Stow City civil service commission approves new hiring and promotional tests, certifies firefighter list and adopts 2026 meeting dates

The Stow City Civil Service Commission on an undisclosed 2025 date approved terminating and reissuing multiple police hiring and promotional lists, certified a new firefighter entry-level eligibility list and adopted the commission meeting calendar for 2026 with an adjusted February date.

Commission members voted to void the current police lateral transfer list, begin a new lateral recruitment process and to vacate the existing police entry-level eligibility list so candidates can be encouraged to reapply and a new testing round run by Ramsey Associates can be used. "We run both the lateral transfer list and the new hire list at the same time," the Police Chief said, describing the department's practice of using both lists to fill vacancies quickly.

Why it matters: the commission's actions set the administrative steps that allow the Stow Police and Fire departments to recruit and promote staff, including hiring vendors and certifying candidates for placement on eligibility lists — a necessary step before appointments or promotions can be made.

During the session the commission approved: terminating the current police lateral transfer list (which had two names on it), vacating an existing police entry-level list (nine candidates, expiring August 2026) so a new round of testing can be run, authorizing Ramsey Associates to administer entry-level written testing (contract quote: $850 for the first 20 candidates plus $15 per additional candidate), beginning a new sergeant promotional process using Ramsey and an assessment center partner, initiating a lieutenant promotional process using an OACP assessment center, and certifying a newly created firefighter entry-level eligibility list following a recent test campaign.

Details and votes: Commission member Mister Brennan moved to approve the minutes at the meeting start; the motion passed with recorded "yes" votes from Miss Campbell, Mister Sprague and Mister Evendorf. The commission later moved and approved the request to terminate the existing police lateral transfer list and begin a new one. The entry-level police testing plan — which included using Ramsey Associates and encouraging existing candidates to reapply once a new list is created — was moved, seconded and approved; the commission recorded that the department currently had nine candidates on the existing list and expects many to reapply. The sergeant promotional process was authorized using Ramsey and an OACP assessment center; commissioners approved moving forward after a motion and second. Commissioners also approved starting a lieutenant promotional assessment center and voted to certify the newly created firefighter list after the department reported 112 applicants, 80 test takers and 53 candidates eligible for banding.

On recruitment context: department staff said recent outreach and job fairs helped boost applicant numbers. The Fire Chief reported a hiring campaign that produced 112 applicants, 80 who took the exam and 53 who are now eligible on the primary eligibility band — a larger pool than two years earlier. Police staff said physical testing and subsequent vetting typically reduce applicant pools substantially, with more than half of initial applicants often falling out between the written and physical tests.

Calendar and other business: the commission accepted a proposed 2026 meeting schedule with dates planned for February, May, August and November; commissioners agreed to move the February meeting from the 3rd to February 4. A commissioner suggested drafting a resolution to thank Chief Stone for years of service; the proposal was endorsed in the meeting discussion. The session concluded with a formal adjournment.

Quotes and attributions in this article are drawn from the meeting transcript. Several motions were moved and seconded; votes recorded in the transcript were attributed to named commission members where available. No statutes or ordinances were cited during these agenda items.

The commission did not set appointment dates or make final hiring decisions during the meeting; the certified lists and approved testing processes enable future hiring and promotion actions by departments and any appointing authorities.