City service commissioners approve series of personnel actions, extend temporary appointments and probationary periods; refer Gomez appeal

The Board of City Service Commissioners approved a series of personnel actions and administrative items at its May 6 meeting, including approval of meeting minutes, a recommended classification change, multiple probationary extensions and temporary-appointment extensions. The board also agreed to lay over an appeal by Rafael Gomez to its May 20 meeting.

The approvals were routine and passed by voice vote with the three commissioners called during roll calls — Commissioner Miller, Commissioner Smith and Commissioner Cleary — recorded as voting yes where roll calls were taken. Items approved included minutes for the April 21 and April 28 meetings; a classification report in Public Works Operations and Forestry that reclassified one position with no title change; a 100-day extension of a temporary appointment tracking city utility costs; a 12-month extension for a senior resources manager supporting a PeopleSoft replacement project; and probationary-period extensions for several employees. The board also granted exemptions for two positions at the request of departments and referred an appeal about an application rejection to the next meeting.

Most items were introduced by department staff in written communications submitted before the meeting, and commissioners moved and seconded the recommendations without extended debate. The board’s recorded votes on calls for each item showed the commissioners present answering in the affirmative when polled by the meeting chair.

Key actions recorded on the agenda included: - File 250,092: Approval of the April 21, 2025 meeting minutes — approved by voice vote when commissioners Miller, Smith and Cleary answered yes. - File 250,093: Approval of the April 28, 2025 meeting minutes — approved by voice vote when those commissioners answered yes. - File 250,094: Approval of a classification report in Public Works Operations and Forestry to increase compensation for one incumbent in Urban Forestry Technical Services Manager due to changes in duties — approved by voice vote. - File 250,096: Extension of a temporary appointment for Luke Severeux (temporary appointment to track and analyze city utility costs) — the board amended the requested 90 days to 100 days and approved the 100-day extension. - File 250,102: Second extension for a temporary appointment for Sarah Trotter, senior resources manager, for 12 months (April 26, 2025–April 25, 2026) to support the PeopleSoft replacement effort — approved by voice vote. - File 250,097: Extension of the probationary period for Matthew Imperial, residential code enforcement inspector, for 90 days (April 29, 2025–July 29, 2025); department provided a performance-improvement plan — approved by voice vote. - File 250,098: Extension of the probationary period for Wade Renee Adams Jr., parking enforcement officer, for seven months (June 9, 2025–December 7, 2025); department provided a performance-improvement plan and confirmed the employee was aware — approved by voice vote. - File 250,099: Extension of the probationary period for Denzel Harris, city laborer, for six months (May 19, 2025–November 19, 2025) because he had not yet obtained a required CDL — approved by voice vote. - File 250,100: Request from the Department of City Development to re-exempt the city planning director position and adjust pay range — approved by voice vote. - File 250,101: Request from Milwaukee Public Library to re-exempt the civics engagement services manager position (grant-funded, short-term extension through March 30, 2026) — approved by voice vote. - File 5250108 (agenda item 14): The board granted the Department of Employee Relations’ request to lay over consideration of the rejection of Rafael Gomez’s application to the board’s next regular meeting on May 20, 2025.

Discussion and context: Department staff provided letters and documentation in advance for most items, including job descriptions, letters from department directors and, where relevant, performance-improvement plans. For the temporary appointment tracking utility costs, the director of environmental sustainability had recommended the appointment in a letter and staff noted the candidate is a graduate intern; commissioners amended the extension to 100 days before approving. For the senior-resources appointment extension, staff explained the role supports a major PeopleSoft replacement and represents a prolonged implementation effort by many employees.

No contested votes or formal dissents were recorded in the transcript for the items approved on May 6. The board chair and staff repeatedly emphasized that several items had supporting paperwork on file and that extending probationary periods or temporary appointments was being done with supporting performance-improvement plans or department justification.

The board also confirmed that one item (the appeal regarding Rafael Gomez) will be heard on May 20, and commissioners discussed scheduling constraints related to a multi-day appeal already set for that date.

Ending: The board concluded regular business, accepted a few administrative announcements and adjourned. The minutes and department documents referenced at the meeting will remain the official record for details such as memos, job descriptions and the performance-improvement plans noted by staff.