Civil Service Commission Meeting – July 1, 2026

The Delaware Civil Service Commission met on July 1, 2026, in Council Chambers at City Hall. Chair Santos presided; Commissioner Hollingshead Mansell was present, and Vice Chair Hurley was excused. The meeting was called to order at 3:30 PM and adjourned at approximately 3:34 PM. The commission unanimously approved the July 2026 Police Officer Certified List and eliminated the Wonderlic assessment from police officer and firefighter recruitment.

Consent Calendar

• A motion to excuse Vice Chair Hurley passed unanimously.
• The motion summary from the June 3, 2026 Civil Service Commission meeting was approved as presented, with no corrections or additions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments, letters, or petitions were presented.

Discussion Items

• July 2026 Police Officer Certified List: Police Chief Moore reported that two candidates were added, bringing the list to 18 viable candidates. He noted the department currently has six openings that would bring it to 63 sworn officers, three of which were new positions as of January 1, and that at least one retirement is anticipated. The commission approved the list unanimously.
• Elimination of Wonderlic Assessment: Staff member Ms. Faust requested removal of the Wonderlic assessment from both police officer and firefighter recruitment. The assessment had been used for about three years to measure cognitive ability as part of background investigations. Staff expressed concerns that Wonderlic results did not always reflect actual candidate performance, noted discrepancies with scores from Pradco, a long-time Ohio testing vendor, and stated Pradco had previously discontinued its use after a similar experience. The Wonderlic contract was an unlimited subscription costing $12,000 per year, and staff felt those funds could be used more appropriately elsewhere in recruiting. The commission approved the elimination unanimously. A commissioner praised staff for exercising fiduciary responsibility for Delaware citizens and for being willing to try a tool that proved to be one-size-fits-all and not a good fit.

Staff Comments

• Police Academy Training Availability: Chief Moore reported challenges outside the city’s control, specifically the availability of police academy training. Currently, one officer is in the basic highway patrol academy and three officers are in the Delaware County Sheriff’s Academy. The OSP academy starting in August is full, with 14 people on a waitlist, and the next available academy is in December. Training costs are approximately $5,000 to $6,000 per trainee, and the full training cycle takes about 11 months before an officer is available for duty.
• Fire Department Hiring: Staff reported that seven candidates were given a start date of August 17, filling seven of the ten planned spots for the year. The remaining three spots will be addressed after lieutenant promotional test scores are received, with three internal candidates expected, and those spots will then be backfilled with three new hires.

Commissioner Comments

• A commissioner congratulated Chief Pyo on being featured on the front page of the Gazette.
• Staff confirmed readiness for the city’s fireworks display. A commissioner reminded residents that personal fireworks are not permitted within the city of Delaware, summarizing that if it goes boom or goes up in the air, it cannot be used in the city.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the June 3, 2026 motion summary.
• Approved the July 2026 Police Officer Certified List with 18 viable candidates.
• Approved elimination of the Wonderlic assessment from both the police officer and firefighter recruitment processes.
• All votes were unanimous, with two commissioners voting and Vice Chair Hurley excused.