Commissioners, are we ready?

Okay, good afternoon.

Welcome to the business portion of the Civil Service Commission's regular meeting for Friday, February 6th.

We do have a quorum with all commissioners uh present.

Can I get a motion out of executive session?

We have a motion.

Second.

Second.

Okay, we have a second.

Now we're out of executive session into our business meeting.

Thank you, Commissioners.

Um, we're gonna go ahead and request that you take up item number five first.

Um item number five is a request from Mayor Moreno under Rule 12, Section 9.1B to exceed 12 furlough days in a consecutive 12 month period.

Okay, Commissioners, are we so inclined?

I'll make a motion.

It sounds like we have uh unanimous, and we will take it out.

Thank you.

You want to come forward?

Good morning.

So I'm the first deputy mayor and chief administrative officer for the city of New Orleans.

I've read the rules and realized that the commission has to vote on anything in excess of twelve furlough days, um, and also the mayor has to show extraordinary circumstances.

So my question to the commission is given the volume of news that has been presented in this chamber and publicly, how much information to show exceptional circumstances do you want?

Because I don't want to hurt you in making your record, but at the same time, in fairness, there's been a great deal of publicity and notoriety about what the city's financial status is, and I don't want to waste your time either.

Uh for me, um, and thank you, congratulations to the new administration and to you, Mr.

Jerusalem.

Just give us the why.

Just to kind of reaffirm the why.

All right.

So uh I'm I'm gonna start at the beginning then, because I I totally understand what the question is.

Would you like to come before um I'm happy to say I can yes, I'm happy to sit at the table.

Thank you.

Um, if it's all right with the commission, I'd also ask Mr.

Wagas back, the legislative author to sit with us as well.

Thank you.

That there is a cash management crisis on top of that.

Let me stop there just for one second, maybe to editorialize.

The reason that we went is because we know how precious the city employees are, and making sure that they are timely paid was at the top of our agenda, and we express so regularly, publicly and privately to state officials.

Due to the efforts of I uh of us and the auditor, we were able to convince legislators of necessity of circumstances, and that we would put forward a plan to show how we were digging ourselves out of this hole and how we would serve the city employees.

The State Bond Commission ultimately granted the revenue anticipatory note, and the legislative auditor further became embedded in the city to ensure not only that payroll payments were being done correctly, but that the city as a whole was improving its processes, something that's actually continuing to happen to this day.

And in fact, Mr.

Wag Spack and I spoke this morning about some things that we're trying to fine-tune.

I think this commission knows the RAN will expire by the end of this month, and we are going to work to continue to use our funds to make sure that we are making payroll.

Here's something that you may not know that I learned yesterday.

The forecast for the first month of the year, January of revenue was 113 million dollars.

The city actually collected 65 million dollars.

Could you say it one more time?

I'm sorry.

Yes.

The projected revenue for January 2026 was 113 million dollars.

What the city actually collected in January was 65 million dollars.

Now, the largest piece of that being off is property taxes.

Apparently we only collected uh about 69 million dollars, or I'd take that back.

We had 69 million dollars in a property tax forecast, but only collected 26 million dollars.

Now, I say this for two reasons.

One, to level set for the commission, and by the way, I've alerted the mayor and the council members to this number, so um it will not be a surprise to them.

And two, I think we know the likelihood is that most people will pay between Mardi Gras and when it is all due.

But at the end of the day, the money is not in the city's coffers as we sit here right now.

Please also remember in addition to the financial challenges that were thrust upon this administration, we also discovered that NOPD retention bonuses had not been properly maintained, causing this administration to have to fund $9.5 million in other funds in order to make sure that those bonuses as promised were paid.

We also were settled an alleged wrongful uh incarceration case, and for I know Mr.

Supernot knows this, but for those non-lawyers, federal judgments are a little bit different than state court ones because the federal government can absolutely make us enforce those as opposed to state court judgments, which go on a list.

And of course, one of the things we're trying to do internally is shift the culture.

One thing that hopefully the members of the commission are aware of is a mayor's executive order, HM2602, which sets forth a budget stabilization and efficiency program.

Um it is a three-timeline tier document.

The first reports are actually due next Wednesday, and then the next one's March 13th, and the final one April 13th.

If you look at the whereas clauses, they say the city of New Orleans must steward public funds responsibly while maintaining reliable delivery of core services, inflation, rising operational costs, aging infrastructure, contractual obligations, and involving public needs require continuous review, spending, staffing contracts, and service delivery models, and the mayor is structuring a data-driven efficiency initiative as well as trying to raise revenues as well.

Um, a significant portion of that lives in the CAO's office, but the deputy mayors are also working to make that a reality.

Let me also say that I think you all know that the bond rating of the city was also reduced by two different levels.

And the primary thing that not only the legislature, which I will let Mr.

Waggasback speak more about, but the bond ratings and the banks have said is that the city has to show its plan and the things that are that it's doing.

What are some of the things that the Moreno administration have done and will and will do?

Number one, unfortunately, it was the layoff of nearly 35 unclassified employees as Mayor Moreno came into office.

It is instituting a hiring freeze that only can be lifted by the CAO's office or directive of the mayor.

It's instituting a spending freeze that has gone on as well.

Um we are also in the process of trying to pull out pull on the street or put out on the street some RFIs or RFPs in order to get better delivery of services and hopefully as a result of better delivery, more revenue for the city as well.

I would also say members of the commission, you would be rightfully concerned about how narrowly drawn this um order is and I would argue a couple of things in that regard.

Number one is we've had a couple of departments, namely Department of Public Works and the Health Department, who are going to use grant funding to offset any furloughs because they have funding outside of the general fund is available.

Of course, if there's other departments that have such grant funding or other available funding, we encourage them to do it because we know the toll that this takes financially and emotionally on city workers.

I would also point out that uh the mayor made the decision to have equity exemptions as well in the furloughs.

And you will note in the circular memorandum issued by the CAO's office that if you make 39,733 or less dollars, you are exempt from the furlough requirements.

And then there is a graduated step process members from 39,734 to more than 44,435 about the number of furlough days.

In addition to that, if you've read the memo, and I will not go over a chapter and verse, but you know public safety employees are generally exempt completely across the board, that revenue generating departments are exempt.

And I will tell you that since this was issued on January 16th, I've already granted two to three different rounds of exemptions and have one more coming up that's revenue generating as well.

Um I'm gonna close my notes because I don't need this part uh to make sure I stay in chronological order.

I will tell you that I think you all know I served with the mayor for about eight years on that dais, and I probably spent more time with her in the last three months than the last three years while we were together.

I have not heard her talk about anything that she dislikes with such a passion as the furloughs.

She has made that a public and a private commitment that she wants to make sure they end as quickly as they possibly can because she understands readily the impact that it places on the financial stability of people who work and dedicate their lives to the city of New Orleans, as well as the morale impacts internally.

At the same time, the reality is we have to show our creditors, our friends in Baton Rouge, the federal government banks that we are taking the necessary steps to rein in spending, and as we make these internal cuts to our operating costs to spending to other expenses, unfortunately, furloughs is one of those items that has to remain on the table.

Um, with that, I would just like the legislative auditor, if it's all right, to add some additional commentary given his perspective, and I'm happy to take any questions from the commission.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

So just an outsider looking at it from an audit perspective, this city is in a financial crisis.

It's it's got all hands on deck to manage through this cash flow process.

You know, we're weekly updating spreadsheets, we consult and finance markets.

There's a lot of red here.

There's a lot of red here.

And you know, March, April, May are gonna be critical months.

I'm talking about very, very critical months to manage the revenues coming in, the payment repayment of the rant is a big payment, I think in uh in March will make of 65 million to start paying back that 125 million dollar RAND note.

So every good faith effort, every cost-saving measure is imperative.

We've got to do this because if we don't, bond ratings won't come up, Baton Rouge is not gonna appreciate it, and it may be a tough sell.

The last thing we want to do is go back to Baton Rouge and say they ignored the furloughs, they wouldn't allow it.

You know what?

And that's gonna that's gonna nod some heads, and the last thing we want to do here is is be subject to another discussion of a fiscal administrator.

Nobody wants that.

But I'm gonna be honest with you.

If if they don't see corrective action immediately, that discussion will be forthcoming.

So I'm not just trying to put, I'm just not trying to scare anybody, you scare tactics.

That is the reality of the situation the city is in.

So uh I sit here today nervous about the cash flow in the next three months.

You know, we're gonna do everything best to try to advise or work you guys through this, but this this needs to happen.

Thank you for that time.

So it sounds like what I'm hearing, you know, under commission rules, 12 pay periods um is within your purview.

And it sounds like because you have to address the issues with the RAN that the 22 pay periods is being requested so that you can provide a plan so that we fiscally can you know receive whatever umallians that we can do to to make sure we're back on track.

Is that my understanding?

You're you're exactly right, madam chair, which is um this is not something we ask for lightly, and I know that it isn't an easy decision for this commission.

It's hard to make these decisions because you are affecting people's lives.

But at the end of the day, the reality is if we're gonna pull ourselves out of this hole, the only way we can do it is by controlling our spending.

And unfortunately, part of that spending is the people who work here in City Hall, myself included.

Okay.

Commissioners, is there any questions?

I I'd like uh first to commend uh Mayor Marino for asking Mr.

Jerusalem to take this particular position.

I I think that was an excellent choice.

Uh I've I know that the city has a significant financial crisis.

Anyone who doesn't realize that uh hasn't been keeping up on what's been going on, I have total confidence in uh uh Mr.

DeRusso being at the point.

I think that that is uh in my mind, um I I've read what he put together.

I know that he does a conscientious job is is his heart, soul, mind is for the city, and I totally support what he is putting forth.

And I don't think that this commission should in any way uh pose any type of problem to the city's plan.

And I think that we're gonna have more days like this going forward.

And I and as a commissioner, I I feel like we're on this together.

We're all in this together, and that shame on us if we don't get behind this and together pull us back to where we need to be.

So I fully support what uh the mayor and what uh uh Mr.

DeRusso is putting forth, and I thought that it was the the case was very well made, and I don't have any questions or problems with fully supporting it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

I I I appreciate those kind words.

I'll also say this all in is not just a campaign slogan.

It's really a lived experience for the mayor.

And I can't tell you how often she says to us, we need our commissions, we need our help in the business community, we need our help from residents, and so we all have to be on the same team pulling in the same direction.

I appreciate that very much.

Yeah.

Commissioner Monteverdi.

Yes.

Good morning, guys.

Good morning.

Um so for Mr.

Waggisback, nice to meet you, sir.

I'm the employee commissioner up here.

I'm a city worker as well.

Um so I just wanted to say from my perspective, my my largest concern, and um one of the, if anything, nice would be the wrong word, one of the um reassuring elements has been throughout this whole process is consistency and lack of surprises.

You guys have been really clear uh about the necessity for this.

My first concern when I started to hear about these issues months back was layoffs.

And while some of those have happened, of course, those have been limited to the unclassified service and unfortunately probationary employees.

But in everything I've read and everything we've received and reviewed, my first concern has been so far set aside um due to the work that I believe has been done up front on this issue.

It gives me no joy that we have to do this.

I think you've made the same case.

Um but I did notice from early on you guys were extremely vocal in why you were going to Baden Rouge to seek this loan from an employee's perspective, it was heartening to hear that this is being done.

I think I heard each the three of you that went, I saw repeatedly say this is being done so we can make payroll.

This is being done so we can keep these guys employed and um and ultimately deliver the services.

The employment part's great and the services still have to be delivered.

So in the employees I've spoken to, of course, nobody's jumping for joy, but there does seem to be a level of trust in this and an acceptance, albeit with some resignation, of course.

Um I would also note that these have been scaled back.

Uh I believe you guys worked in consultation with some employee representative groups to achieve those.

Uh the equity table you talked about.

Um so it was really good to hear that as well.

And I think you notice there is no no one here in opposition from that side.

Um again, that theme being acceptance, because I think there's there's some trust there.

Um so my fears have been satisfied.

Um I would ask only since we are jumping ahead here, like some some people have asked me, well, why not just come back after 12 and ask for the next 12 then?

My response to the employees that asked me that, and I think it was a really fair question to be asked was taking them at their word.

The budget had to be created now.

And the budget had to be created with these furloughs in mind, which puts the cart before the horse slightly because the commission still has to approve it.

We get that, but how do you it's just unreconcilable till you gets done.

I would only note that um Rule 12 section 92a just gives the option that when the mayor or other executive authority requesting furlough avoid to avoid layoffs, determined circumstances warrant that have changed.

Uh they may, they may uh terminate those furloughs prior to the end date that has been established.

I'm not trying to lay anything pressure on.

I trust you, I believe you.

I'm saying keep that part in mind.

I'm sure you are, but on behalf of the people I represent, uh, I just wanted to put that thought out there in the world.

Otherwise, I have no further comment.

Thank you, uh, Commissioner Monovardi, a few things.

Number one, you're right.

I was remiss not to mention the mayor's meeting with the union where she laid out these items, and so there was a discussion beforehand, which I think again goes to Commissioner Supernaught and Chair Richardson's points of you have to have communication and collaboration.

I would like to think the reason why there's nobody behind Mr.

Waggespack and me right now is because we A, went to Baton Rouge and fought so hard, and B, sat down with people and explained this is the reality of what our plan is and try to right size it for where it fits.

Number two, if you will also remember a point I didn't make in my opening statement, the mayor's transition plan called for $4.7 million in layoffs of those probation or employees.

Um at the risk of getting a little bit over my skis.

I tentatively think that we may have found close to about two and a half million of that in other operational savings.

So now I'm on the hunt for the last two million, so we can avoid or try to avoid those layoffs.

And then, Commissioner, I will also just say your point is well taken about where we want to go.

Uh, and I think if somehow we can dig ourselves out of this ditch and get here earlier, I will be the first person at this table asking you to lift that along with the mayor.

Yes, thank you.

And I can tell you for a fact, because I I have been reached out to, and I reached out to some of those groups.

I was like, look, what do you what are we all thinking here?

I'm your representative.

And they were they were happy with uh let me put the nuance on that, right?

They were accepting and satisfied by the collaboration, the transparency that had gone on.

And yeah, of course, the one of the final lines of the letter, um everything in its power to continue finding saving opportunities do not impact employees, more importantly to raise revenue to end these austerity measures as quickly as possible.

I know that doesn't put a timeline burden on you, and we understand, but yeah.

Yeah, I mean, again, it's all about getting the financial footing correct while understanding that this is a difficult option for employees, and I think it if there's one area that we can come back and course correct on, undoing the furloughs, I know is that Mirror Moreno's topic.

Is this possible at like you know, if we approve this today, it's done.

But is it possible to just get a verbal commitment that we'll get a report at the 12-week mark, maybe?

I'm I'm happy to stand.

I'm happy to come back at any point the commission asks me.

We welcome that, definitely.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Commissioners.

Uh we do have one speaker card.

Okay, we do.

We have uh Destiny Price.

Okay, Destiny.

Afternoon, good morning.

Hi, it's so weird being on this side.

Um, hi, Commissioners.

Um, nice to see you.

Hello, nice to meet you.

My name is Destiny Price for the record.

Um, I just wanted to speak on behalf of classified employees and say that um this furlough is not something that we're pleased about, and I think that there needs to be more transparency about what our unclassified employees are being compensated for to do the work that they do.

Because honestly, from the perspective of a classified employee and a citizen native of New Orleans, it seems like we're just playing musical chairs with the seats in our leadership, and having our council members now be in positions of mayor and chief administrative officer when their responsibility was to review and approve these pay budget raises and all these different things.

I think it's um a bit disappointing to see them in leadership positions getting pay raises, and there needs to be transparency about what they're being compensated and how the lower class employees and employees that are being paid less are getting their days cut.

Employees are getting 10%.

If you make 40, excuse me, 44,000, that's pre-tax, by the way, you are getting a 10% pay crease pay decrease.

Um, and that's in furlough days.

That's $4,000 again, pre-tax for someone that is barely making rent um as an unclassified, I mean, as a classified employee, I can speak for myself when I say that it is hard wanting to work for the city and work in public service and work for people that you love in a community that you love when you're not being compensated fairly.

And I understand that unclassified employees, some of them are natives as well, but also sometimes these people are coming in from different states and they know nothing about Louisiana, they know nothing about the people, the culture, the economic state, because they're being paid ample amount more than the classified employees that were born here, raised here and everything like that.

Um yeah, I guess that's all I'm asking for is more transparency in what we're paying and compensating our unclassified employees.

Uh mainly sorry, I'm getting a little nervous here.

Um thank you.

Um yeah, so I think our last chief administrative officer was compensated 225,000 as of August 2025.

Um now that we have our new CAO, they are being compensated 325,000, which is almost 208K than what they were being compensated as of May of last year.

And I understand that they're in a different position, and they also have superlative qualifications that may justify this, but I don't understand how you can go from making 100 to 200,000 as a council member to 325,000 dollars as a chief administrative officer and say that we are in a financial pitfall when you are taking such a major increase in pay.

And a 10% decrease or a 10% pay cut is only $32,000.

That's the salary of one office assistant.

Um I just don't understand the math here, and math isn't my strongest suit.

Hey, that's why I'm not in the finance department.

But I just think that there needs to be transparency about where we're compensating the unclassified members because they don't undergo they don't undergo the same strenuous process.

Us classified employees, they don't understand the go the same pay restrictions and pay studies that classified employees are subject to just to vouch for a pay raise for themselves.

And I know there aren't any people behind me or in line to speak in opposition of this, but and I understand that you had to go before our state government and present a budget that showed this is our plan, so we don't have any oversight, and I appreciate that because the last thing we need is our state federal government overlooking things that they also know nothing about.

Um, but at the same time, there needs to be a bit more transparency about what's going on in the unclassified service.

Classified employees are scrutinized, they're judged, they are underpaid, and it's just unfair.

You're bringing in a new administration, some of the same players that have been in the game for decades, and they're getting pay creases, they're benefiting from this plan.

They're benefiting from our struggle and the pay cuts that we're experiencing, and I don't think that's fair.

So thank you for sharing.

Um Mr.

Jerusalem, would you like to address something?

Well, I I guess a couple things.

Um, the first is um she's absolutely right.

I'm making more money now as CO, as I did um as a council member from a city perspective.

But remember, the council job was allegedly, and I want to note the word allegedly, a part-time position.

We're also we're allowed to have outside position, too.

I can promise you the CAO job is like four jobs.

Um it it is it is as busy, and frankly, I think I'm busier now as the CAO than I was as a council member because there's more operational and financial operations that fall under our umbrella.

Um, I would say that um what when it when it comes to the issue of transparency, I I I know that my salary's been reported at least three times by the Times Picky Union, and I know the other leaders who are the deputy mayors have had their salaries multiple times.

If anybody in the commission wants to know the salary of any unclassified employee that has not been publicized for some reason, we're more than happy to share that information.

The last thing I will say is this you know, um, I represented District A for eight years, which by and large is a more fluent part of our city.

But at the same time, I also represented Hollywood, Dixon, and Leonidas that was not rich.

What I saw frequently was that people who live there had less time, network, and agency than people who have means.

They can pick up the phone, they have access to people.

So every night I put my head on my bed, I worry a lot about those folks because I understand they don't have the ability to reach out to me like so many other people do.

And that's part of the reason why we're working so hard to make sure that payroll was made before for city employees, while we work so hard to try to make sure that we're trying to do our best to moose morale, and as I committed to Commissioner Mono Verde, if the circumstances warrant to reverse the furlough as quickly as is financially feasible.

Thank you for your comments.

I appreciate those.

Yeah, let me let me add.

Uh I know Mr.

Jerusalem.

He's worth every penny and more what he's getting.

He's a highly respected member of a legal community, and he could command the salary far beyond what he is receiving at the present time.

And I can tell you, knowing him and knowing the type of job that he does and will continue to do is money well spent.

And the city is very, very fortunate to have him in this particular position.

Thank you.

But I I do appreciate comments, but I wanted to mention that because as a member of the legal community, it's important that you know that, and because his salary may seem high, but it's not as high as what it could be or should be if he was out in the private sector.

I can tell you that for a fact.

No, but but the city is fortunate to have him.

What I'm saying is he is worth every penny, and the city is very fortunate to have him in this position.

I've worked with them for a number of years and I will absolutely agree with that.

Absolutely.

I just think Destiny's point, it's a it's a it's a fair point.

But I think her point was that even the savings on the administration side taking furloughs, like the pay cut will be commensurate with a salary that somebody else might receive.

I think is her her underlying point.

No comment on the professionalism or competency of any incumbent in any of these positions, but just the dollars on the standpoint.

It's well taken.

And and I won't belabor this.

I want to say this is the plight that our administration is dealing with.

It's a balance of hearing what our people are going through within the city, like the the everyday, and it sounds like that is one of the things that the administrator wants to address.

I think that um as we move forward in making this decision, uh three things came to mind.

Yes, and I do see this in knowing you as well, Mr.

Jerusalem is competency, clarity, and care.

Those three C's, and make sure that we understand that whatever we do in our competency, we are clear clear about it.

We have clarity so that everyone knows, and then the care for our people in the city.

Like what does that look like?

How do we move?

And I think this administration is committed to that.

It it sounds like that's what you're coming before us.

Destiny, I'm sorry that this impacts our workers the way it does.

I mean, um, I think we're at a point now that the choice has already been made.

We just need to go through the approval process to do that because it's larger than just New Orleans now.

It is from a fiduciary standpoint from the state, it is from an administrative standpoint, and the bodies are trying to connect the dots now as we go into this administration.

Now, what does city economics look like?

And I know that you guys are committed to it.

What does internal um processes look like for acknowledging, especially our civil service um department?

You know, a lot of times we're opposed, or it seems to be opposed to um bigger business, but we're only following rules.

Our workers sometimes I don't ever see them being acknowledged for the hard work that they do.

It's always it's anti-civil service.

So just hoping in this administration, the collaborative, the the things Amy's been here 17, 18 years.

I don't even know if she's got employee uh how much 25.

I don't even know if she's even got employee of the year uh of the month or the year just for the work.

And so these are the things that I would love to see civil service and the work that they do.

So what Ms.

Destiny is saying, you know, the care, like let's just continue to care for the people who do the hard work, and we just really appreciate you guys for coming and trusting the commission to make the best decision as we need to move forward for our city and our state.

So, commissioners, with that being said, yeah.

Let me also, Destiny, I commend you for having the courage to go back and say that.

So uh it it's it's not easy for you to be sitting there and then go back there.

So I I think that you deserve credit for having the courage to do that because a lot of people wouldn't done that.

So I'm happy that we have you sitting there in front of us.

Uh and uh Brittany, if this is the time for a motion, I'd like to make a motion to approve uh Mayor Marino's request as set forth by Mr.

Jerusalem.

Can I make one more comment for Destiny?

So this Destiny's ability to get up there and speak her mind to somebody in position of significant power is also an endorsement of why civil service systems and protections are very critical for workers in positions like hers.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

And and and Destiny, we know there's great things that's ahead.

Um so people are trying to eat, and I think you recognize that uh Mr.

Jerusalem, people are trying to live and make New Orleans rent, but that's just the state of how we gotta need to work on our economics within our uh city.

So we have a motion on the floor.

Do we have a second?

I'll second the motion.

We have any abstentions or objections?

Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye, motion carries.

Thank you.

Thank you all very much.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Okay, Commissioners.

Item number one are the minutes for January 14th, 2026.

And commissioners, we're gonna ask to defer that until the next meeting.

So item number two is a ratification of public integrity bureau extension requests.

All right, do we review any cards, any notes?

Okay.

Commissioners, do we have a motion?

To ratify.

I'll move to approve.

We have a motion to approve.

Do we have a second?

Second.

Okay, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Motion carries.

Oh, you do have a do you need to fill out a card?

So we do okay.

So we had a motion and we approved.

Is it too late to hear any feedback?

Uh Steve.

Okay, you may share, but we've already approved the motion.

Are you sure?

Okay.

You're welcome to speak, though.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, Commissioners.

Item number three A under classification compensation matters is a request from the Department of Parks and Parkways to create the new classification of golf course superintendent and corresponding new special rate of pay.

Um this new position would have the overall would be responsible for the overall management and operations of the Joseph M.

Bostow MU golf course.

That's formally punch or train park.

Um we're also recommending a a new special rate of pay that would grant uh would it would incentivize the person in a position to obtain and maintain a certification as a golf course superintendent, which is issued by the uh golf course superintendents association of America.

You know, pay of this job would be 75,000 a year.

Remember, Commissioners fiscally with any newly created position, it goes to both the city council for approval, and then if and when the council approves it, then uh when they the department tries to fill the position, the budget office and the chief administrative office also would have to approve that before uh the position is filled.

So there are budgetary safeguards when we create new classifications.

Okay, great.

All right, and this position was was recently occupied by an unclassified position.

Um that position is vacant, and the department has asked us to bring the position into the classified series.

Okay.

So do we have a motion at this time?

Motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

Do we have a second?

Second.

Any abstentions or objections?

Hearing none.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye, aye, aye.

Motion carries.

Sorry.

Um, item number three B is a request from the sewage and water board to create a new cybersecurity job series.

Um, this is one of the highest growing IT fields.

Uh the Bureau of Labor Statistics uh basically is saying in effect that there tends that there's going to be an increase in 16% of requ of new jobs created for the next several years.

Um, these series, the intent of it is to monitor uh the organization's uh overall networks for security breaches and investigations when one occurs.

Uh rates of the series parallels that of our current IT series, it just creates a like spit a specialized uh niche for these type of jobs, so it makes it easier to recruit and retain.

All right, thank you.

Um any questions, Commissioners?

Or do we have a motion?

Motion to approve.

I do have a question.

I I'll second that actually.

But when with a how does this work when we have a uh hiring freeze?

We still create positions, they they're there for when we hire again.

Yeah, and remember this is for the sewage and water board, they're not under the freeze.

Gotcha.

Second.

Okay.

Any abstentions or objections?

Hearing none.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Item number three C is a request from the sewage and water board to create a new operational technology systems job series.

Um, this new series, uh, it once again it parallels the current rates of our IT series, is gonna be responsible for the board's industrial control systems, and essentially what that does is basically ineffective it it get it provides the data with all its areas of operations, including water purification, uh power control, uh also environmental uh issues as well.

And sewage and water board has traditionally relied on contracted IT support, and they're working to bring a lot of that uh contracted support in-house question.

Any questions?

I have a question.

So on this one, of course, it's sewage and waterboard again, but I guess for my understanding, can I move back to a though we already approved it?

I'm fine with that.

Parks or parkways.

We create these classifications under a hiring freeze.

How does that work?

It will then it falls in like an exemption, or is it just there ready for when it's so it goes through the same process as filling any other position?

So first it goes to the city council to create the new position.

Once the council approves it, then when the department wants to fill the position, the same requisitioning processes followed as for all the other city positions.

So they have to get a hiring freeze exject exemption that's approved, then it routes through the budget office for approval, and then it routes through the chief administrative office officer himself for approval.

So similar to the question I asked you the other day about requisitions for some promotions.

Okay, so we have a motion to approve.

We have a second.

Okay.

Any abstentions or objections?

Thank you, Commissioners.

Item number four A under recruitment and selection matters is the approval and eight uh the approval of examination announcements eleven four sixty-four to eleven four sixty-five.

And so the hiring freeze is definitely reflected here because we only have two new postings.

Second.

And we've covered number five and number six is a request from the fire union to address the commission regarding abuse of rule nine disciplinary actions.

I would also note, even though we're gonna I'm recused from this.

Okay.

So um that concludes the the business that we have before you today.

Okay, great.

Uh commissioners, before we adjourn, motion to adjourn.

Motion.

We have a second.

Second.

Okay, everyone, thank you.

We are now adjourned.

Thank you.

Have a blessing.

Uh Commissioner Collins.