San Diego Civil Service Commission Regular and Closed Session Meeting - September 4, 2026

The Civil Service Commission convened on September 4, 2026, with Commissioners President Pico Portillo, Freeman, Merrill, and Moore present (Commissioner Fant absent). The meeting included a closed session with three appeals, approval of consent agenda, consideration of two special leave requests, review of FY2028 salary proposals, presentation of the FY2025 EEO Annual Report and presentation from the Division of Race and Equity, and updates on personnel policies and the reduction-in-force (RIF) process.

Consent Calendar

• Unanimously approved the regular minutes of the July 2, 2026 meeting (Item 3-12).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made on non-agenda items or closed session items.

Discussion Items

• Closed Session Report: Three appeals were addressed. James P. Howe's appeal of conviction record disqualification for Building Supervisor was denied 4-0. An anonymous police officer's termination appeal was denied 4-0. James Bice's appeal of termination from Custodian 2 was continued to the next meeting.
• Item 13 – Special Leave for Alexandria Gutierrez: Senior Paralegal requested 11-month unpaid leave with job saved for spouse relocation to Spain. The Office of the City Attorney recommended modifying to "name on eligible list" citing operational hardship due to recent resignations and workload. Employee spoke in support. Commission approved the request as filed (job saved) unanimously 4-0.
• Item 14 – Special Leave for Jamila Hodges: Parking Enforcement Officer requested 7-month unpaid leave with job saved for son's medical/mental health needs. Stormwater Department recommended modification to name on eligible list due to staffing impacts. Employee spoke in support. Motion to approve job saved passed 3-1 (Commissioner Moore dissenting).
• Item 15 – FY2028 Salary Proposals: Staff recommended six proposals for further study; commission approved by unanimous consent. Two additional proposals were debated:
  • Plant Process Control Electrician (Local 127 request for 30% adjustment): Staff noted a previous 20% recommendation with only 10% implemented through meet and confer. Commission voted not to forward for study (unanimous).
  • Retirement Assistant (SD SERS request for 10% adjustment): Employee representatives and SD SERS HR Director testified about turnover and pay disparity relative to other clerical classifications. Commission voted to forward for study (unanimous).
• Item 16 – FY2025 EEO Annual Report: Staff presented demographic shifts: Hispanic/Latino representation grew from 33.71% to 34.75%; slight decreases in White and African American representation; stable Asian representation. The Division of Race and Equity (DRE) presented their role within the Independent Budget Analyst, tactical equity planning, budget equity implications, and connection to civil service. Discussion focused on underrepresentation in the Fire Department, memo response rates, need for multi-year disinvestment analysis, and retention data. Commission accepted the report.
• Item 17 – Personnel Updates: Personnel Director David Gallagher announced a new citywide administrative regulation for fingerprinting allowing out-of-area candidates to be fingerprinted off-site. Update on the Reduction in Force (RIF) process: 48 employees were initially impacted; through promotions, reclassifications, and vacancies, 20 were removed, leaving 28 for placement. Of those, 13 transferred, 11 were demoted, and all were placed by August 14—three months faster than the prior year. Commissioner Moore also presented a memo for commissioner orientation materials.

Key Outcomes

• Closed Session Decisions: Denied two appeals (Howe and police officer termination) with 4-0 votes; continued Bice appeal.
• Special Leave Approvals: Gutierrez leave approved (job saved) 4-0; Hodges leave approved (job saved) 3-1.
• Salary Study Decisions: Approved six proposals for further study; denied study for Plant Process Control Electrician; approved study for Retirement Assistant.
• EEO Report: Accepted by commission; directed staff to continue tracking department memo responses and include deeper analysis by classification and retention data.
• Policy Updates: New fingerprinting AR effective; RIF process concluded for 2026 with all impacted employees placed.
• Next Steps: Salary study results to be presented in October-November 2026 and February-March 2027; memo response tracking to be enhanced; EEO report analysis to be expanded.