OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Board of Fire and Police Commissioners Meeting Summary – August 10, 2026

Meeting Portal — Monday, August 10, 2026
BodyJoliet, Illinois
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, August 10, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 24:37
Transcript — Verbatim
0:09

I don't have to get it.

0:13

Did you guys have my iPads?

0:16

What's that?

0:17

Did you have my IP?

0:18

Well, the iPad dead from here.

0:22

You guys have to have to recognise.

0:24

I can pull it up.

0:32

Do we want to uh do the uh promotion first before we go into closed session?

0:42

I would think that's a good idea.

0:44

I think we'll do that.

0:47

We'll do it after uh Secretary's report.

0:51

Yeah, that's it.

1:09

We good.

1:10

I think we're good.

1:12

Let's bring to order the uh excuse me, one minute here.

1:17

Bring to order the uh board uh City of Juliet uh monthly board of fire and police commissioners meeting uh Monday, August 10th, 5 30 p.m.

1:27

We're here in the city council chambers.

1:30

Um we'll take a roll call.

1:31

Uh Commissioner Strocha.

1:34

Commissioner Potts here and Commissioner Stefansky present.

1:37

We do have a quorum.

1:40

Um first off, I'd like to uh recognize some of the super important people here tonight.

1:47

Mayor Terry Darcy, thank you again for everything you do and and for being present here.

1:52

Um City Manager Beth Beatty, very nice to see you.

1:58

Thanks for attending one of our little meetings here.

2:01

Ums uh Lauren O'Hara, thank you so much for being here.

2:06

She's our city clerk, and uh Councilman Mudrin again, good to see you and thanks for attending, just for the record.

2:16

Uh the approval of the minutes will be first off here.

2:21

Um it's the uh board and fire police commissioners meeting from July 13th of 2026.

2:28

Can I get a motion to approve?

2:29

Motion.

2:30

Second, second.

2:35

Let's do a roll call.

2:37

Uh Commissioner Strocha.

2:39

All right, Commissioner Potts, and Commissioner Stefonski.

2:42

Aye.

2:44

The meeting minutes have been approved.

2:47

Next we have a citizens uh to be heard on agenda items.

2:50

Uh anybody here wants to make a comment or any uh any comments on the agenda items for tonight.

2:58

Hearing none, we'll move on to the secretary's report.

3:02

Uh there are several uh several fire department um applicants that uh had to withdraw from the list.

3:10

They are as follows.

3:11

Number two, Edith Ortiz Ruiz withdrew from the list on 611 of 26.

3:18

Uh number 7, Thomas McDougall withdrew from the list on 714 of 26.

3:26

Number 15, Grace Wolf.

3:30

Removed for failure to meet requirements.

3:32

That was on 730 of 26.

3:35

Number 20, Daniel Greaves withdrew from the list on 611 of 26.

3:42

Applicant number 27, Alex Guzman withdrew from the list on 612 of 26.

3:48

And applicant 29, Zach Carlson withdrew from the list on 611 of 26.

3:56

On the police department side.

3:59

Uh there were four uh taken off the list from the certified lateral list.

4:05

Uh number two, applicant number two was Miles Klein.

4:08

He withdrew from the list on 729 to 26.

4:12

Uh applicant number one, Matthew Zieger.

4:16

Failed to meet requirements and was taken off the list on 728 of 26.

4:21

Applicant number three.

4:23

Matthew Sheets failed to meet requirements and subsequently was removed from the list on 723 of 26.

4:30

And last uh applicant number five, John Rodriguez, failed to meet requirements also.

4:36

Um was removed.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters█████████████████████████████████████████████78%
Procedural█████████████22%
Summary of Proceedings

Board of Fire and Police Commissioners Meeting Summary – August 10, 2026

The Joliet Board of Fire and Police Commissioners met on Monday, August 10, 2026, at 5:30 PM in City Council Chambers. The meeting covered approvals of minutes, a secretary's report on applicant withdrawals, promotions of five fire department personnel, a closed session, and conditional hiring of multiple police lateral officers and firefighter/paramedics. All votes were unanimous except where noted.

Secretary's Report

  • Fire Department applicants withdrawn or removed:
    • Edith Ortiz Ruiz (withdrew June 11, 2026)
    • Thomas McDougall (withdrew July 14, 2026)
    • Grace Wolf (removed for failure to meet requirements, July 30, 2026)
    • Daniel Greaves (withdrew June 11, 2026)
    • Alex Guzman (withdrew June 12, 2026)
    • Zach Carlson (withdrew June 11, 2026)
  • Police lateral applicants withdrawn or removed:
    • Miles Klein (withdrew July 29, 2026)
    • Matthew Zieger (removed for failure to meet requirements, July 28, 2026)
    • Matthew Sheets (removed for failure to meet requirements, July 23, 2026)
    • John Rodriguez (removed for failure to meet requirements, July 31, 2026)

Fire Department Promotions

Commissioners unanimously approved all five promotions recommended by Chief Jeff Carey (via letter):

  • Michael Kubinski – promoted from Lieutenant to Captain.
  • Scott Winkels – promoted from Lieutenant to Captain.
  • Christopher Kinsella – promoted from Apparatus Operator Paramedic to Lieutenant.
  • Christopher O'Hara – promoted from Apparatus Operator Paramedic to Lieutenant.
  • Christian Conroy – promoted from Apparatus Operator Paramedic to Lieutenant.

Closed Session

The board voted unanimously to enter closed session to discuss specific employee matters (appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal) as permitted under 5 ILCS 5/120/2(c)(1). After the closed session, the board reconvened in open session.

Hiring of Certified Lateral Police Officers

The board voted on six candidates for conditional hiring (pending successful vision, drug test, and physical exam):

  • William Whitfield – hired (3-0).
  • Samuel Markusic – hired (3-0).
  • David DeVries – hired (3-0).
  • David Mullen – motion failed (3-0 against).
  • Caitlin Mosier – hired (3-0).
  • Brian Cementel – hired (3-0).

Hiring of Firefighter/Paramedics

The board voted on 22 candidates for conditional hiring (pending successful vision, drug test, physical exam, and background investigation):

  • Devin Wiggers – hired (3-0).
  • Hannah Mesa Jack – hired (3-0).
  • Jesse Hurtado – hired (3-0).
  • William Owens – hired (3-0).
  • Michael Bellevue – motion failed (3-0 against).
  • James Schneider – hired (3-0).
  • Kyle Depree – hired (3-0).
  • Alejandro Paleo – motion failed (3-0 against).
  • Armani Dixon – hired (3-0).
  • Andrew Willis – motion failed (3-0 against).
  • Bartek Zumiek – hired (3-0).
  • Jack Kuchera – motion failed (3-0 against).
  • John Sutherland – motion failed (3-0 against).
  • Joseph Manzo – hired (3-0).
  • Sergio Delatore – hired (3-0).
  • David Bednar – motion failed (3-0 against).
  • Jason Hoffman – hired (3-0).
  • Jamar White – hired (3-0).
  • Brandon Unan – motion failed (3-0 against).
  • Anthony Bryce III – motion failed (3-0 against).
  • Damian Lagonik – removed from list for failure to meet requirements (no vote).
  • Luke Granholm – motion failed (3-0 against).

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes of the July 13, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously.
  • Five fire department promotions were approved unanimously.
  • The board entered and exited closed session with unanimous votes.
  • Four police lateral officers were conditionally hired; one candidate was rejected.
  • Twelve firefighter/paramedic candidates were conditionally hired; eight motions failed and one candidate was removed from the list.
  • No public comments were made, and no new or old business was discussed.

Meeting Transcript

I don't have to get it. Did you guys have my iPads? What's that? Did you have my IP? Well, the iPad dead from here. You guys have to have to recognise. I can pull it up. Do we want to uh do the uh promotion first before we go into closed session? I would think that's a good idea. I think we'll do that. We'll do it after uh Secretary's report. Yeah, that's it. We good. I think we're good. Let's bring to order the uh excuse me, one minute here. Bring to order the uh board uh City of Juliet uh monthly board of fire and police commissioners meeting uh Monday, August 10th, 5 30 p.m. We're here in the city council chambers. Um we'll take a roll call. Uh Commissioner Strocha. Commissioner Potts here and Commissioner Stefansky present. We do have a quorum. Um first off, I'd like to uh recognize some of the super important people here tonight. Mayor Terry Darcy, thank you again for everything you do and and for being present here. Um City Manager Beth Beatty, very nice to see you. Thanks for attending one of our little meetings here. Ums uh Lauren O'Hara, thank you so much for being here. She's our city clerk, and uh Councilman Mudrin again, good to see you and thanks for attending, just for the record. Uh the approval of the minutes will be first off here. Um it's the uh board and fire police commissioners meeting from July 13th of 2026. Can I get a motion to approve? Motion. Second, second. Let's do a roll call. Uh Commissioner Strocha. All right, Commissioner Potts, and Commissioner Stefonski. Aye. The meeting minutes have been approved. Next we have a citizens uh to be heard on agenda items. Uh anybody here wants to make a comment or any uh any comments on the agenda items for tonight. Hearing none, we'll move on to the secretary's report. Uh there are several uh several fire department um applicants that uh had to withdraw from the list. They are as follows. Number two, Edith Ortiz Ruiz withdrew from the list on 611 of 26. Uh number 7, Thomas McDougall withdrew from the list on 714 of 26. Number 15, Grace Wolf. Removed for failure to meet requirements. That was on 730 of 26. Number 20, Daniel Greaves withdrew from the list on 611 of 26. Applicant number 27, Alex Guzman withdrew from the list on 612 of 26. And applicant 29, Zach Carlson withdrew from the list on 611 of 26.

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