Saratoga Springs Civil Service Commission approves multiple personnel appointments; police chief granted military leave and temporary replacement named

The Saratoga Springs Civil Service Commission on Sept. 24 approved a package of personnel actions across city departments, extended one seasonal appointment for the Department of Public Works, and authorized a six-month military leave for the city’s police chief with a temporary appointment to cover his duties.

Carissa Salvo, staff coordinator for the Civil Service Commission, told commissioners the City Center had a new hire in the labor class who began Sept. 15 and that the Department of Public Works had extended a seasonal labor appointment through Sept. 30. Salvo said the Housing Authority submitted a labor-class appointment and a noncompetitive appointment for a maintenance mechanic, and that recreation and school-related staffing actions included multiple returning part-time hires and provisional appointments timed to the start of the school year.

The actions matter because they maintain the workforce that provides daily services to the city, from crossing guards who assist schoolchildren to maintenance personnel at municipal facilities. Most motions were routine and approved by voice vote during the short meeting.

What the commission approved

The commission approved the August 2025 meeting minutes by motion. It then approved a City Center labor-class appointment (one laborer) that began Sept. 15; a Department of Public Works seasonal appointment extension (original end Sept. 2, extended through Sept. 30); Housing Authority appointments (one laborer and one maintenance mechanic, the latter in the noncompetitive class); and a slate of recreation, school and part-time appointments detailed in the meeting minutes.

Public safety personnel actions

Salvo said the commission approved seven school crossing guards, all of whom she believed were returning employees. She said crossing-guard requirements include being at least 18 years old and having a high school diploma or equivalency; guards receive a safety vest and stop sign and work limited hours around school start and end times. Salvo said the typical crossing-guard wage discussed at the meeting was $15 an hour.

On military leave, Salvo reported that the police chief is expected to be on ordered military leave for about six months and that a dispatcher’s leave is nearly concluded. The commission approved military leave for the police chief and for the dispatcher and approved a temporary appointment to cover the chief’s duties. The commission identified Assistant Police Chief Frederick Warfield as the temporary appointee for the period of the chief’s absence.

Staffing and recruitment for police department vacancies

The meeting record notes that Police Officer Matthew Brooks resigned. Salvo described ongoing recruiting and certification steps: an eligible list established from a May written exam began with 47 invitees to a physical-agility test, 20 attended, and 16 passed that test. A retest drew four attendees, of whom one passed and proceeded to background screening. Salvo said background checks typically take six to eight weeks. She also said the commission administered another written exam on Sept. 20 that produced 37 candidates during that filing period; results from that exam were expected later and would feed into the city’s eligible lists used to hire and schedule training academies.

Civil service administration and eligible lists

Salvo reported the commission is establishing or maintaining eligible lists for titles including assistant facilities manager (a housing authority title) and senior electrician (four candidates on the list). She noted the city sometimes uses a county eligible list when the city lacks its own list, provided minimum qualifications and exam subjects align. Salvo said Saratoga Springs’ minimum qualifications for police officer appointments are higher than some county lists because the city requires 60 completed college credits or three years of active military service, whereas some county minimums may be a high school diploma or equivalency.

Meeting process and next steps

Most personnel approvals were handled on block or in grouped motions; commissioners approved motions and seconded them by voice vote. The commission set its next meeting for Oct. 29. No formal contested items or votes with named dissent were recorded in the transcript.

The commission adjourned at the end of the meeting.