San Diego Civil Service Commission Meeting - May 3, 2024
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San Diego Civil Service Commission Meeting - May 3, 2024
The Civil Service Commission met on May 3, 2024, at 6:00 PM. Commissioners present: President Sunday Over, Commissioner Moore, Commissioner Merrill, and Commissioner Pham. Commissioner Portio was absent. The meeting included reports from closed session, approval of minutes, action on unfinished business, and discussion of personnel leave requests and staff reports.
Closed Session Actions
- Eric Estrada appeal: Motion to uphold termination approved 3-1 (Commissioner Merrill dissenting).
- Luis Ojeda appeal: Motion to uphold termination approved 4-0.
- Douglas L. Chancy III appeal: Continued at appellant's request.
- Fernando Dinochian appeal: Motion to deny appeal approved 3-1 (Commissioner Merrill dissenting).
- Christian O. Ortiz appeal: Withdrawn.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of minutes from last meeting: Motion carried 4-0.
- Item 23 (Unfinished Business): Request from Performance and Analytics Department to examine two program coordinator positions from classified service. The Municipal Employees Association (MEA) agreed after discussion. Motion to approve carried 4-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
No public comments were made.
Discussion Items
- Item 16 (Leave Request – Hunati Arjan): A request for a six-month second extension of special leave without pay ending September 19, 2024, for child care. The Public Utilities Department recommended modification to name on eligible list. After discussion with the department and MEA, the Commission approved placing her name on the eligible list. Motion carried 4-0.
- Item 17 (Leave Request – Louise Carrio): A request for a one-year special leave without pay ending April 11, 2025, for outside employment with the Sequan Tribal Police Department. The Police Department recommended modification to name on eligible list due to staffing hardship. Motion to approve leave with name on eligible list carried 4-0.
- Item 18 (Leave Request – Angela Shelton): A request for a one-year second extension of special leave without pay ending March 21, 2025, for family care, with placement on eligible lists for recreation center director II and I, assistant recreation center director, recreation leader II and I. The Park and Recreation Department recommended approval. Motion to approve as requested carried 4-0.
- Item 19 (Overtime Eligibility for New Classifications): Staff recommended that four new classifications (associate emergency services coordinator, insurance analyst I, insurance analyst II, and supervising polygrapher) be eligible for overtime, and one classification (principal planner) be ineligible. MEA supported the recommendation. Motion to approve staff recommendation carried 4-0.
- Item 20 (Annual Report on Limited Appointments): Information item only. The report for calendar year 2023 identified 1,127 limited appointments, no restricted appointments, and no special shift differential positions. No action taken.
- Item 21 (Personnel Director Update): Personnel Director David Dollager updated the commission on: ongoing internal discussions regarding unclassified positions; acceptance of four audit recommendations (updating special salary adjustment process, improving civil service docketing, anticipating vacancies, and implementing metrics); and public outreach initiatives including a recent event with over 100 job seekers and monthly employment sessions attracting more than 600 registrants. No vote required.
- Item 22 was not presented as the relevant department was appearing before the City Council for budget hearings. The item was continued.
Key Outcomes
- All motions on agenda items passed 4-0 with no dissenting votes.
- Closed session actions resulted in two upheld terminations (one with a dissenting vote), one appeal continued, one appeal denied (with a dissenting vote), and one withdrawal.
- The commission took information items under advisement.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the civil service and admission meeting. I'm Commission President Sunday over. We're going to do a quick roll call to confirm Commissioner attendance when I call your name is the present. Commissioner Moore. Present. Commissioner Merrill. Present. Commissioner Pham. Present. And Commissioner Portio is not. Thank you. Your attendance has been noted. Also joining us today are interim personnel director David Dollager, Assistant Personnel Director Anne Ahmed Aban. Senior Deputy City Attorney David Carland and assistant to the personnel director, Saba O'Neal. I will now call on Sama to report the Commission's actions in closed session. The actions of the commission were as follows. Closed session item one, public employee deliberation on disciplinary appeal to California government code section 54957. Eric Estrada. Motion to uphold the termination was approved three to one with Commissioner Merrill voting no. Number two, public employee deliberation on disciplinary appeal pursuit of California government code section 54957. Luis Ojeda motion to uphold the termination was approved four to zero. Number three, public employment, appeal of employment disqualifications piston to California government code section 54957B1. Douglas L Chancy III appealing their conviction record disqualification for the position of laborer. The appeal is being continued at the request of the appellant. Item four, public employment, appeal of employment disqualifications pursued to California government code section 54957B1. Fernando Dinochian appealing their conviction record disqualification for the position of grounds maintenance worker to motion to deny the appeal tasked three to one with Commissioner Merrill voting no. Item five, public employment, appeal of employment disqualifications pursuant to California government code section 54957 v1. Christian O Ortiz appealing their conviction record disqualification for the position of labor. The appeal was withdrawn at the request of the appellate. Is there anyone who wishes to make a public comment on an item not on the agenda that's within the purview of the civil service commission? We will take person public comment first and move to public comments via Zoom second. Seeing none. So okay. And so Commissioner Moore. Yes. I'm a yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. House is four to zero. Now that now that or is there any discussion about the minutes from last week? Okay. Um then yeah. We're moving for the three on order. Okay, so I'd like to take unfinished business item 23 out of order. Staff you may present the item. Good afternoon, Commissioners. Rachel McDonald Hernandez for staff. Item 23 is a request from the performance and analytics department to examine two program coordinator positions from the classified service. This request was continued from the April 4th, 2024 Civil Service Commission meeting to provide the performance and analytics department.
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