Civil Service Board Meeting - January 22, 2024: Appeal, Leadership, and Discipline Actions
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Civil Service Board Meeting – January 22, 2024
The Sacramento Civil Service Board convened on January 22, 2024, at 1:01 PM in the City Hall Complex (915 I Street, Council Chamber). The meeting included approval of amended minutes, an appeal of a disqualification, election of 2024 officers, and a closed session discipline case. The board adjourned to closed session at 1:22 PM, reconvened at 1:45 PM, and adjourned at 1:48 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of November 27, 2023, Meeting Minutes (File ID: 2023-01625): The board voted unanimously (5–0) to approve the minutes as amended. The amendment corrected the closed session report‑out to accurately reflect the actual report given on that date, as the original draft omitted details of votes and actions taken in closed session.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke on any agenda item or on matters not on the agenda.
Discussion Items
- Item 2 – Appeal of Allen Douglas's Disqualification from Animal Care Technician Recruitment (File ID: 2024-00384): Staff presented that appellant Douglas submitted a timely application but was disqualified after failing a training‑and‑experience examination embedded as supplemental questions. The appellant claimed he could not find the exam, but records showed he completed it and did not achieve a passing score. Commissioner Byrd noted the exam formatting might be confusing (questions numbered sequentially rather than as sub‑parts), and Commissioner Stein commented on conflicting responses in the application. The board unanimously upheld the Director’s findings, affirming the disqualification. The appellant may reapply while the continuous recruitment is open or when the classification is next recruited.
- Item 3 – Selection of Chair and Vice Chair for Calendar Year 2024 (File ID: 2024-00335): The board unanimously elected Kathryn Elizabeth Meola as Chair and Joy Gonzales‑Cabatic as Vice Chair for 2024. Chair Meola noted this would be her final year as Chair due to term limits (maximum two consecutive years).
- Closed Session (Item 4 – Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release): The board convened in closed session from 1:22 PM to 1:45 PM. Upon reconvening, Chair Meola reported that the board, by unanimous vote, modified the disciplinary action and penalty of the proposed decision for a police officer. The officer will receive a 120‑hour unpaid suspension and at least 20 hours of training, preferably in‑person, including post‑certified domestic violence training and courtesy or emotional intelligence training. The board adopted the proposed decision as modified.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Motion passed 5‑0 approving the amended November 27, 2023, minutes.
- Appeal of Allen Douglas: Motion passed 5‑0 to waive formal hearing rules and adopt the Director’s findings, upholding the disqualification.
- 2024 Officers: Motion passed 5‑0 to select Chair Meola; motion passed 5‑0 to select Vice Chair Gonzales‑Cabatic.
- Closed Session Discipline: Unanimous vote to impose a 120‑hour unpaid suspension and mandatory training (minimum 20 hours) on a police officer, adopting the modified proposed decision.
Meeting Transcript
Chair staff is ready when you are thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the Monday, January 22nd, 2024 at 1 p.m. 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. Commissioners, please unmute. Commissioner Manfur. Aye. I mean here. Commissioner Byrd. Here. Commissioner Gonzalez Kabatek. Present. Commissioner Stein. Present. And Chair Mueller. Here. Thank you. We have quorum. Thank you. I would like to remind members of the public and chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the turn my item begins. You will have two minutes to speak once you're called upon. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips. We will now proceed with today's agenda. Please rise for the opening acknowledgements 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 Mewak, Putwin Wintoon peoples, and the people of the Wilton Ranteria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the Native people 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. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Any members of the public who wish to speak on the consent calendar? Thank you, Chair. There are no speakers for this item. Thank you. Are there any members who wish to speak on this item? Okay. So I um so on the meeting minutes under closed session, which is on the second page, it says just the closed session report out as Chair Miola provided a closed session report. But unfortunately, there were more than one item, and there were votes that were taken in closed session, and it's my understanding, and again, I defer to board counsel on this, but it's my understanding that we need to report out specifically what the vote was and the report at wicked whatever I said in terms of the report out of each closed session item. So I don't think that this report out is sufficient for the minutes. The report out that you gave during uh the public uh part of the hearing. Wonderful, thank you. So I move approval of the consent calendar with the change that the minutes would be reflected, would be revised to reflect the report out that was actually made um on this date on November 27, 2023. Okay, I have a question about that. Is is there a report somewhere recorded? I mean, do you know what the exact motions were in the vote count? I assume so. That I assume that our meeting was recorded, but I'll double check with the clerk. Yes, there is an online recording of the uh actual meeting that will be referred to to update the minutes.
openpublica.com