Lorain Civil Service Commission holds organizational meeting, approves multiple exceptional appointments and waivers

The Lorain Civil Service Commission on Feb. 11 elected officers for 2025, set its monthly meeting schedule and approved several personnel actions including multiple exceptional appointments and waivers of testing requirements.

The commission elected Juanita Sanchez president, Joseph Smith secretary and Victor Takacs vice president for 2025 in motions that passed unanimously. Commissioners also approved meeting dates for 2025 to occur on the second Tuesday of each month and set the next meeting for March 11, 2025.

The meeting’s substantive business centered on personnel items submitted by the city’s safety-service office. The commission agreed to remove four names from the current firefighter eligibility list after receiving a letter from the Safety-Service Director reporting voluntary withdrawals. The commission also approved an exceptional appointment and a waiver of the testing provision for Steven Ray to be hired as an Operator 3 at the Black River Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Lorain Utilities Department; the waiver was asked for because Ray already holds the required Class 3 wastewater certification.

"We were requesting that you waive the testing rule in lieu of him having the Class 3 certification necessary for the Class 3 operator," said Mr. Burke, speaking on behalf of city staff during the Operator 3 appointment discussion. The waiver and the appointment passed on unanimous…