Sandusky civil service commission closes short eligibility list, discusses charter change aimed at easing hiring

A majority of the Sandusky Civil Service Commission voted to close an eligibility list that “technically isn’t valid” because it no longer contains the six names required, and commissioners heard from a city department representative about a proposed charter amendment intended to streamline hiring and improve police recruitment.

The action to close the list also included preapproval for staff to take the necessary steps to create a new, valid eligibility list. The closure was moved and seconded and carried after an oral vote. Separately, city staff described a pending charter amendment that, if placed on the ballot and approved by voters, would allow the city to change civil service rules—bringing Sandusky’s process closer to what many other municipalities use.

The discussion matters because the commission said the current eligibility roster has dwindled: the department representative told commissioners that their “current list had 6 candidates on it. We’ve hired 1 candidate from the list. We offered employment to the second candidate on the list, and she withdrew consideration.” The representative said the commission needs six names for a list to be valid and that the current shortage prevents hiring from that list.

“Processing paperwork. We can go down and start the backgrounds. We…have to post for 30 to 45 days. We have to keep it open for 30 to 45 days,” the department representative said, describing posting and background steps. The representative said competing hiring processes in nearby jurisdictions can draw potential hires away: “Elyria’s hiring, Lorraine’s hiring, Erie County’s hiring, Huron’s hiring…we’re losing out on things.”

Commission business: minutes and motions

Commissioner John said he had reviewed the civil service minutes of May 1 and moved to approve them “as recorded.” That motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Later a motion to close the existing eligibility list and to preapprove steps for creating a new, valid list was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote.

Connie, identified in the meeting as civil service staff, answered procedural questions from commissioners. When asked whether she could close the list so staff could start a new process, Connie replied, “Yes. You can close that list so that we can move forward to start the process to get a new list.” Commissioners discussed timing: the department representative said staff planned to wait until after Labor Day to promote a new list because of city events and internal workload, and later suggested the next commission meeting could be “probably not until October, November.”

Charter amendment discussion

A department representative explained why a proposed charter amendment is under consideration. The representative said the Charter Review Commission made five recommendations and the city commission forwarded three to the ballot: an item related to contracting authority, the civil service change, and a change that would adopt Ohio’s ethics law into the charter. “We had our own ethics provision in our charter, and Ohio has a well developed body of law and ethics, that is enforced by the Ohio Ethics Commission. So the charter is going to adopt if it passes, would adopt the Ohio ethics law,” the representative said.

On the civil service question, the representative described the proposed change as giving the city the same access to candidate networks and hiring practices used by other municipalities. “All we want is the same access that a lot of other municipalities have. That’s it,” the representative said. The representative added that even if the charter amendment passes, state rules would still apply until the city expressly changes its civil service rules under home-rule authority: “It’s not gonna change everything…we still meet with civil service. You guys are still gonna have to bless off on everything.”

The representative described the operational use of national test notifications used by law enforcement agencies: “We would get notified through the national testing network, which is the same network our test goes out on. You have a new candidate. It would send you a notification. You check if this is somebody we’re interested in.” The representative said the change is intended to put Sandusky on a “level playing field” for competing with nearby jurisdictions and with private-sector opportunities for young candidates.

What was decided and what remains

Decisions taken at the meeting were procedural: approval of the May 1 minutes and the formal closure of an eligibility list that had fallen below the six-name threshold. The commission preapproved staff to take the steps necessary to open a new list when staff determine the timing is right. The charter amendment the department described has not been acted on by this commission; it was described as a proposal that would go to the electorate if the city commission places it on the ballot.

The department representative acknowledged uncertainty about public reaction and said they are willing to answer questions from the public and other officials as the process moves forward: “If it goes to the ballot and they vote it down, then we are what we are. But all this does is benefit the citizens of the community and benefits the police department along the way.”

The meeting ended after a motion to adjourn carried; commissioners and staff said they expect to reconvene once staff complete the posting and candidate screening process for a new eligibility list, likely later in the fall.