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Record of Proceedings

San Diego Civil Service Commission Meeting - March 7, 2025

Civil Service Commission — Friday, March 7, 2025
BodySan Diego, California
SessionCivil Service Commission
DateFriday, March 7, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

All right.

0:05

Welcome to the civil service commission meeting.

0:07

I am Commissioner Vice President Nico Portio.

0:10

We are going to do a quick roll call to confirm the commission.

0:14

Will they call your name?

0:15

Please say President, Commissioner Merrill, President.

0:18

Commissioner Moore.

0:20

Commissioner Fan.

0:21

Assembly, you may already be aware President Sundi Grover has submitted her resignation from the commission in fact of March 5th, 2005.

0:29

We very much thank her for her service, and I very much appreciated uh working with her.

0:34

It's very nice experience.

0:37

And uh thank you for your attendance, has been noted.

0:40

Also joining us today our personal personnel director, David Dallager, uh assistant personnel director and Lament Alan, uh senior deputy civil David Carmen and assistant to the personnel director, Sava O'Neal.

0:55

Um so item two is the election of officers.

1:03

I'll ask Sabbath Saba to pass out a piece of paper to the commissioners for nomination.

1:07

Our first vote will be for president after commissioners vote.

1:12

Oh this is for the voting or voting.

1:23

So do we nominate somebody first?

1:26

I nominate uh Nicola, the uh the president of the chair of the civil service commission.

1:32

I said we have a motion in a second.

1:36

Um still take us back.

1:42

Yes, we want to ask you what events.

1:47

Um I can do it.

1:48

I have the time.

1:49

Um I know I didn't ask, but okay.

1:55

All right, um, so we'll take a vote.

1:58

Uh Commissioner Merrill.

2:00

Yes, Richard or Moore.

2:01

Yes.

2:02

Richard or Pan.

2:03

Yes.

2:04

All right.

2:04

We uh and I'll abstain.

2:07

Uh so um the motion passes with one extension.

2:16

All right, and um, I think uh for vice president, anybody care to nominate themselves or I'll do it thank you.

2:28

Okay, I'm making oh uh a second I'll nominate um Mr.

2:42

Uh Commissioner Moore will work for Vice President.

2:48

All right, so we have a I um we have a motion and a second.

2:54

Um we'll go ahead and vote.

2:55

Uh Commissioner Merrill.

2:57

Yes, Commissioner Moore, yes, Commissioner Fan, yes, and I'm a yes.

3:02

So the uh motion passes unanimously.

3:05

That was pretty quick.

3:08

Right.

3:10

Um item three is the report for closed session.

3:12

I'll call on Saba to read out the report.

3:16

Um post question, public employment, appeal of employment disqualifications pursuant to California government code section 54957B1.

3:25

Brian A.

3:25

Mason appealing their conviction marker disqualification for the position of sanitation driver trainee.

3:31

Motion to grant the appeal pass unanimously.

3:38

Uh public employment deliberation on disciplinary appeals pursuant to California government code section 54957B1.

3:46

Dan Vernon appealing their termination from the position of irrigation specialist, the motion to uphold the termination, pass three to one with Commissioner Merrill voting no.

3:58

Thank you, Saba.

4:03

If uh anybody wants to meet, so you're welcome to stand a non-intended public comment I want to make.

4:12

Okay, hold on.

4:15

Hold on, hold on.

4:16

Um, I do want to say that the uh the staff here has uh their obligations, there they have a certain amount of discretion.

4:25

Um there are things they absolutely have to bring us.

4:29

So um the the way this set up, um you got a letter saying you got uh it was going a certain way before you had to come here, they had to do that, they didn't have choice under that record circumstance.

4:42

Um but uh that doesn't mean a particularly close case here uh in our so thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters█████████████████████████████████████████████61%
Procedural█████████████18%
Water And Wastewater Management███████9%
Public Comment████5%
Tourism███4%
Parking Management██3%
Summary of Proceedings

San Diego Civil Service Commission Meeting - March 7, 2025

The San Diego Civil Service Commission met on March 7, 2025, at approximately 20:45 UTC. Commissioner Vice President Nico Portio presided. The meeting included elections for commission officers, a report on closed session appeals, and discussion and voting on three special salary adjustment requests. Staff also presented an overview of the reduction-in-force (RIF) process.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent agenda (items 4-7) was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Andrés Salazar Crossings, Business Representative for Local 127, spoke in favor of salary increases for parking meter technicians, pump station operators, and publishing specialists. He cited the city's budget shortfall and revenue from parking meters ($800,000 per month expected from a rate increase) as context.
  • Margaret Jagas, Deputy Director of the Wastewater Collection Division (PUD), testified on the critical nature of pump station operators, noting they handle millions of gallons daily and that failures could result in fines of $10 per gallon.
  • Alex Handy, Assistant Deputy Director of the Communications Department, testified on recruitment difficulties for publishing specialists, stating that the base pay of $17.10 per hour is below the city's minimum wage of $17.25, and that recent recruitments required extended periods to produce few qualified candidates.

Discussion Items

  • Election of Officers: Commissioner Nico Portio was elected President (3-0-1, Portio abstaining) and Commissioner Moore was elected Vice President (unanimous).
  • Closed Session Report: Saba O'Neal reported that the appeal of Brian A. Mason (employment disqualification for sanitation driver trainee) was granted unanimously, and the appeal of Dan Vernon (termination of irrigation specialist) was upheld 3-1, with Commissioner Merrill voting no.
  • Item 8 - Staff Recommendations on Salary Studies: Sub-item 1 (Senior Fire Helicopter Pilot and Air Operations Chiefs) was withdrawn. Three remaining sub-items were discussed:
    • Item 8.2 - Parking Meter Technician (15% increase requested): Staff recommended denial, citing no significant duty changes or turnover. Local 127 requested a 15% adjustment. The Commission voted to approve the request (unanimous).
    • Item 8.3 - Pump Station Operator (15% increase requested): Staff recommended denial. Local 127 and the deputy director emphasized the critical public health role. The Commission voted to approve a 15% increase (unanimous).
    • Item 8.4 - Publishing Specialist Series (30% increase requested): Staff recommended denial. Local 127 and the assistant deputy director highlighted below-minimum-wage pay and recruitment struggles. The Commission voted to approve the 30% increase (unanimous).
  • Item 9 - Reduction-in-Force (RIF) Process Presentation: David Dallager, Personnel Director, presented a high-level overview of the RIF process for classified non-sworn employees, including layoff order, bump rights, reemployment lists, and the role of meet-and-confer. He stated that no layoffs are currently proposed, but the presentation was proactive. He noted that the RIF rules have not been substantially changed since 1994 and may be updated.

Key Outcomes

  • Elections: Nico Portio was elected President; Commissioner Moore was elected Vice President.
  • Closed Session: Brian A. Mason's appeal granted; Dan Vernon's termination upheld (3-1).
  • Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
  • Salary Adjustments: All three Local 127 requests (parking meter technician, pump station operator, publishing specialist series) were approved by unanimous votes, overriding staff recommendations for denial.
  • RIF Process: Presentation delivered; no formal action taken.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Welcome to the civil service commission meeting. I am Commissioner Vice President Nico Portio. We are going to do a quick roll call to confirm the commission. Will they call your name? Please say President, Commissioner Merrill, President. Commissioner Moore. Commissioner Fan. Assembly, you may already be aware President Sundi Grover has submitted her resignation from the commission in fact of March 5th, 2005. We very much thank her for her service, and I very much appreciated uh working with her. It's very nice experience. And uh thank you for your attendance, has been noted. Also joining us today our personal personnel director, David Dallager, uh assistant personnel director and Lament Alan, uh senior deputy civil David Carmen and assistant to the personnel director, Sava O'Neal. Um so item two is the election of officers. I'll ask Sabbath Saba to pass out a piece of paper to the commissioners for nomination. Our first vote will be for president after commissioners vote. Oh this is for the voting or voting. So do we nominate somebody first? I nominate uh Nicola, the uh the president of the chair of the civil service commission. I said we have a motion in a second. Um still take us back. Yes, we want to ask you what events. Um I can do it. I have the time. Um I know I didn't ask, but okay. All right, um, so we'll take a vote. Uh Commissioner Merrill. Yes, Richard or Moore. Yes. Richard or Pan. Yes. All right. We uh and I'll abstain. Uh so um the motion passes with one extension. All right, and um, I think uh for vice president, anybody care to nominate themselves or I'll do it thank you. Okay, I'm making oh uh a second I'll nominate um Mr. Uh Commissioner Moore will work for Vice President. All right, so we have a I um we have a motion and a second. Um we'll go ahead and vote. Uh Commissioner Merrill. Yes, Commissioner Moore, yes, Commissioner Fan, yes, and I'm a yes. So the uh motion passes unanimously. That was pretty quick. Right. Um item three is the report for closed session. I'll call on Saba to read out the report. Um post question, public employment, appeal of employment disqualifications pursuant to California government code section 54957B1. Brian A. Mason appealing their conviction marker disqualification for the position of sanitation driver trainee. Motion to grant the appeal pass unanimously.

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