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Commission reviews testing schedule and seniority scoring after police promotion arbitration
Summary
The Civil Service Commission discussed projected entry and promotional testing timelines for police and fire, reviewed an arbitration ruling that focused on seniority credit calculations, and agreed to research protest procedures and rule language in the city charter and ordinances.
At its Jan. 29 meeting, the Fairview Park Civil Service Commission reviewed upcoming testing needs for police and fire promotions and discussed issues raised by a recent arbitration over a police lieutenant promotion.
Police Chief Shepard reported that the current candidate lists from 2025 remain valid for two years and said an entry test may be needed within one to two years. He and staff forecast a promotional exam in 2028 to account for projected retirements in 2029 (including Chief Shepard and Lt. Wickes) and noted Detective Rutt may retire in roughly two years. Fire Chief Tony Raffin said he does not anticipate retirements for another four to five years but expects promotional exams in about three years for chief, lieutenant and captain roles.
Secretary Jennifer Pae provided a recap of the arbitration process for the police lieutenant promotion. Chief Shepard described the grievance as "out of the ordinary" and said it was a "perfect storm" of procedural issues but emphasized it was "not an indictment of the Commission." Commissioner Roland DeMonte said the Commission possibly miscalculated the seniority credit, and Commissioner DeMonte recommended the Commission investigate that calculation.
Members discussed problems in how protests were handled, including loss of anonymity and inconsistent seniority score calculations. Chief Raffin advised that department chiefs be involved when protested questions arise and cautioned against discarding protested questions because that can penalize candidates who answered correctly. The group discussed wording in Section 10 under Rule VI and when seniority credits should be applied; Secretary Pae agreed to research how other cities calculate seniority credits and to provide references to the Civil Service provisions in the city charter and ordinances.
No formal votes or amendments to rules were recorded at the meeting; next steps are research by the secretary and further discussion at the March 25 meeting.
