Personnel board extends probation for solid-waste inspector pending certification

The City of Miami Personnel Board voted to extend the probationary period for Kevin Conde, a sanitation/solid-waste inspector, until he receives a passing score on a recently required certification exam.

The extension was granted after department and union representatives told the board Conde had retaken the certification exam the prior Friday. O. C. Rend, counsel for the union, asked the board to include a caveat that “as soon as he passes that certification, that he becomes permanent at that time.” David Dixon, assistant director for the solid waste department, said the department had no objection to that proposed caveat.

Board members also debated whether requiring the new certification for probationary employees created a fairness issue for longstanding permanent employees who did not take the exam when they were hired. Several members urged the board to schedule a separate, noticed discussion with the department to examine whether and how continuing-education or certification requirements should apply across the workforce. Member Cabrera made the motion to extend Conde’s probation; the board approved the motion by voice vote.

Why it matters: the board’s decision affects one employee’s status and prompted a broader policy discussion about whether the city should require periodic training or certification for code-enforcement staff. Union and city counsel both told the board the employee and department had agreed that passing the exam should trigger permanence.

Supporting details: participants said the certification is a relatively new departmental preference rather than a state or statutory requirement. Board members and counsel noted the published job announcement still lists multiple pathways for qualification (for example, a minimum of 60 college credits or two years of relevant experience) and that permanent civil-service employees generally cannot be retroactively terminated by imposing new requirements. Department staff estimated certification results could take “three to five weeks” to be reported. Board members asked the department to return to discuss options such as one-day continuing-education sessions versus requiring a state-style exam for incumbents.

The board also asked staff to prepare a separate agenda item so the director can explain how any certification requirement would be implemented across the department and how existing employees would be treated.