave because there's an approval process, or some sort of process that would clarify what that leave duration would be. So we're coordinating with the departments on those.

So, basically, as it pertains to these probationary period extensions, it goes on a long journey before it gets to us.

Yes. Mhmm. Awesome. What if it doesn't get approved, let's say?

The the probationary request? Extension. Extension. So so and I'll just use this as an example, for instance. So if the probationary period request is not approved for this particular employee, their probationary period would end on 03/17/2026, so next week.

So the department would essentially have to make the determination. Are they gonna reject the employee, or or not? So Yes.

Any

It is a way it is a way from probation. It they move as a full time government employee?

Yes. So once they pass probationary period, then they have permanent rights to that position.

Questions from my fellow commissioners?

Yeah. And I believe I heard you in the beginning that these are only time off for, like, sickness or

Absence.

Light duty work or Correct.

On the job, not disciplinarian.

And

so no. So these would be

Yeah. It it's generally not.

And Yeah.

Probationary. Mhmm. Right? So, usually, we don't go through. Yes.

Just reject at that point.

Terminated them.

Yeah. Correct. Yeah.

Side question. If a probationary employee was disciplined to the point of termination, does that employee have the right to take it all the way to the civil service for a hearing? Or since he's on or that person's on probation, it's just termination. Okay. That's good to know.

Thank you.

So the the fact that these set of people are brought in means they're already doing well in what they're doing. That's the reason they want to, most likely. Not it's in purview within civil service commission. But

And and, you know, there could be other training or other, maybe assignments they need to just complete as part of their full probationary period, so those why they're coming forward.

But until they are vested as the probationary period that our board of review capabilities come Earn on the job. Okay. We have any other question? Okay. Any public comment on the matter?

There's no public comment in the Zoom.

I'll put on a laptop or something and ask a question myself. So do we have any discussion? Or can I Feel that? Yeah. No reason not to. Right? It's pretty clear. Yeah. Yeah. Do we have a motion regarding the agenda item?

I have a motion to approve 26 to 36 for the stock recommendation.

We have a second. Second. Can we get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Billingsley. Aye. Commissioner Dudzinski.

Aye.

Commissioner Pierowicz. Chair Puma Rejo.

Aye. Motion passes. Okay. It's item of business. Do we have any staff report today?

No staff report.

Oh, okay. Do we have a commissioner's report from any of our fellow commissioners?

I can express that I will not be here in May.

Thank you for letting us know.

Alright. At this time, do we have a motion regarding adjournment?

I move that we adjourn.

Do we

have a second?

I second that.

K. Can I get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Billingsley. Aye. Commissioner Dudzinski. Aye. Commissioner Periwet. Aye. Chair Pimarejo.

Aye. And it passes unanimously. Thank you, everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you.

I'm good. Yourself?

I'm just excited to almost be done with school and everything. You know? It's your final year?