Puyallup Civil Service Commission Meeting – August 17, 2026

The Puyallup Civil Service Commission met in person at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, August 17, 2026, in the Council Chambers on the 5th floor of City Hall, 333 S. Meridian. Chair Dan Smith presided with Vice-Chair Brian Spracklen, Commissioner Ajay Garg, and Commissioner Jim Kelly present; Commissioner Scott Case was excused. With four of five commissioners present, the Commission had a quorum. Staff present included Senior Human Resources Generalist Shelley Werner, filling in for Chief Examiner Katie Ortega, and Administrative Clerk Yessenia Abarca.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved 4-0, on a motion by Vice-Chair Spracklen seconded by Commissioner Garg.
• The minutes were approved 4-0, on a motion by Vice-Chair Spracklen seconded by Commissioner Kelly. The agenda and meeting transcript refer to the July 6, 2026 minutes, while the written minutes state 'July 5, 2026 minutes'; the source materials do not record a correction of this discrepancy.

Discussion Items

• Lateral Entry Police Officer Eligibility List: Senior Human Resources Generalist Shelley Werner presented a lateral entry police officer eligibility list containing one applicant, Randall Levi Sween, who is currently employed with a law enforcement agency in Redding, California. Werner confirmed that Sween completed oral board testing and achieved a passing score, qualifying him for placement on the eligibility list. She explained that approval of the list is the first step in the process; the Chief of Police will then exercise the 'rule of five' to conduct a Chief's interview, after which the candidate may be advanced to a background investigation. The eligibility list was presented as:
  1. Randall Levi Sween
• Chief Examiner's Report: Werner reported that the next Civil Service Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 21, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. via Zoom. Oral boards for police entry-level, advanced entry-level, and lateral positions had already been conducted the prior week, and corrections testing was scheduled before the September meeting, so multiple eligibility lists were expected to be presented for certification. Sergeant testing was anticipated in September, with a corresponding eligibility list likely ready for Commission presentation as well.
• Chair Dan Smith also commented that the POP Corners Club held a meeting at the new police station a couple of weeks earlier, praising the facility and expressing appreciation for community support.

Key Outcomes

• The Commission unanimously approved the Lateral Entry Police Officer Eligibility List by a 4-0 vote, on a motion by Vice-Chair Spracklen seconded by Commissioner Garg, placing Randall Levi Sween on the list.
• The meeting adjourned at 9:05; the written minutes record this as '9:05 p.m.,' but the meeting convened at 9:00 a.m., so the adjournment time is presumed to be 9:05 a.m.
• The next regular meeting was scheduled for Monday, September 21, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. via Zoom.