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Commission upholds rejection of Shannon Jones for urban forestry specialist; staff cite rope-and‑saddle climbing requirement
Summary
The commission denied Shannon Jones's appeal after HR and forestry staff said he did not meet the minimum requirement of five years of urban forestry experience emphasizing arboriculture and rope‑and‑saddle tree climbing; staff encouraged Jones to pursue the apprenticeship program.
The Board of City Service Commissioners on Sept. 9 denied an appeal by Shannon Jones contesting his rejection for the open Urban Forestry Specialist position, after department staff and HR said Jones did not meet the minimum experience requirements listed on the job announcement.
Jamie Heber, human resources representative, told the commission the position had been posted May 13 with a minimum requirement of five years of urban forestry experience, including substantial experience climbing trees using a rope and saddle. Heber said the department sought candidates who could "perform high level professional arborist duties ... including pruning trees by means of safely climbing and using a rope and saddle while working at heights of 60 feet or higher." He recommended denying Jones's appeal and encouraged him to apply for the Urban Forestry Arborist Apprenticeship when it is posted.
Jones told the commission he has practical experience: he works in sanitation, runs a side landscaping business and said he had passed the urban forestry apprenticeship exam. "All the work that's done in forestry is stuff that I naturally do," Jones said, adding that he often climbs trees directly rather than using a rope and saddle and that he would be willing to train on that equipment.
Jeff Laufenberg, urban forestry district manager, explained why rope‑and‑saddle technique is required: the department trains apprentices for several thousand hours, with the first six months dominated by safe climbing using rope and saddle equipment, and relies on ANSI and OSHA safety standards for arborist work. "It would be ... not by safety standards to ... enter a tree off the ground without that safety equipment," Laufenberg said.
HR and forestry staff said the department had only a small number of vacancies and therefore prioritized candidates already qualified to perform most duties on day one rather than hire and train a small number of inexperienced hires outside an apprenticeship class. The department said it expects to post another apprenticeship class when vacancies justify it; Jones's name appears on the current eligibility list for apprenticeship consideration.
A commissioner moved to support the department's rejection; the motion passed unanimously. Jones's appeal was denied.
Why it matters: The decision clarifies the department's hiring standard for a safety‑sensitive role and points applicants toward the apprenticeship program as the route for training to meet those standards.
Next steps: Forestry staff said they plan to schedule another apprenticeship class when sufficient vacancies exist; Jones may be eligible for that recruitment.
