Civil Service Board Meeting – August 21, 2023: Consent Calendar Approved, Appeal Withdrawn, Closed Session Discipline Actions
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Civil Service Board Meeting – August 21, 2023
The City of Sacramento Civil Service Board met on August 21, 2023 at 1:00 PM. The Board approved the consent calendar (meeting minutes of June 19, 2023) with one abstention, noted the withdrawal of the scheduled appeal of Francisco Tarin's disqualification, then proceeded to closed session to consider three discipline/dismissal/release items. After closed session, the Board reported out unanimous decisions on three police officer discipline appeals, including one with a clarifying caveat. Commissioner comments included a discussion on notification procedures for appellants.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Civil Service Board Meeting Minutes (June 19, 2023): Passed by a vote of 3‑0‑1 (Member Burden abstained as they were not present at the previous meeting). Motion by Member Emanford, seconded by Vice Chair Gonzalez Kabadek.
Discussion Items
- Appeal of the Disqualification of Francisco Tarin from the Personnel Analyst Recruitment (File ID 2023-00934): This item was withdrawn by staff prior to discussion.
Closed Session Report Out
The Board reported the following actions from closed session (Government Code Section 54957 – Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release):
- Item 1: Motion to adopt the arbitrator's proposed decision regarding a police officer's appeal of removal from assignment as a field training officer (including a 9.5% incentive pay) for violating Sacramento Police Department General Orders 210.04. Vote: 4–0 (unanimous).
- Item 2: Motion to adopt the arbitrator's proposed decision regarding a police officer discipline matter, with the caveat that the Board stated the correct standard to be applied in discipline cases is the preponderance of the evidence standard. Vote: 3–0 (Vice Chair Gonzalez Kabadek recused herself). The member title was also a police officer.
- Item 3: Motion to adopt the arbitrator's proposed decision regarding a police officer discipline case. Vote: 4–0 (unanimous).
Commissioner Comments & Ideas
- Member Byrd raised a previous discussion about amending Board rules to ensure that appellants who are duly notified but do not appear at a hearing are not granted continuances. Staff clarified that they already have a process for notifying and following up with appellants, and have recently begun including those notifications in the agenda packets to demonstrate due diligence. The Board took no formal action on this topic.
Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda
- No public comments were submitted.
Key Outcomes
- Approved consent calendar (minutes of June 19, 2023) with one abstention.
- Noted withdrawal of the Francisco Tarin appeal.
- In closed session, adopted three arbitrator's proposed decisions on police officer discipline appeals (votes: 4‑0, 3‑0 with recusal, 4‑0). For item 2, the Board clarified that the preponderance of the evidence standard applies.
- Commissioner comments raised potential rule clarification on appellant non‑appearance; no action taken.
- Meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Chair staff is ready when you are. Okay, good afternoon. Welcome to the 21st of August 2023 at 1 p.m. Civil Service Board Meeting. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish quorum? Thank you, Chair. Members, commissioners, I'm sorry, members, please unmute and turn on your video. Present. Member Emanford. Chair Muela. Present. Oh, thank you. We have a quorum. I would like to remind members of the public in chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins. For members of the public who wish to join virtually, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. Once you have joined the meeting and wish to speak, raise your hand to provide public comment when the chair confirms the public comment speaking period for your desired item has begun. Online, if you are online, click the raise hand at the bottom of your screen. Mobile app in the mobile app. You can raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option in the more tab. Telephone. If you are calling in via telephone, to raise your hand, dial star nine. Then to unmute or mute, dial star six. Speakers will be called on by their last four digits of their phone number. You will have two minutes to speak once you are called upon. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips and the raised hand feature in Zoom will be disabled. We will now proceed with today's agenda. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands. To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok and Putwin Wintoon peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people's history, contribution, and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Our first business today is the approval of the consent calendar. Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on the consent calendar? Thank you, Chair. I have no speaker slips and no speakers with their hands raised on this item. Thank you. Are there any members who wish to speak on this item? No. Then is there a motion and a second? A motion. Okay. Um member has moved. I'll second. And second by Vice Chair Gonzalez Kabadek. Will the clerk please call the roll? Thank you, Chair. Member Burden. I'm gonna abstain since I wasn't here last time.
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