Puyallup Civil Service Commission Meeting – February 17, 2026
Puyallup Civil Service Commission Meeting – February 17, 2026
The Civil Service Commission met on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 9:00 AM in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Chair Dan Smith called the meeting to order, and all five commissioners were present: Chair Smith, Vice-Chair Ed Knutson, Commissioners Brian Spracklen, Jim Kelly, and Scott Case. Staff present included Human Resources Director/Chief Examiner Katie Ortega, Deputy Police Chief Gregory Massey, and Administrative Clerk Erin Priddy. The meeting adjourned at 9:07 AM.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Agenda: Motion by Commissioner Spracklen, seconded by Vice-Chair Knutson, passed 5–0.
- Approval of Minutes: Motions to approve the January 20, 2026 and January 29, 2026 minutes were made by Commissioner Spracklen, seconded by Vice-Chair Knutson, both passed 5–0.
Discussion Items
- New Business – Lateral Police Officer Eligibility List: Chief Examiner Katie Ortega reported that two lateral police officer interviews were conducted on January 28, 2026. A panel of assessors averaged their scores. One candidate failed; the other passed with a score of 70% or higher. The successful candidate, Cameron Ashworth, is currently employed by the Silicon (Stillicum) Police Department and stated he wishes to further his career at the Puyallup Police Department. With no remaining candidates on the prior list, his addition creates a new eligibility list of one. The commission approved the list by a motion from Commissioner Spracklen, seconded by Commissioner Case, passed 5–0.
- Chief’s Report: Deputy Chief Massey reported that Chief Engel was traveling home from Arizona and had nothing to report.
- Chief Examiner’s Report: Ortega provided a staffing update: one lateral and one advanced entry candidate are in the background check phase for police positions; a new officer started on February 9, 2026; a lateral corrections candidate will start in early March. Current openings: two in police and one in corrections. Potential retirements and leaves may increase vacancies, so interviews will continue. The next meeting is scheduled for March 16, 2026 at 9:00 AM via Zoom.
- Commissioner Comments: The commission recognized Vice-Chair Ed Knutson, who attended his last meeting after eight years of service. Chair Smith expressed appreciation for his service, and Commissioner Kelly described him as a great inspiration and someone to learn from, thanking him for his commitment.
Key Outcomes
- All motions passed unanimously (5–0).
- The lateral police officer eligibility list containing Cameron Ashworth was approved.
- The next regular meeting is March 16, 2026 at 9:00 AM via Zoom.
Meeting Transcript
Let's see, one, two, three. So we're missing one. Uh no, I think everyone is here. Is everyone here? Okay, good. All right, let's get started. Um call to order uh first order of business is a roll call. Commissioner Scott Case. Here Commissioner Brian Spracklin. Present. Commissioner Jim Kelly. Present. Vice Chair Ed Knutson. Present. Chair Dan Smith. Present. We have a quorum. Excellent. All right. Approval of the agenda. I entertain a motion to approve the agenda as uh sent to us uh late last week. Motion to approve the agenda. And a second. Second. All right. Any changes, corrections, or additions to the agenda. Okay. All uh in favor of approving the agenda signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. All right. Agenda's approved. Consideration of the minutes. Also in our packet late last week, we received our minutes from the January 20, 2026 meeting. Um hopefully everybody's had an uh wait a minute. Oh, yeah, we're approving two sets of minutes, aren't we? Yes. Uh the January 20th uh meeting and the January 29th, 2026 meeting. Uh we had that short meeting a week or so later. So both sets of minutes were uh sent to us. I would entertain a motion to approve both sets of minutes. Motion to approve both. Second. Okay. All right. Any changes, additions, corrections to the minutes as presented. Okay, all in favor of approving both sets of uh minutes. Signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye.
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