Tumwater commission approves minutes and eligibility lists, accepts police lieutenant exam plan; tables class specification

The Tumwater Civil Service Commission approved the Sept. 11 meeting minutes, accepted updated police personnel eligibility lists and authorized a police lieutenant exam plan at its October meeting, while tabling a related class specification for further review.

The actions affect multiple hiring lists used by the Tumwater Police Department and set the schedule and rules for filling an upcoming lieutenant vacancy. The commission’s decisions allow recruitment work to proceed on a timeline the police department said is needed to avoid staffing gaps.

Blake Chart, chair of the commission, moved to approve the Sept. 11 minutes; Commissioner Pat Schneider seconded the motion and the commission voted in favor. Michelle Sutherland, secretary examiner, presented updates to the civil-service eligibility lists for October 2025 and noted that the department’s firefighter lists are changing from “active continuous” lists to standard dated lists.

Sutherland asked the commission to approve the police officer entry-level list for October 2025. She said the list currently contained 25 names, with four candidates added in October and five candidates removed — three removed for failing the chief’s interview and two removed because their…