Wendell Sampson?

Here.

Chris Boyd?

Here.

Matt Garner?

Here.

Warwell Smith?

Here.

Marty Shell?

Here.

Alex Sanchez?

Here.

Okay, we have a quorum.

Item of business is the discussion of the proposal.

Changing the civil service rules and regulations of the police of the fire.

Mr.

Rowe, would you like to present this, please?

Sure.

What you have before you or what you've been provided are proposed changes to the police department and fire department's rules.

And the bulk of this is in relation to Act 751 that was passed by the General Assembly earlier this year, which actually went into effect uh two days ago on August the 5th.

And you know that that act dealt with before the the legislature that the uh civil service statute provided that when exams would occur and they said it occurring October, you know, the first Monday in October.

Um what the legislature has adopted now is that examination for the police or the fire department can occur any time the chiefs want them to, and the chiefs can now schedule the exams, uh set the date and time, uh the frequency of exams.

So it now delegates to the chiefs that authority over examinations, and it specifically provides that the commission can now only have a advisory role really, a a uh indirect role, excuse me, indirect role in examination, and specifically says the commission can't engage in interviews or proctoring exams, which you know before I don't know if the committee should be, but it had the authority to do it.

Any commission member could have set in on an examination at one point in time the commission had its own oral interview process and now the legislation expressly prohibits that.

So that's the that's the uh genesis of these changes that we made.

Um also in Act 751, it changed the time uh by which there was a a I guess this a um uh what's the word I'm looking for an overview period, a a period of promotion from probationary period, yeah, for for promotions, uh used to be six months.

So if you're promoted and the chiefs decided for whatever reason in that six months period, the person could be sent back to their lower rank.

And now they've extended that period from six months all the way up to twelve months, and so both the fire chief and the police chief has requested and we've proposed to extend that uh promotion promotionary period for uh promotions, internal promotions from six months to twelve months.

Uh so it has a longer uh longer time period whether that promotion is not filed.

Now six months to twelve months is what's proposed.

Uh the other issue that I we noticed and looking at these uh statutes and the rules, um it's actually from 2023 legislation, so this isn't Act 751.

Uh used to be called the rule of three, and uh the police chief and fire chief uh could select one of the three candidates standing highest on the eligibles list uh with respect to new applicants, you know, new appointees.

And in 2023, they changed that to essentially that's a rule of five, either the police chief or the fire chief can select from one of the five standing highest of those new applicants for their departments.

So we've made that change to to put it in line with the current statute that hasn't changed with respect to internal promotions, it's still a rule of three.

If you're applying to move from you know captain to uh deputy for sergeant uh to lieutenant, it's still a rule of three process.

So internal is a three standing highs, but as the new applicants, uh the rule is now uh five standing highs on the list.

So I'd be more than happy to talk about any of the changes.

The other things I think that were changed were just stylistic or cosmetic things that either Lindsay or I caught.

Um but I've I've highlighted the substantive changes that are before you and that the uh chiefs have requested be adopted by this uh board.

Zene Commissioner have any concerns or anything elected to speak on?

Just one clarification point on the 12 months, so that's just internal, right?

Yes, initial higher that's correct, that's just for internal promotions.

Uh the period is extended from six months to twelve months.

Here he's none, would any of the chiefs like to speak on this issue as well, or just to roll cover it fine for you?

I entertain a motion to accept this rule change.

Have a motion?

A second.

Now a second.

So we don't need the motion.

So Chris Boyd.

Matt Garner?

Yes.

Yes.

Harvey Show?

Yes.

And an all-executive?

Yes.

We got Wendell.

Well, he made the motion.

He made a yes.

I guess you say yes to is there anything else this commission would like to discuss or any commissioners have anything they'd like to discuss?

Is everybody in the public has anything they'd like to discuss?

I don't know if uh Lindsay boarded email or not, but we've got a promotional ceremony next Thursday, 10 o'clock at the police department.

Um we're acting going to combine several promotions that have taken place over the last few months into one ceremony.

So I'd just like to invite all the commission to that.

If you have time to come out and see it, we'd be happy to have you meet the three captains, uh Lieutenant and two sergeants.

Thank you.

And I do have that email to come.

Okay.

Well with that outer in a motion to adjourn.

Second.

Somebody make the first.

I'll make the first.

Okay.

All in favor?

Aye.

Thank you very much.

Thank you all for your time.

Appreciate it.