04/18/2005 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Ubaldi asked if anything is referred to as division head in City language. Mr. O'Malley said an example would be the Building Department. It is commonly referred to as a department but it is a division. The Assistant Building Commissioner is unclassified under these rules. Mr. Ubaldi asked if the language discrepancy is problematic. Mr. O'Malley said he agrees with Mr. Hohmann's observation that ordinarily you would think at the executive level the department head would have an unclassified administrative assistant. Mrs. Giesser said the union issue does not affect the Civil Service Commission. Mr. O'Malley said he brought it up because Civil Service is an independent body and the administration may come to them about creating or eliminating a position and the labor may likewise have some feelings or input on the positions that are being created or eliminated. Ms. Farver indicated that both Personnel secretaries are non-union. Mrs. Giesser said it seems to be an issue separate from Civil Service. It has no bearing on choosing classified or unclassified because classified could be union members, unclassified could be union members. By Civil Service making a choice, they are not precluding anyone from being a union member. Mrs. Giesser asked if the Employment Specialist would be classified. Ms. Farver indicated that is the recommendation of the Law Director. Mrs. Giesser asked if the new Secretary 1 would be unclassified. Ms. Farver said yes as she would serve as her secretary. Mrs. Giesser said they therefore have lost one unclassified. Mr. O'Malley indicated that is correct. He said in the position as it's designed the Commission is, in effect, declining to be involved in the hiring of its own secretary. It is consenting to the Personnel Department plan to provide secretarial services. Ms. Farver asked if language could be put into the job description for the Secretary I / Civil Service Secretary to address the issue of the commission selecting to retain its own secretary. She wondered if it could be cross-referenced. Mr. O'Malley said he believes it is in the ordinance. Perhaps it will be addressed again by the Law Director in the next round of ordinances they are requesting. Mrs. Giesser said there is language that says the Commission has a right to appoint its own secretary and they kind of waived that right. Mrs. Giesser asked how the position of Secretary I / Civil Service Secretary relates to the legislation that was passed enabling Mrs. Kilbane to become the Civil Service Secretary. Ms. Farver explained that Mrs. Kilbane's standing now is a Secretary II which is an existing position and the legislation gave her anothc responsibility. Mrs. Giesser asked if the restructuring would take the place of the legislation. Ms. Farver indicated that legislation may need to be modified. Mr. O'Malley said the Law Director could submit legislation consistent with Ms. Farver's request to enable the Secretary I to fulfill both roles. He may leave the Secretary II position with that ability intact and unfilled. There can be more than one secretarial position provided for yet unfunded. Mrs. Giesser said from a civil service perspective, she would prefer the secretary be someone not classified only because it follows state law. Mr. Hohmann mentioned the Employment Specialist position and he asked if it would be better to be an unclassified position. Ms. Farver said her belief is whether the position is classified or unclassified, a person should be in the position if she performs well. The person should be properly evaluated and perform appropriately and if that does happen the appropriate course of action should be taken relative to her employment, classified or unclassified. Mr. Hohmann said that would be more difficult if someone is classified. Ms. Farver said that may be, but it is her responsibility as a manager. She said she would be charged with coming before the Commission with a compelling case if there was a problem. She added there is a great deal of confidential information the Employment Specialist will be handling, such as HIPPA, benefits, and medical history. She said she is very fortunate to have a great person in that position. Lisa Kidd does an extraordinary job with those responsibilities. Mrs. Giesser asked to have a copy of the legislation passed by Council included in the packets for the meeting next month. Mr. Ubaldi asked if the Secretary I position was created partially in response to legislation. Mr. O'Malley said no. He said every department head gets to pick his/her own secretary, unclassified. Mr. Ubaldi clarified his question by saying he is asking specifically about the Secretary I / Civil Service Secretary. Mr. O'Malley said Ms. Farver's expectation is that the current Secretary I is qualified for Employment Specialist and Mrs. Kilbane would advance to the Secretary I position. And it was probably some incentive for both of them based o performance. At present time the Secretary II position accommodates the needs of the Civil Servic Commission. The Secretary I position does not have those duties assigned to her. There is not a position called Employment Specialist. That is the reason for the two legislative requests. It is important that the Personnel Director recognizes the authority of the Civil Service Commission and sent notice to the