Sacramento Civil Service Board Meeting – September 18, 2023
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Sacramento Civil Service Board Meeting – September 18, 2023
The Civil Service Board of Sacramento convened on Monday, September 18, 2023, at 1:00 PM. Chair Meola led the meeting with four members present (Amanfor, Gonzales-Cabatic, Stein, and Chair Meola); Member Byrd was absent. The meeting included a consent calendar and two appeals on the discussion calendar, resulting in one withdrawal and one decision to uphold a disqualification. The meeting adjourned at 1:24 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (File ID: 2022-02380): The board approved the minutes from the August 21, 2023, Civil Service Board meeting. Motion by Member Amanfor, seconded by Vice Chair Gonzales-Cabatic. Vote: 3 ayes (Amanfor, Gonzales-Cabatic, Meola), 1 abstention (Stein), 1 absent (Byrd). Motion passed.
Discussion Items
- Item 2 – Appeal of Disqualification of Kevin Saefong (Traffic Worker I Recruitment): Withdrawn by the appellant before discussion.
- Item 3 – Appeal of Disqualification of Romeo Mata (Code Enforcement Officer Recruitment): HR staff (Ebony Heaven, filling in for Juanita Salazar) presented that Mr. Mata was disqualified for not obtaining a passing score on the training and experience examination. The appellant, Mr. Mata, argued that his combination of over one year as an Assistant Code Enforcement Officer, three and a half years of education (associate's and bachelor's degrees), and certifications should qualify him. He stated he had conducted over 4,683 inspections. HR clarified that candidates must first pass the exam before minimum qualifications are evaluated; Mr. Mata did not pass the exam. Member Stein asked about explicit criteria for education weighting; HR stated it is outlined in the job announcement. Member Amanfor noted ambiguity in the selection process language. The board voted 3-1 to waive formal rules and adopt the director’s findings and decision of disqualification. Motion by Member Amanfor (later clarified as movant), seconded by Vice Chair Gonzales-Cabatic. Vote: Ayes – Gonzales-Cabatic, Stein, Meola; No – Amanfor; Absent – Byrd. Motion passed.
Member Comments – Ideas and Questions
- Member Stein requested that a future meeting include a presentation on how tests are administered and how job positions are advertised, to clarify language and process for applicants. HR offered to arrange supplemental meetings or, with board agreement, an agendized presentation. Chair Meola noted the board could consider placing the item on a future agenda.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved minutes of August 21, 2023 (3-0-1).
- Item 2 (Saefong): Appeal withdrawn.
- Item 3 (Mata): Board upheld the disqualification (3-1). The appellant may reapply when the position is next posted.
- Future Agenda: Board discussed potentially scheduling a presentation on job testing and posting processes to reduce applicant confusion.
Meeting Transcript
Chair staff is ready when you are good afternoon and welcome to the 18th of September of 2023, the Civil Service Board meeting. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish the quorum? Thank you, Chair. Member Byrd. Absent. Commissioner Amanford. Amanfor. And now here. Present. Present. Vice Chair Gonzalez. Kabatik. Present. Members Commissioner Stein. Stein. Stein. Present. And Chair Miola. Present. Chair, we have Kurm. Quorum. Thank you, Clerk. I'd like to welcome our new member of the board. Ms. Stein, thank you very much for being here. Thank you. I'm happy to be here. 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. Online, if you are online, click the raise hand for the bottom at the bottom of your screen. And the mobile app, you can raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option in the more tab. And if you're calling in via telephone, to raise your hand, dial star nine, and then to unmute or mute, dial star six. Speakers will be called on by the last four digits of their phone number. You will have two minutes to speak once your item is called once you are called upon. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips and the raise hand feature in the 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 Maindu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Putwin Wintoon peoples, and the people of the Wilton Ranteria, 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 together together 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. 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 do you see any speakers with their raised hands? As you may have noticed on the agenda, we are not using Zoom for public participation. My apologies for not sending you an updated template for the uh uh the script there, so you didn't have to go through the zoom uh features. Uh I'll make sure you get that shortly.
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