HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CSC-2008-08-01CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
August 6, 2008
Commissioners Present: Commissioner Richardson
Commissioner Abrams
Commissioner Thompson
Staff Present: Valerie Saul (Deputy Director of Human Resources)
Phyllis Radke (Building Commissioner)
Commissioner Richardson called the meeting to order at 9:46 am.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Commissioner Thompson made a motion to approve the minutes of the July 2, 2008
meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Richardson. Motion carried 3-0.
NEW BUSINESS
Request to Waive Residency Requirement – Code Inspector
Building Commissioner Phyllis Radke presented a request to waive the Tompkins County
residency requirement for the current Code Inspector vacancy. Two recent recruitment
efforts have yielded insufficient applicant pools.
The Commission reviewed and discussed the application statistics for the recruitment
efforts for Code Inspector. After discussion, Commissioner Abrams made a motion to
eliminate the residency requirement for the Code Inspector position through the
completion of the next exam process. Seconded by Commissioner Thompson. Motion
carried 3-0.
New Position Duties Statement and Adoption of Job Description: Building
Department – Housing and Land-Use Supervisor
The Commission reviewed and discussed a New Position Duties Statement from the
Building Department and the proposed job description for Housing and Land-Use
Supervisor. Commissioner Thompson made a motion to classify the position as Housing
and Land-Use Supervisor and adopt the job description as proposed. Seconded by
Commissioner Abrams. Motion carried 3-0.
Revision of Job Descriptions – GIAC Program Administrator, GIAC Program
Coordinator, GIAC Program Leader
The Commission reviewed and discussed a request from GIAC to update the language in
the GIAC Program Administrator, GIAC Program Coordinator and GIAC Program Leader
job descriptions. No substantive changes were made to the job descriptions.
Commissioner Abrams made a motion to amend the job descriptions as requested.
Seconded by Commissioner Thompson. Motion carried 3-0.
Civil Service Commission
August 6, 2008
Page 2
Revision of Minimum Qualifications – GIS Map Technician
The Commission reviewed and discussed a request from GIS Administrator Ruth Aslanis
to expand and update the minimum qualifications for GIS Map Technician to reflect the
current paths through which candidates acquire training and skills in GIS mapping. The
proposed qualifications are as follows:
“MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either:
a) Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited
by the New York State Board of Regents to grant degrees with an Associate’s
degree, Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in Geographic Information
Systems, Geospatial Technology, Photogrammetry/Remote Sensing,
Geography or a closely related field with similar course curriculum. Said degree
shall have included at least 16 credit hours in any combination of Cartography,
Photogrammetry, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing,
and/or Surveying; or
b) Successful completion of a GIS Certificate Program from a regionally accredited
college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents
to grant GIS Certificates. The coursework for said certificate shall have included
at least 16 credit hours in any combination of Cartography, Photogrammetry,
Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing and/or Surveying; or
c) Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency
diploma, and possession of a GIS Professional Certification (GISP) from the
GIS Certification Institute; or
d) Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency
diploma and two (2) years of full-time paid experience, or its part-time paid
equivalent, creating and editing geographic data, computer mapping, performing
GIS analysis, using a GIS or other computerized mapping system, or training
others in the use of GIS or other computerized mapping systems; or
e) An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of
(a) through (d) above.”
After discussion, Commissioner Richardson made a motion to revise the minimum
qualifications for GIS Map Technician as indicated above. Seconded by Commissioner
Abrams. Motion carried 3-0.
Request to Waive Residency Requirement – GIS Map Technician
The Commission reviewed and discussed a request from GIS Administrator Ruth Aslanis
to expand the residency requirement for the current GIS Map Technician vacancy to
include the entire United States. At the June 2008 Civil Service Commission meeting, the
residency requirement was expanded from Tompkins County residency to New York State
residency. The subsequent recruitment effort did not yield a sufficient applicant pool.
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August 6, 2008
Page 3
The Commission reviewed and discussed the application statistics for the recruitment
effort for GIS Map Technician. After discussion, Commissioner Richardson made a
motion to expand the residency requirement for the GIS Map Technician position to
include the entire United States, through the completion of the next exam process.
Seconded by Commissioner Abrams. Motion carried 3-0.
New Position Duties Statement and Adoption of Job Description: Ithaca City School
District – Human Resources Specialist for Recruitment and Retention
The Commission reviewed and discussed a New Position Duties Statement from the
Ithaca City School District and the proposed job description for Human Resources
Specialist for Recruitment and Retention. During discussion, all three Commissioners
objected to the use of the term “qualified” whenever diverse candidates were mentioned.
The Commissioners felt that the descriptor implied that diverse candidates are not as
inherently qualified as traditional candidates, or that unqualified candidates might be
considered based solely on their diversity. Commissioner Thompson made a motion to
classify the position as Human Resources Specialist for Recruitment and Retention and to
adopt an amended version of the job description that deletes the use of the term
“qualified” when describing diverse candidates. Seconded by Commissioner Abrams.
Motion carried 3-0.
New Position Duties Statement and Adoption of Job Description: Ithaca City School
District – Bias Prevention Officer
The Commission reviewed and discussed a New Position Duties Statement from the
Ithaca City School District and the proposed job description for Bias Prevention Officer.
Commissioner Abrams made a motion to classify the position as Bias Prevention Officer
and adopt the job description as proposed. Seconded by Commissioner Richardson.
Motion carried 3-0.
New Position Duties Statement and Adoption of Job Description: Ithaca City School
District – Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations
The Commission reviewed and discussed a New Position Duties Statement from the
Ithaca City School District and the proposed job description for Director of Human
Resources and Labor Relations. Commissioner Thompson made a motion to classify the
position as Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations and adopt the job
description as proposed. Seconded by Commissioner Abrams. Motion carried 2-0, with
Commissioner Abrams abstaining due to a conflict of interest.
New Position Duties Statement: Ithaca City School District – Senior Typist
The Commission reviewed and discussed a New Position Duties Statement from the
Ithaca City School District. Commissioner Thompson made a motion to classify the
position as Senior Typist. Seconded by Commissioner Richardson. Motion carried 3-0.
Civil Service Commission
August 6, 2008
Page 4
Authorization to Direct Public Hearing
Commissioner Abrams made a motion to direct a public hearing for Wednesday,
September 3, 2008 at 9:30 am for the purpose of amending Appendix B – Non-
Competitive Class of the City of Ithaca Civil Service Rules by adding the positions of Bias
Prevention Officer, Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations, and Human
Resources Specialist for Recruitment and Retention to the non-competitive class and
designating said positions as requiring the performance of functions influencing policy.
Seconded by Commissioner Richardson. Motion carried 3-0.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Commissioner Richardson made a motion to go into executive session to discuss civil
service examination matters. Seconded by Commissioner Abrams. Motion carried 3-0.
During executive session, the Commission took the following actions:
CONTINUING BUSINESS
Establishment of Eligible Lists
Commissioner Richardson made a motion to establish the eligible lists specified below for
the time period indicated. Seconded by Commissioner Thompson. Motion carried 3-0.
Firefighter #67-374 (3 years)
Housing Inspector #72-990 (1 year)
Senior Code Inspector #72-428 (1 year)
Addition of Names to Continuous Recruitment Eligible Lists
Commissioner Richardson made a motion to add candidates to the continuous recruitment
eligible lists. Seconded by Commissioner Thompson. Motion carried 3-0.
Approval of Personnel Transactions
Commissioner Thompson made a motion to approve the Personnel Transactions.
Seconded by Commissioner Richardson. Motion carried 3-0.
The next Civil Service Commission meeting will be held Wednesday, September 3, 2008
at 9:30 am.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:52 am.