San Diego Civil Service Commission Meeting - July 12, 2024

On July 12, 2024, the San Diego Civil Service Commission met under President Sunday Gover. The meeting covered closed session actions, consent agenda approval, personnel leave requests, appointments to the Joint Apprenticeship Committee, a policy revision, and presentations on the Personnel Department's operations and upcoming improvements. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda (minutes from June 6 and June 12, 2024 meetings) was approved 5-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made on any agenda item, either in person or via Zoom.

Discussion Items

• Closed Session Report (Item 2): Assistant Personnel Director Saba O'Neill reported two actions: (1) An appeal by Jaime Biacosta regarding a conviction record disqualification for a laborer position was granted unanimously; (2) An appeal by Isaac Jenkins regarding a suspension from General Water Utility Supervisor was upheld unanimously.
• Special Leave Request (Item 13): Staff presented a request from Richard Bedard (Parking Enforcement Officer I) for a one-year special leave without pay ending June 7, 2025. The Police Department recommended modification to place Bedard on the eligible list instead. The Commission voted 5-0 to grant the leave with the modification.
• Joint Apprenticeship Committee Appointments (Item 14): Staff presented nominations for the Joint Apprenticeship Committee (JAC): Wesley Greason as Chair, Lance Smith as management member, Samuel Perez as labor member, and three alternate labor members (Harold Guevara, Angel Martinez, Gonzalo Quintero). Personnel Director also nominated Samuel Hagos as secretary and Edgar Portilla as alternate secretary. Commissioners briefly asked about the JAC's role in training city employees. The appointments were approved 5-0.
• Revision to Personnel Manual Index Code D3 (Item 15): Staff recommended revising the addendum to include equipment technician I and parking meter technician as career advancement opportunities for the labor classification. The revision was adopted 5-0.
• Personnel Department Overview (Item 16): Personnel Director David Dollager presented a detailed overview of the department's nine sections and key statistics from the past fiscal year: over 2,100 hires, nearly 500 recruitments, 63,000+ applications reviewed (a 42% increase from FY23), 3,700+ police recruits tested (53% increase), 300 classification studies, 53 salary studies, 67 survey responses, 92 career fair/event attendances (37% increase), 3,500+ hours of temporary clerical support (420% increase), and 73 EEO investigations completed (10% increase). Commissioners commented positively on outreach efforts.
• Personnel Department Update (Item 17): Director Dollager reported on past year improvements (expansion of medical evaluation to Chula Vista Concentra, eVerify implementation, online new hire PCRs, online performance reviews, expanded outstation program, SAP tracking for long-term disability, updating 500+ class specifications) and upcoming projects: cutting hiring timeline in half with consultant Partners in Public Innovation, citywide rollout of a revamped interview process reducing forms from 27 to 7, and finalizing a policy for fingerprinting outside the county.
• Item 18 (Continued): The meeting was adjourned without addressing this item.

Key Outcomes

• Closed session appeals: granted (Biacosta) and upheld (Jenkins), both unanimously.
• Consent agenda approved 5-0.
• Item 13: Motion to grant special leave with modification (placement on eligible list) passed 5-0.
• Item 14: All JAC appointments approved 5-0.
• Item 15: Revision to addendum D3 adopted 5-0.
• Staff presentations (Items 16, 17) received; no formal vote. The vacancy rate in classified service decreased from over 18% to approximately 12%. Future updates on hiring process reforms are expected at upcoming meetings.