Civil Service Merit Board cancels eligibility register for Real‑Time Information Center specialist

The Civil Service Merit Board voted Feb. 12 to cancel the eligibility register for the Real‑Time Information Center specialist, saying the position’s duties have changed since the register was created.

The board approved a formal request to cancel the existing register and allow the Knoxville Police Department to update the job description and repost the position. Board members indicated the change was necessary because the technology and operations envisioned when the register was created no longer match current needs.

Why it matters: Board staff and police officials said the center’s hardware and software choices shifted during a 14‑month period while the register was open, making the old selection criteria out of date and potentially unfair to applicants.

Knoxville Police Chief Noel said the register “has sat for a long time and sat for 14 months,” and that the department did not want to hire staff before the software and operational model were settled. Chief Noel said the department now knows the software it will adopt and expects to revise the posting accordingly.

Captain Schafer, who has been leading the position work, told the board the updated job will reflect new responsibilities tied to the chosen software, including duties not included in the original posting. “Under the requirements of the job, there was nothing in the old one about talking on police radio,” Schafer said. “But we now know that that will be an integral part of this specialist position.”

Board staff explained that six names remained on the existing register but that most external applicants had “fallen off” because the test and list were more than a year old. The board approved canceling the register so staff and KPD can submit a revised job description through the standard reclassification/posting process and repost to attract candidates matched to the new operational needs.

Action and next steps: The board approved the cancellation; staff and KPD will prepare an updated job description and repost the position. Chief Noel and KPD indicated they will notify the individuals who remain on the old register about the change and invite them to reapply if appropriate.

Votes at a glance: The board took a voice vote on the request to cancel the register. The chair called for ayes; the motion carried. No individual roll‑call vote was recorded in the transcript.

Ending: The board’s action clears the way for KPD to align hiring with the center’s confirmed technology and operational model and to begin recruitment under the revised posting.