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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/04/17 - ADMIN - Minutes - Fire Civil Service Commission - Regular Fire civil service commission meeting April 17, 2026 8:00 a.m. Official minutes Fire civil service commission Members present: Bob Tift, Stuart Williams and Kyle Wermerskirchen Members absent: none. Staff present: Fire Chief (Mr. Hanlin), Battalion Chief (Mr. Powers), Union Secretary (Mr. DeCoteau), Union Vice President (Mr. Duax), Assistant Fire Chief (Mr. Beauvais), Deputy Fire Chief (Mr. Anderson) Guests: none. 1.Call to order President Wermerskirchen called the meeting to order at 8:01 a.m. 2.Approval of minutes – Fire Civil Service Commission meeting of March 10, 2026. It was moved by Commissioner Williams, seconded by Commissioner Tift, to approve the minutes of the March 10, 2026, Fire Civil Service Commission meeting as presented. The motion passed unanimously. 3.New Business a.Adopt Fire Civil Service Rules with changes approved on March 10, 2026 to Rule One, Section 2 Chief Hanlin summarized the changes, noting that redlined copies had been distributed to each commissioner. The amendments included updating the amended date in the opening paragraph and footer and adding the classification of Division Chief to the list in Rule 1, Section 2. It was moved by Commissioner Tift, seconded by President Wermerskirchen, to approve the updated Rules and Regulations of the Fire Civil Service Commission. The motion passed unanimously. b.Approve eligibility roster for position of Division Chief of Fire Prevention (Fire Marshal) Chief Hanlin reported that five candidates had been interviewed by a panel and that two were advanced to the eligibility roster. He noted there was a clear separation in performance between the top two candidates and the remaining three, with the top two meeting all job performance requirements. A question arose regarding who would sign the eligibility roster in the regular secretary's absence. Chief Hanlin indicated he would verify with the secretary whether he, as a staff member, was authorized to sign, or whether a commissioner such as Commissioner Williams would need to do so. It was moved by Commissioner Williams, seconded by President Wermerskirchen, to approve the eligibility roster for the position of Division Chief of Fire Prevention (Fire Marshal). The motion passed unanimously. c. Approve promotional process for Battalion Chief, caused by the retirement of BC Powers Chief Hanlin recognized Battalion Chief Powers and noted Mr. Powers’ retirement effective June 11, 2026. He explained that this vacancy would initiate an internal competitive promotional process, consistent with an approach discussed approximately one year prior and since approved by the city manager. He noted that six lieutenants currently meet the requirements and have completed the Battalion Chief training program, providing a sufficient pool for a competitive process. Chief Hanlin described the process as multi-phase, including an application with resume and cover letter, an assessment center conducted by a vetted third-party vendor to evaluate soft skills and leadership, and an internal panel interview. He noted the commission would be asked to certify the candidate list before proceeding to the final selection interview. Commissioner Williams asked how the position opening would be publicized. Chief Hanlin explained that for internal promotional processes the city's practice is to post internally rather than externally, as the external posting requirement under statute applies only to hiring processes. Internal communication would include a department-wide email and postings at each station. He noted a minimum posting period of 10 to 12 days was planned to give members adequate time to apply. Commissioner Williams asked whether the process had been vetted with the union. Chief Hanlin acknowledged it had not been formally brought through a union process and asked union representatives whether additional outreach methods would be necessary. Union Secretary DeCoteau indicated no additional steps were needed and noted that the commission follows up closely with the union throughout the process. It was moved by Commissioner Williams, seconded by President Wermerskirchen, to approve the promotional process for Battalion Chief as described. The motion passed unanimously. d. Approve promotional process for Lieutenant, for which we have a vacancy created by the Battalion Chief promotional process Chief Hanlin noted that the Lieutenant promotional process would follow the same multi-phase internal competitive structure described for the Battalion Chief process and that up to 18 eligible applicants could apply. He also noted the resulting firefighter vacancy would be filled from an existing external eligibility roster certified in July 2026. It was moved by Commissioner Williams, seconded by President Wermerskirchen, to approve the promotional process for Lieutenant. The motion passed unanimously. 4. Other business No new business was brought forward. 5. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:11 a.m. These minutes were created with the assistance of a generative AI transcript service, then edited and finalized by a staff person.