Civil Service Board Meeting - April 14, 2026

The Civil Service Board met on April 14, 2026, to consider a range of personnel matters, including extensions of probationary periods for several employees, a military leave request, and requests to continue or hold in abeyance certain disciplinary hearings. The board also adopted the agenda and approved minutes from the previous meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Unanimously approved the agenda and minutes.
• Approved extensions of probationary periods for the following employees:
  • Jaheel Guzman, Police Sergeant, three months beyond April 1, 2026 (employee absent but in agreement).
  • Jimmy L. Rodriguez, Police Sergeant, twelve months beyond April 1, 2026, due to active duty military leave.
  • Makaia Moore, 911 Operator, three months beyond April 7, 2026 (employee present and in agreement).
  • Gurlene Lang, 911 Operator, three months beyond April 7, 2026 (employee present and in agreement).
  • Dewana Walden, 911 Operator, six months beyond April 7, 2026, due to previous attendance issues and additional training needs (employee present and in agreement).
  • Janita Milhome, Police Officer, three months beyond April 24, 2026 (employee present and in agreement).
  • Belinda Milan, Police Officer, three months beyond April 17, 2026 (employee present and in agreement).
  • Ernest Merritt Jr., Human Resources Technician I, six months beyond July 2, 2026, due to need for improvement in thoroughness and work quality (employee present and in agreement).
  • Gabriel Palacio, Senior Building Inspector, six months beyond May 4, 2026, to allow time to pass plan examiner exam (employee present and in agreement).
• Approved request from Isabella Sanchez Agramonte, former Human Resources Technician I, to be placed on the re-employment list, endorsed by the department director.
• Approved military leave of absence for Angelo Vinegra, Lieutenant, without pay from February 16, 2026 through May 16, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the meeting.

Discussion Items

• E1: Request to Hold in Abeyance Unsatisfactory Service Rating Hearing of Tashara Aline, Police Sergeant Lynette Amagiri, Assistant City Attorney, requested the hearing be held in abeyance pending a hearing before the Miami-Dade Commission on Human Rights regarding a related discrimination charge. The employee's representative, Griskimana from the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, stated readiness but agreed to the abeyance with conditions, including a monthly update and provision of transcripts. The board discussed rescheduling and decided to set a status update for May 12, 2026, rather than a full abeyance. The motion was made and seconded to reschedule the hearing to May 12, 2026, and passed unanimously.

• E2: Request for Continuance – Shakita Johnson, Emergency Dispatcher The employee's attorney, O.C. Rind, requested a continuance for a hearing on a 24-hour suspension effective April 29, 2025. The city had no objection. This was noted as the second employee continuance (with one previous board continuance). The board approved the continuance; the new hearing date was not specified in the transcript.

• H1: Appeal Hearing – Frankita M. Roberts, Legal Assistant Employee's attorney Chelsea Lewis requested a continuance due to a pending EEOC charge involving the same facts. The city had no objection. The board continued the hearing to July 21, 2026, with the understanding that other proceedings might provide additional information.

Key Outcomes

• All routine personnel matters were approved unanimously.
• The hearing for Tashara Aline was rescheduled to May 12, 2026, for a status update.
• The suspension hearing for Shakita Johnson was continued (date not specified).
• The appeal hearing for Frankita M. Roberts was continued to July 21, 2026.
• The next regular board meeting is scheduled for May 5, 2026.

Note: The transcript also includes a public service announcement about FPL scams, which appears to be an unrelated recording at the end and is not part of the meeting proceedings.