The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About07-12-2005 * ,.0'" * ,l .~ClTY~O. F':¡:~,t( T.·..:."¡¡~,:~,.,.~,.:::~* " ..me B ~:Û~t\.l '" * _) .dé 0, ,"'0.01'" WASHINGTON Peter B. Lewis, Mayor 25 West Main Street * Aubum WA 98001-4998 * www.cl.aubum.wa.us * 253-931-3000 CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEETING Meeting Minutes of July 12, 2005 The regularly scheduled meeting of the Civil Service Commission was held July 12, 2005, in Resource Room #2 located on the second floor of Auburn City Hall, 25 West Main Street, Auburn, WA. The following members were in attendance. MEMBERS PRESENT: Dick Kammeyer, Chairman; Cyril Van Selus, Member; Charles Booth, Member; Gail Solberg, Secretary/Chief Examiner STAFF PRESENT: Police Chief Jim Kelly; Fire Chief Russ Vandver; Assistant City Attorney Joe Beck GUESTS: Entry Level Police Candidate Richard Trajano ACTION: Chairman Kammeyer called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Approval of May 10, 2005 Civil Service meeting minutes. Minutes were accepted as written. COMMISSION POLICE DEPARTMENT Chief Kelly stated we are fully staffed with Commissioned Officers: 1 recruit is graduating from the academy this week, 1 is out next week, and 2 are waiting for an academy date. FIRE DEPARTMENT Chief Vandver stated that our entry-level fire list will expire next month; he stated he would like to research the Bates consortusium for entry level fire candidates who test with an interview process and physical to establish an initial list, however he does not think this will happen until the first of the year. Vandver asked to extend the list until the end of the year. Kammeyer stated he believes our rules state that we cannot extend the entry-level list beyond 2 years, and that with the promotional lists there are different rules vs. the entry-level list. Kammeyer stated his concern with using Bates is that if we don't have many to hire we will lose the top candidates to surrounding cities that are hiring. Vandver stated that we anticipate hiring possibly 6-7 fire fighters off the next list due to upcoming retirements next year. The current list will expire August 11, 2005. AUBURN * MORE THAN YOU IMAGINED APPEALS: Entry-level police candidate Richard Trajano presented his appeal to the Commission. He stated he understands that the information on his personal history statement was considered when taking him off the list and honesty and integrity are important to being a Police Officer, however he was being honest in disclosing his indiscretions from ten years ago. He stated he is very sorry for his indiscretions and would not do those things today. Kammeyer asked Trajano what he disclosed in his personal history statement. Trajano stated that when working for the Queen Mary in CA he took $20 when he was 17, he was not cited by the police but was asked to resign from the Queen Mary; also at 17 he had an incident where a pedestrian was crossing the street and he didn't see the person, the person hit his car and rolled off, when he left the scene he noticed in his rear view mirror the pedestrian got up and was ok (Trajano confirmed it was a hit and run) however he was not cited by the police; at age 20 Trajano stated he took a shirt from his employer Abercrombie & Fitch, no charges were filed from police, he said he did shoplift but did not get caught, then later donated the shirt to Salvation Army. Kammeyer asked if he had anything else to add. Trajano stated that in the last 6 years as a Corrections Officer with King County (his current position) he was one of the youngest to go to weapons school, is currently a booking officer, and has received letters of appreciation through the facilities managers, supervisors, and director. Also received a life saving award for saving an inmate who tried to commit suicide. Trajano stated that he hasn't had any indiscretions within the corrections department and would have very good references from any supervisors. He also stated he has worked for the City of Seattle while in school as well as with a private' consulting company in Seattle. Kammeyer asked if he had anything else to add, Trajano stated that was everything. Kammeyer asked if the Commission had additional questions for Trajano and there were no questions. Kammeyer then asked Chief Kelly f9r his statement. Kelly stated that we have a very selective process and that Trajano's admissions today are consistent with the background information he provided on his personal history statement. He said he understands Trajano's frustration, however, is not willing to comprise our selection process to accept integrity issues. Even though some happened as a juvinile, he also admitted that as a young adult he continued to take things that were not his and this is unacceptable for a Police Officer. Kelly stated that It has been some time since Trajano committed a theft, however he believes past behavior can be an predictor for future behavior and is not willing to accept that liability or risk and commission Mr. Trajano as an Auburn Police Officer. There were better applicants that did not have those types of indiscretions in their background. We also examined the fact of a polygraph failure in Puyallup with Trajano that was related to withholding information on the shirt theft. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Dick Kammeyer, Chairman Cyril Van Selus, Member Charles A. Booth, Member Gail Solberg, SecretaryfChififExaminer Gail Solberg distributed a summary of the issues identified on the personal history statement. She stated that he does not meet the standards we've set for Auburn and we have not compromised those standards in the past, we are very consistent in our review of the candidates. Chief Kelly stated that any candidate who has admitted to a theft is not going to be an acceptable candidate for the Auburn Police Department. .... Kammeyer asked Trajano why he failed the background and polygraph test, Trajano said Puyallup just stated he did not pass the polygraph. Trajano then stated that he does not consider two incidences of theft to be a pattern. Kammeyer asked Kelly and Solberg if they had anything else to add, they had nothing more. Kammeyer then asked Trajano if he had anything to add after hearing the response from the City. Trajano stated that he understands the department has high expectations and he has been fully honest with his past and would not do anything to jeopardize his career or the reputation of the department, his family, or himself. The 2- 3 incidents he's had he fully regrets, however he's been open and honest and he wants the Commission to consider those facts. Kammeyer asked if the Commission had any questions, they did not. Kammeyer asked if Legal had anything to add, Beck stated the City's position has been stated in full. Kammeyer asked Trajano if there is anything else he wanted to add before the Commission goes into closed session to review. Trajano stated he had nothing else to add. The Commission returned from the closed session with the following decision: Booth stated that he propose the Commission support the continued application selection criteria currently used by the City and support the City's decision to remove Trajano from the eligibility list. VanSelus seconded the motion. Kammeyer asked if all in favor, all agreed, and the proposal was passed. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Dick Kammeyer, Chairman Cyril Van Selus, Member Charles A. Booth, Member Gail Solberg, SecretaryfChififExaminer ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m. cc: Commission Members Mayor Peter B. Lewis Police Chièf Jim Kelly Asst Police Chief Bob Lee Fire Chief R Vandver Asst Fire Chief Gerber Brenda Heineman, Director of Human Resources/Risk Mgmt Dan Heid, City Attorney Dani Daskam, City Clerk Joe Beck, Assist. City Attorney Police Guild/Mark Callier FF Union Local #1352/Doug Darmody Rudy Peden, FD Training CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Dick Kammeyer, Chairman Cyril Van Selus, Member Charles A. Booth, Member Gail Solberg, SecretaryfChief Examiner