Good afternoon.

This is a regular meeting of the municipal civil service commission.

Today's Wednesday, June 24th, 2026.

And the time is 3.34, and we're in council conference form.

We have the chairman of the commission, uh, Bishop Fets and Lee.

Here.

And Commissioners Margaret Chadwick and Wadalupe Avila.

Pier.

First item on the agenda are the minutes to our previous meeting held on Wednesday, May 20th at uh 3.31 for your approval.

Excuse me, move to accept the meeting minutes as written.

Second then.

Approved.

Okay.

In the next section for departments, we have for the City of Narochelle development.

We have the Commissioner of Development, Adam Salgado here.

Thank you.

Hello?

Hi.

How are you all?

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Welcome.

Thank you for having me.

So we just reviewed it and and we were just a little confused as to why the change of title.

It seemed to us that everything in the prior was kind of the same, but it was written in a different way.

So, you know, the the main difference is, you know, since the Department of Development has separated, you know, there's now a separate buildings department.

We used to be when the when the when the when the position was originally formulated, it was always it was like an internal coordination with the with the Bureau of Buildings, which was a component of the Department of Development.

And so since we're now two distinct uh departments, it's a little more um, you know, it's a it's a takes a little more coordination, it's takes a little more time.

Um, you know, we do have, as we've been launching the Vanguard initiative in the downtown, we're really focusing on trying to activate the vacant storefronts, so it's a lot of hands-on work, and there's a lot of kind of initial outreach that goes into the building, you know, meeting with the new businesses and you know, sort of understanding what their plans are for the build off, helping them fill out the applications, trying to stay with them through the process of of you know making the improvements.

So that that's really one of the one of the main things.

The nature of the interaction with buildings kind of changed since we became too distinct.

And then the second is you know, kind of moving into this vanguard phase of the downtown, we're trying to make relationships with businesses that are not like we we want to support the ones that are here, but we're trying to attract the kind of businesses that we hear from the community that they want.

So there's a lot of talking to the community meeting, and then trying to go to these conferences there at night, they're in you know, sometimes they're on the weekends.

It's not always so it's very flexible, it's a little bit sort of a little more discretion involved in this position, and so you know, as we were like evolving in the downtown build-out and stuff, we're trying to uh you know cultivate relations with higher level of of the uh uh officers of the types of businesses we're trying to track.

So that that's primarily why we were looking to upgrade the position.

So the position is actually an upgrade.

Yes.

Well, we're just we're just um to the civil service commission, it's just the changes in the job in the job.

I got it, I got it.

So, yeah, I mean it who will have the media control or reporting to the deputy commissioner for economic development, Jorge Ventura, who also joined us today.

So the person will be directly reporting to them.

And right now, as written, who they report to building.

Uh no, right now I they reported to the deputy they they there's no change in the level.

They were the both positions reported to the director.

Any questions?

No.

I understand.

I think it makes sense.

I mean, really just trying to kind of evolve with the organization, you know, and it it's like a different a little bit slightly tweaked skill set.

I mean, I appreciate that a lot of the language is just written a different way.

Yeah.

I mean, if you if there's anything that you'd like us to add to, you know, the the I'm I'm happy to take another stab at it if you feel like it's not if I'm not communicating in writing what word I'm describing.

Communicating, but my one one of my major concerns is the control of it and what are the implications later on for perhaps a another department, or perhaps uh uh someone brings up some idea why is this person over here and who is this person and the position where the position is really going because we're gonna be have we're gonna have to answer to that because someone may walk in a door as you know and say where did this person come from?

Where did this uh why is it this person a part of?

Right, why are they with development, for instance, right?

Like why in the organization are we putting this position here kind of thing?

Exactly.

It almost appears that you're adding, and I just wanted I just wanted to get a clarification as to why and the reasoning.

The reasoning is good, the reason is good too.

Yeah to get better communications.

So we're not we're so currently, you know, the way that we're organizing the department of development has both kind of the physical development, real estate development, but also economic development reports to the department of development as well as housing and uh you know c parking.

I mean, we have this weird portfolio of responsibility, but economic development is part of our purview, and uh we have been leading the city's efforts in the uh sort of activating the retail sector of the city, and uh so that this position is critical for us to continue that.

We kind of have this uh we have a kind of a ver a um in a similar position.

We have a consultant, we have a we have a person that we uh have a contract with a third party consultant who kind of does a version of this work currently for the city.

Uh so we're looking to fill this position uh with a with a with an employee um and then dispense with that consultant contract.

So we would you know no longer so it's not like the the work is currently being done, it's being done through a third like a consulting contract.

We're looking to kind of it's been consistently um developing that the the scope of that consulting contract has been, you know, it's been vital part of what we do.

They uh they help us coordinate a lot of the activations.

We have the series of taste of uh events throughout the city.

We have one at LaRoy place, we have one at Union Avenue, we we do another one kind of around the Lincoln Avenue neighborhood.

We did it, we did it last year at Horton.

I think we're considering another location or in the in the area that's kind of better fit.

Um, but this this position uh or the at least the consultant that we currently hire is kind of involved a lot with doing that work, and a lot of that is you know, working with the businesses to get them to participate in these activations so it provides an opportunity for them.

They they make money during these places where we market them and people come and visit them.

Uh so you know, so so it's it's a natural fit, I think, in the department of development, considering that we're sort of driving this vanguard initiative and and trying to come up with solutions to make it easier to open the business to New Rochelle and make it you know make the businesses that are open here sort of do better so that they stay here, right?

Like it's like not only attracting them, but it's like making sure that they have the resources they need to stay.

Correct.

Okay.

I I get you.

Okay.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

So thank you.

That's it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I know I'm long-winded, so I'm showing you very concise.

No, thank you.

Thank you so much.

I really appreciate making the time.

Thank you, uh.

Okay, so um we just need to vote on um whether um you approve the new job specs and whether you approve the title change.

Or do you want to take a vote now?

Okay.

Okay.

I I vote yes to make the change.

Make the change.

Including the title change.

Including the title change.

Okay.

I second that.

I approve of that.

Approved.

Okay.

Approved.

Um the next item on the agenda are some residency requests from the city school district.

Um they've uh have two uh positions that they need to fill and would like to go to Westchester County residency for these.

The custodial supervisor and the plumber.

So we post it to New Rochelle and got this is the first time we're gonna post it this time around.

I thought with plumber, we always got quite a bit of people from New Rochelle.

We have uh yes, we have had good success with I don't know about the custodial supervisor.

I don't that sounds a little more vague.

I think the last time they filled it, they filled it from within as a promotion.

Ah I just think custodial supervisor might be a little harder to get somebody from New Rochelle, unless they're already a city employee, but the plumber, I think well, you should be able to find new Rochelle people, I think.

What do you think?

No, it's a it's a skilled position, and it's very difficult to fill.

Uh and I understand why it's difficult to fill because many plumbers uh that that you would probably hire from uh shell have their own businesses to run, and when they're called, they have to really leave their job to come over and service what they are under contract with the city.

So you make a wider range, you'll get a bigger company, you can get larger companies to come in and and try to this would be a full-time school city uh full time.

It would be a full-time so if well that's my point.

Yes, they they make more money on their own than they would make being uh being a city uh a school employee, the school employee.

But I mean um I mean we could do Westchester County, but but please make a preference for New Rochelle, please.

Okay.

That's my concern.

I deleted my issue.

Because last time we did this, you know, I just I thought we had a good pool for neuroshell and somebody from out of New Rochelle got the job.

Our our next meeting would be in July.

I mean, we can do that or um can we could we do just I mean, yeah, I could put it on their preference to Nourishell residence on the on the posting.

Not only West will that be uh adhered to.

I really don't want to go that way route.

I want to just put it to Westchester and if we get people you it's always stated in our and that we uh there's a preference for a nurse shell.

It's always stated there anyway.

I mean if we go to Westchester County, and then uh our preference is oh, we're gonna select directly from the Rochelle.

I think we would exile a lot of people that makes the uh running of the ad.

And and this is a tested position that would be tested anyway.

And I've seen electricians do the same thing here.

They've done it with electricians and electricians, so no, it's not working for me.

Yeah.

So I'd like to try it at Westchester.

And let's see what happens.

But my comments are noted.

Okay.

So we'll do it Westchester County approved.

Um in the next section, we have a job specification for the Nourish Hell Public Library.

Um it's a new uh job spec business manager for your approval.

What is the um posting gonna be to New York State?

They haven't they haven't asked me any of that yet.

Right now it's just the job specs.

Okay.

Yeah, I do approve.

Sure.

I approve.

Sure.

That's what approved.

We have no eligible list to establish.

Um we haven't had any results come back.

And eligible lists to be extended or terminated.

We also do not have any um since we're having a July meeting, any September lists to expire in September, I'll bring to the July meeting.

Terrific.

Okay, there's no exams in July June.

I had one um recently in the beginning of June.

Um I didn't know it here with senior automotive mechanic, uh, which was at our previous meeting.

I had mentioned it.

And then uh July there's no and August, there'll be no exams.

No.

Okay, our next meeting I have uh to be held on July 22nd, 2026 at 3:30.

Um, if uh there's any conflict, if you could just let me know what's sufficient time to change, but um otherwise that would be our date.

Okay.

That would be it for today's meeting.

The conversation we had in terms of the uh changing of the uh the name of secretary to uh to the police commissioner.

Um I have to look into that um with the state um to see if we can change it without changing the job specs if they were to prove it because it's an ex um it's either exempt or non-competitive, and depending on where it is, whether I can just change the name or not.

But that I have to get information from just for the uh commissioners.

There is a a an award problem with uh now in the industry at large in corporate people are not called secretaries anymore.

They're either called administrators or office managers.

Yes.

When you when you call a person a secretary, it's a very demeaning.

I don't think it's used either.

It's very demeaning.

And uh it's been there for a long time, and we need to step up and do something about it because that person that's in the office that's handling everything is really the office manager.

Absolutely.

Has to manage everything in that office.

And just to call somebody a secretary, it's almost calling them a gatekeeper.

We would not come in and call our administrator a secretary.

She's more than a secretary.

She's an office manager, she manages everything there.

And so we have to really think about this.

And I I really need to look.

And um I need to do that.

I think the state would approve it.

I can't imagine they would not approve it.

Right.

I I just don't, I just don't uh see it.

It's it's it's archaic.

So I have to.

The title is archaic now.

Yeah, just ask them.

Yeah, so uh you don't you don't call when I was uh uh a uh they didn't call me a sales rep anymore.

They called me a regional manager because I manage the region.

And so titles um have connotations to them.

So I'll email the state to get that information.

Can you?

That'd be terrific.

Okay, and that's it for um today's meeting.

All right, I move to close the meeting at 350.

350.

Thank you, meeting adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Have a great evening.

Have an excellent summer and a safe one.

Summer Sounds concerts begin tonight.

First one.

What time?

At 7.30.

Where?

Hudson Park.