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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-29-1997 Meeting I I I PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - September 29, 1997 3:30 P.M. PRESENT: Hon. Larry E. Sconyers, Mayor; H. Brigham, Chairman; Kuhlke, Mays, Zetterberg, members; R. Oliver, Administrator; J. Wall, Legal Counsel; G. Greenway, Finance Dept.; Geri Sams, Purchasing; R. Few and D. Atkins, Fire Department; S. Hatfield, B. Wilheim, Sheriff's Dept.; F. Handy, Mayor Pro Tern; L. Beard, Commissioner; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Belinda Brown of the Clerk's office. ALSO PRESENT: Metro Spirit. Sylvia Cooper, Augusta Chronicle; Stacy Edison, A request from the Sheriff's Department to approve changing four Employee Request card position titles from Records Bureau Clerk to Secretary I and changing two Employee Request card position titles from Jailer II to Secretary I. Mr. Kuhlke: So move. Mr. Zetterberg: Second. MR. KUHLKE: It says that there will be no financial impact, looking down the road is it going to have any financial impact? MR. OLIVER: The two reasons I put this on the agenda, is that I am believe that position control has to be tight, our position control is terrible. The second issue is that very issue, is that by reclassifing these clerks I want to make certain that we aren't going to be in a position where we're going to have to hire additional corrections officiers at a later time because we have people that are performing these clerical roles and I would hope that the Sheriff's Department has taken that into consideration. MR. WILHElM: When the original positions where presentd the secrtaries position was included as part of the package of 59 employees which was approved on April 15. Inadvertently the cards came up with the wrong title on the cards. We will not have to add any other people. Motion carried unanimously. A request from the Sheriff's Department to authorize three (3) new Central Services positions at the Phinizy Road Detention Facility at a cost of $11,792 in 1997 and $70,749 in 1998. Mr. Zetterberg: So move. Mr. Kuhlke: Second. Motion carried unanimously. A request from the Fire Chief that the consulting firm of Mowles & Associates be hired at a cost of $24,500 to conduct the promotional examination and evaluation for the Fire Department officer promotions. MR. OLIVER: I would note that proposals were received. Geri Sams from the Purchasing Department tabulated those 3 proposals. I have reviewed that because there has been a question that has come up on it. I can't address the technical qualifications of the 3 firms as well as Chief Few can. Looking at the 3 firms that are there the prices that they offer and the scope of services that they will provide, I think that the decision was made was the prudent one. CHIEF FEW: The only thing that we have in the Augusta- Richmond County Fire Department is the fact that we don't have a lot of what we call policy and procedures in place at this point. We have been working on them in the past and what makes it difficult for any consultant to come in and do an assessment process is that you have got to have some good policies and procedures in place. I didn't think that it would be fair very fair to have a promotional process where we would use policies and procedures from one department, the Augusta Fire Department and one from the Richmond County Fire Department. So what we are going to do is bring in a consultant that would look at specific job tasks . and what they do on a consistent basis everyday in every level and give a test according to that. This will be a very fair promotional process, in the fact that whoever comes out of the assessment process, will be the people we will promote. The only ones that I will be looking at closely will be Deputy Chief which I will be selecting from the pool, those are the people who work directly for me in the administrative offices on a day-to-day basis. I don't think that I know them well enough to even put my hands on it and I have told everybody that. After the test have been done, I want them to come in and let the people know where their strengths and weaknesses are in that process so they can build on that the next time and be ready for the next promotion. I feel like it's time now to move forward and put those people in positions of authority. .,;: MR. ZETTERBERG: So Mowles & Associates will be doing a task analysis, then they are going to develop a test against what the task are here in the ARC Fire Department. Have they done work with fire departments before? CHIEF FEW: Yes. All three listed where they have had hands on this same type of engagement within fire I I MR. OLIVER: experience with departments. MR. ZETTERBERG: So move. This is a pretty low price for what I they have to do. I I I MR. KUHLKE: Second. MR. MAYOR: Everytime you get ready to have promotions are you going to do this? CHIEF FEW: I would like to. I think it is going to save you in the long run. It takes the bias out of the system. Until someone in the Human Resources Department is comfortable enough to develop the test, then I would like to get someone else to it. MR. OLIVER: I agree with the first part of this. I however think we need to build that capabality be it and I know a lot of the governments do this, where they will use fire people from other parts of the state that will serve on an assessment board to provide that independence. But I think it's something that we need to explore having that capablity here in future years. MR. ZETTERBERG: ;r would work towards a program where you standarize the training within the fire department and everybody knows what the standards are and that you spend your money on developing the training programs. Motion carried unanimously. With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission bjb