The meeting was called to order at 10:05 a.m. In attendance were Commissioner George Beasley, Commissioner Richard Ubl, Commissioner Samantha Dailey, Police Chief Don Thomas, Fire Chief Bill Riddle, City Attorney Keith Foster, and Attorney Heather Fritsch. Police Officer Jeff Wig joined the meeting while it was in progress.

Chairman Beasley asked if there were any additions or corrections to the agenda. Recording Secretary Tritle asked that the determination of the dates for the regular meetings of the Commission be added to the agenda. Chairman Beasley said that this would be addressed as a part of the new business.

A motion to approve the agenda, as amended, was made by Commissioner Ubl and was seconded by Commissioner Dailey.

Ayes: 3

Nays: 0

Abstain: 0

Chairman Beasley asked is there were any additions or correction to the minutes from the open session of the November 29, 2004 meeting. Commissioner Ubl answered that he had a few questions about these minutes, though these questions did not affect the approval of the minutes. He wondered if Mr. Weese, whose name is on the Police Eligibility list, ever responded to the letter of interest that was sent to him. Recording Secretary Tritle confirmed that Mr. Weese did not respond. Chief Thomas said that Mr. Weese had told another candidate on the list (who passed the information on to the Chief) that he was hired as a Police Officer in another municipality and he was happy there. Commissioner Ubl asked how many candidates were now left on the list. Recording Secretary Tritle answered that there are two candidates remaining. Commissioner Ubl asked if these two had responded to the letter of interest that was sent to them by the Commission. Chief Thomas confirmed that both candidates had responded and are still interested. Both have already passed the polygraph and background check, so all they will need is a psychological and medical exam when the next hiring comes about. He said that they would run an updated computer check on the two candidates before turning over the background information to the Commissioners. Commissioner Dailey asked if the Police Department was currently hiring any new Officers. Chairman Beasley answered that he did not believe that they had approval to make any new hires at this time. Commissioner Ubl asked when the current list expired and when they should think about starting the process to establish a new Eligibility List. Chief Thomas answered that the current list expires in November. He knows for sure that he has approval to hire a new Police Officer on May 1^st and is working on obtaining approval to hire a second Officer in October. He said that they would be able to ascertain by the time the next candidate is hired in May whether or not the two remaining candidates are still interested. If they are not, the Commissioners will need to begin the testing process to establish a new list at that time.

A motion to approve the minutes from the open session of the November 29, 2004, meeting, as written, was made by Commissioner Ubl and seconded by Commissioner Dailey.

Ayes: 3

Nays: 0

Abstain: 0

A motion to approve the minutes from the closed session of the November 29, 2004, meeting, as written, was made by Commissioner Ubl and seconded by Commissioner Dailey.

Ayes: 3

Nays: 0

Abstain: 0

Recording Secretary Tritle explained that the Commissioners had received the preliminary FY06 budget numbers, which had since been changed. City Manager Nicklas originally had budgeted $12,000, which he decreased to $7,500. She explained that Mr. Nicklas looked at the testing that would be done by the Commissioners in FY06, as well as the expenditures made by the Commission over the past few years to arrive at this new amount. Commissioner Ubl asked when the new fiscal year started. Recording Secretary Tritle answered that it begins on May 1^st. Commissioner Ubl wondered if this amount could be readjusted if the Commissioners needed to spend more than $7,500. Recording Secretary Tritle answered that past history shows that the Commission has never spent more than this amount in any fiscal year, so they should be all right.

 

Chief Thomas reported that both of the new Officers were hired in the last week of December. Ryan Goodman started immediately at the Police Academy. Chief Thomas was happy to report that the first test Mr. Goodman took at the Academy was the Physical Fitness exam, which he passed with flying colors. He is now in his third week at the Academy and he is doing well. Dan Hoffman immediately started on the road in the Field Training Program. He is currently wearing civilian clothes. The Department received word on Friday that, under a reciprocity agreement, the State of Illinois had accepted Mr. Hoffman’s credentials from Wisconsin and all he has to do is complete a four-hour firearms class and pass a 50-question test, for which the Department is helping him to prepare. He said by the end of this week Mr. Hoffman should be a completely certified Illinois Police Officer, at which time he will be issued his uniform and will be allowed to carry a gun.

Commissioner Dailey asked Chief Thomas how long it takes to complete the Police Academy. He answered that it used to be 10 weeks, but has now been changed to 12. He further explained that, once they pass the Academy and return to the Department, they must spend another 12-14 weeks on the street in the Field Training Program. Commissioner Dailey asked if they must wear civilian clothes while they are in Field Training. Chief Thomas said that they are in uniform. He explained that Mr. Hoffman had to wear civilian clothes due to the fact that he was not allowed to carry a gun until his credentials were certified by the State of Illinois. If he were in uniform during this time, there would be an expectation on the part of the public that he could take law enforcement action if necessary. Chief Thomas said that, so far, Mr. Hoffman is fitting into the Department very well.

• Report on the procedure for applying military and education preference points in promotional testing

City Attorney Foster prepared a handout for the Commissioners, which consists of some memos that Attorney Fritsch had worked on. He explained that these memos attempt to outline all of the standards and the procedures that the Commissioners must go through to establish the lists for hiring and promotions. He pointed out that there are separate memos for the Police and Fire Department, since there are some differences between the two. He said that the memos also contain the hiring checklist, which is item "D" on the agenda. The idea is that the memos are supposed to set forth what the Commission will use to establish the initial and final lists, as well as the procedure that will be used to determine the assignment of preference points.

In regards to promotions, City Attorney Foster explained that the information that Attorney Fritsch had found was relatively straightforward. According to the law, there are military preference points available to the candidates taking the promotional exam for both Police and Fire. The rules are that there are tests given, there is a list posted based upon the results of the examination, and then candidates can apply for points for military service. The military preference points given for promotions are different from those given for an original appointment in that the maximum number of points that a candidate can receive is 7/10 of a point for each 6 months of military service, not to exceed 30 months. This limits the number of military preference points that a promotional candidate can receive to 3 1/2. Again, this applies to both Police and Fire. Candidates must apply for these points in order for them to be added to their scores.

Attorney Fritsch reported that her research indicated that, for promotions, the "Rule of Three" exists. According to this Rule, the Commissioners could pick from the top three candidates on the list; however, you cannot pass up the first person on the list more than two times. Regarding original appointments, Attorney Fritsch said it is her understanding that, according to the statutes, you must take the candidate at the top of the list. Commissioner Ubl asked if this means that, if the third person on a list is chosen, then the fourth candidate moves to position three. Then you cannot do the "Rule of Three" again. City Attorney Foster answered that you can always use the "Rule of Three" again, however, if the number one candidate on the list has been passed over twice, he or she cannot be passed over a third time. Chief Riddle clarified that this cannot be used on the Fire side, in which the list order must be followed exactly – there is no "Rule of Three" for Fire promotions. Commissioner Dailey asked for clarification that the "Rule of Three" couldn’t be used when choosing a new hire. Attorney Fritsch said that this is correct – the statute does not provide for the Rule to be used in this situation.

Commissioner Ubl asked if, for promotional testing, points are also awarded based upon service in the department. Attorney Fritsch answered that the statues only provide for military service points. She further explained that original appointments are different. On the Fire-side, points are given for Paid-on-Call service and for education. Chairman Beasley asked if educational points are given in promotional testing. Attorney Fritsch answered that the statutes do not provide for educational points for promotional testing. Commissioner Ubl said that this is State statute; the Commission has set its own Rules and Regulations, which allow for educational points. City Attorney Foster answered that he and Chief Thomas had discussed this to see whether it would be best to award points for education or to make education a prerequisite for the ability to be hired in that capacity. Commissioner Ubl said he thought it was already in Sycamore’s bylaws. Chief Thomas said that he was not aware that education points have ever been awarded in the case of promotional testing. He knows for sure this was not done for the last two promotional exams, which have occurred during his tenure as Chief. He wondered if the Commissioners could recollect if it had been done for promotional exams administered prior to this, but he did not believe that they had. Commissioner Ubl answered that he did not believe that they had either, though he has not been on the Commission during the administration of any promotional testing. Chief Thomas agreed, noting that Commissioner Dailey is new to the Commission as well; Chairman Beasley is the only Commissioner who has served long enough to know. Chairman Beasley answered that he thought they had discussed preference points for education. Chief Thomas said that he thought it had been discussed, but never acted upon. Commissioner Ubl said that he could find information on the written and oral exams and Department merit. Chief Thomas said that points are also awarded for seniority, which are added during the making of the list. Chief Thomas said he has looked at this very carefully and has found the bylaws to say that, for promotions, candidates will get military and educational points as provided by statute. When you look at the statutes, they do not address educational points. Commissioner Ubl said that it seems to him that they had given educational points during promotional testing, but he cannot find this in the bylaws. Chairman Beasley asked Officer Wig what his hire letter stated about educational points. Recording Secretary Tritle asked if Officer Wig’s letter was for his original hire as opposed to promotional testing information. Officer Wig said it was explained to him that, at the time of hire, a candidate is eligible for military or educational preference points. After hire, you can apply the same military and/or educational preference points for promotional testing, but only one time. For example, if a candidate used the points when taking the Sergeant’s exam and was subsequently hired as a Sergeant, this candidate could not use the points again when taking the Lieutenant’s promotional exam. Points cannot be stacked, and you can only use one or the other. Chief Thomas said that he believes the source of the confusion over the years has stemmed from the fact that the bylaws state that a candidate can use military and educational points according to State law, but no one researched the State laws to see exactly what they define. To clarify, Commissioner Dailey asked if, for promotions, only military points could be applied. City Attorney Foster said that this was correct, and that there was a maximum of 3 ½ points. Chairman Beasley asked for clarification on the number of times these points may be used. For example, if a candidate uses his/her military points during promotional testing and does not get promoted before the list expires, can the candidate use them again during the next promotional testing? Attorney Fritsch answered that she did believe that they could. Chief Thomas said that the language in the law states "if you use the points and you get promoted" you cannot use them again. He said he believes this implies that a candidate who uses the points cannot use them again only if his/she is promoted off of the list in which the points were applied. He added that, in practice, he has seen people use their points more than one time in cases where they are never promoted. Attorney Foster said this means if a candidate is promoted at the first level, they cannot use the points again to be promoted to the next level. Also, if a candidate scores well on a promotional exam and the addition of the military preference points will not affect his/her standing on the list, he/she is not required to use the points. Commissioner Ubl asked if the rules for the Fire Department are the same. Chief Riddle answered that, in terms of military points, they are the same. Commissioner Ubl summarized that, in promotional testing, military preference points may only be used once, and there are no points for education.

Commissioner Dailey asked what other factors are used to determine whether or not a candidate gets promoted. Chief Thomas answered that they must take a written and oral exam, the Chief can assign up to 10 points to each candidate, and up to 15 points can be awarded for seniority (5 points for every year in grade and up to 10 points for every year on the Department). He pointed out that, for the initial promotion to the rank of Sergeant, years in the Department and years in grade are the same. Chairman Beasley asked if there would soon be an opening for a new Sergeant. Chief Thomas answered that Sgt. Keith Snyder is retiring on May 1, 2005 and Rod Swartzendruber is on the list and is next in line for that promotion. After that, he does not see any promotions on the horizon for a while. Mr. Wig pointed out that he and his fellow Officers were seeking clarification on the preference points issue due to the fact that the next promotional examination for the position of Sergeant will take place in November, 2005. Chairman Beasley agreed that it was a good thing to get this issue cleared up before the test is given. He wondered if he had remembered correctly that Mr. Wig was not able to use his National Guard service when he took the entry-level exam. Mr. Wig confirmed that this was correct, and believes that it is due to the fact that his service time was for the State, as he was not activated by a Presidential order. Therefore, it does not count.

Commissioner Ubl asked if the statutes address the concept of no one being able to trump a candidate who has received military points. City Attorney Foster answered that this is not the case. Chief Thomas said that, on the Police side, "points are points". Chief Riddle said he thought that, if there were a tied score, the candidate with the military points would be chosen first, over a candidate who received education preference points. Commissioner Ubl asked if this applied to entry-level or promotional testing. Chairman Beasley said that this could not apply to promotional testing since education preference points are not given at this level. Chief Riddle said he believed that, if a tie occurs in the case of an original appointment, military points supersede whatever other preference points may be granted to the candidates. Attorney Fritsch stated that she thought that Chief Riddle was correct, but this was something that she would have to look up to verify. Chief Thomas said he thought if there were a tie, the Commissioners would get to pick the candidate they wished to appoint. Commissioner Dailey said that would mean that no one particular type of point would supersede another. Chairman Beasley asked if this is where the Rule of Three would apply. Chief Riddle answered that Rule this does not apply to initial appointments, only promotional appointments. Attorney Foster said that this also only applies to Police appointments, not Fire appointments. Chief Riddle reiterated that, in the case of a tie, military points would supersede other points on the Fire side. City Attorney Foster said that the trump issue actually comes up when preference points for Paid-on-Call service are used. The statutes state that Paid-on-Call preference points cannot trump military preference points. Otherwise, points are points. Commissioner Dailey asked if all of the information was contained in the packet of information that Attorney Fritsch had put together for the Commissioners concerning the Hiring and Promotion of Fire and Police candidates. Attorney Fritsch explained that it was. She said that the packets contains four sections – two concerning original appointments in each department and two concerning promotional appointments in each department. Chief Thomas explained that the information in the back of the packet footnotes the specific research that was done on the actual statutes and citations pertaining to Police and Fire appointments. Commissioner Dailey said that this would be very helpful. Commissioner Ubl agreed, stating that consolidating all of the regulations and amendments into one document will be much less confusing going forward, as he has several versions from prior years that are very difficult to follow because they were amended so many different times. City Attorney Foster agreed, stating that confusion over the bylaws is ultimately unfair to the candidates.

• Discussion on the use of Employment Contracts for new Police and Fire hires

Chairman Beasley explained that this concept came about due to the fact that there are candidates on the eligibility list who could possibly get hired by another municipality after the City of Sycamore spends the time, effort, and money to educate them for positions in the Fire or Police Departments. Chairman Beasley likened this to someone who receives a scholarship from the State of Illinois to become a certified teacher. A condition for accepting this scholarship is that the recipient teaches in the State of Illinois for two years after graduation. The Commission would be considering asking new hires to the Police and Fire departments for this same sort of obligation. City Attorney Foster said that the concept is certainly there to make this requirement. However, there have been several cases that have come out with conflicting results in the Circuit Court in Kane County. He explained that Attorney Fritsch researched this issue by calling other municipalities to see if they use these types of contracts for new hires. Attorney Fritsch reported that she called ten different City Attorneys in the area. Most of them responded that they did not use any type of employment contract, and did not think it was a good idea to do so. She said that the City of Montgomery did have one and that she had spoken with an attorney who had represented a Police or Fire hire (she could not remember which) who had fought the reimbursement agreement and reported that the judge in that case had ruled the agreement to be unenforceable. She said she had spoken with the City Attorneys for Sleepy Hollow and Hampshire, and both of these communities have limited reimbursement agreements that are based on the Federal Appointment Law. This law states the employees could be required to give back at least their minimum wage. For example, if the Police or Fire new hire earns $10 per hour and minimum wage is $5 per hour, the employee would only need to reimburse the municipality for $5 per hour for the total hours they worked for the department. The City Attorney for Hampshire had defended the municipality’s reimbursement agreement in small claims court and had won. Chairman Beasley wondered if one case was lost and one was won as a result of the way each contract was written. Attorney Fritsch answered that this was probably the case, but she had not examined these contracts and that would probably be the next step. Attorney Foster asked if these contracts dealt specifically with training reimbursements. Attorney Fritsch said that they were for their training and their uniform expenses, adding that Hampshire’s attorney told her that the expenses were amortized over a two-year period. Commissioner Ubl said that this could almost be regarded as a no-compete agreement, though it really isn’t because the Officer is working and is entitled to reimbursement. He said he did feel that the Officer should pay back the City for some of the expense incurred upon his or her behalf, such as the expense to send the officer for training at the Academy.

Chief Riddle added that the prerequisites for new Firefighters have been changed to require that they now be trained, which eliminates this cost to his department; the City now only incurs the cost for the physical and psychological exams. He added that reimbursement for training expenses has recently become an issue that the City Council would like to see addressed. Chief Thomas added that this question is not being put forth to the Commissioners based upon anything that he or the Fire Chief are recommending. Chairman Beasley said that he believes this is still a good thing to pursue, especially the issue of being reimbursed for the educational/training expenses that the City incurs on behalf of a new Police Officer or Firefighter. He added that he feels this Commission owes it to the citizens of Sycamore to recoup expenses from these new hires who are not going to give the City back anything in return for their training. He said that his son had to sign a no-compete clause at his job that he was held to for two years. He said he feels that this is a respectful and honest thing for people to do – the City is sincere in offering a job to a candidate and the candidate should also be sincere when they accept the job.

City Attorney Foster said that his office could get some sample agreements to look at. Chief Riddle said that he sees this happening more on the Police side than on the Fire side, since new Fire hires are now required to have their training as a condition of employment. He also said that there is a much more volatile employment arena on the Police side, as they are competing for all of the same people. Chief Thomas asked the Commissioners to note that the City already has a tuition reimbursement policy which states that, if an employee leaves the City within two years of completing courses for which the City has paid, the employee must reimburse the City for this expense, which is deducted from the employee’s last paycheck. However, this policy only has to do with education, not training. Chairman Beasley asked how education is defined in this policy. Chief Thomas said it is defined as college education and added that he thought the policy could be changed to include Police training expenses, since an employee can receive college credits for attending the 12-week training course at the Police Academy. Commissioner Ubl thought that the Commissioners might need to become more careful in the interview process, to weed out those candidates who would really like to work for another municipality and could leave the City of Sycamore if given the chance. Chief Thomas pointed out that this has not happened in the past five or six years. Commissioner Ubl said that the chance of this becoming a problem is greater, due to the fact that many municipalities in the area are expanding their Police forces. He added that he does not know if the Commissioners would receive an honest answer if a candidate were asked this question, but they have never asked in past interviews about the candidate’s level of commitment to the City if he or she were hired. He thought that, if candidates were asked this question directly, they might think twice about not answering truthfully if they were hoping to someday work for a different municipality.

City Attorney Foster asked Chief Thomas if he belonged to any Police associations, and, if so, could he make some inquiries as to how they handle this problem. Chief Thomas said that he does and he has already made some inquiries about employment contacts. He said he received the same results as Attorney Fritsch did in her inquiries of other municipalities. Attorney Foster said that his firm represents several different physician groups and he has found that they use no compete agreements which state that a physician cannot leave a medical group unless he or she pays the group some money. He said that communities are doing this as well, as they are paying a person’s tuition to medical school, with the understanding that, after graduation, the physician will practice medicine in that community. He said he is finding that, when one of these physicians wishes to leave the community to practice medicine elsewhere, the physician’s new employer will reimburse the community for the expense it incurred. He feels that this practice almost makes these contracts relatively meaningless. He added that he would hate to see this happen to the City if it were to institute this type of contract. Chief Thomas said that he has attended many Police Academy graduation ceremonies where he has observed Police Chiefs approaching the graduates to work for their communities with the promise that they would reimburse the community that sponsored the graduate for the Academy training expenses. He said that this is a typical occurrence. Chairman Beasley said that he has never had his employees sign no-compete contracts because he would rather a person leave his employment than be unhappy working for him. He reiterated that he feels there is a need to pursue the question of employment contracts and wondered if the best way to do this would be to change the City’s definition of education in its tuition reimbursement policy to include training expenses for Police and Fire employees. Chief Thomas said that a change in this policy would then make the reimbursement problem an issue for the City – not the Commission – to pursue.

Commissioner Dailey wondered if Sycamore’s salary schedule for Police Officers is lower than other municipalities, such as DeKalb, adding this could be a reason why a new hire would want to pursue employment with another municipality if given the opportunity. Chief Thomas said that, in regards to the City of DeKalb, they could afford to start a new Officer at a higher rate of pay, whereas Sycamore cannot. Chairman Beasley added that a large part of this is due to the fact that DeKalb has a larger population than Sycamore. Chief Riddle said another reason for the disparity could be found in the Collective Bargaining Agreements in each municipality. In some, it may only take a few years to reach maximum pay, whereas it may take much longer in others. Chief Thomas pointed out that, while the starting pay is low, Police Officers receive a $7,000 raise after their first year of employment with the City of Sycamore. He added that they have not had a problem attracting good candidates, due to the fact that Sycamore does offer some things that DeKalb cannot. Commissioner Ubl said that there is also a different type of policing situation in DeKalb than in Sycamore, due to the presence of the University.

Chairman Beasley asked that the Commissioners continue their consideration of this question at their next meeting.

• Review of the Checklist to be used by the Commissioners in the Hiring Process

Included in the above discussion of the application of military and education preference points.

Chief Riddle reported the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Firefighters has been filed and, as a part of the agreement, the procedures for promotional testing must be changed to meet state statutes. He said that he would give the language to City Attorney Foster, who will bring the amended Rules and Regulations to the next meeting of the Commission. Chairman Beasley asked what changes had come about as a result of the state statute. Chief Riddle said that the order of the steps in the testing process had changed. For example, the oral exam and the application of points will now be done before the written exam. Also, some of the test monitoring procedures will change. Chief Riddle said that, all in all, he is happy with the agreement. Commissioner Ubl asked if the Chief would still have some say in the process. Chief Riddle said that he still will be able to assign points to the candidates.

Chief Riddle also reported that he will be asking for approval from the City Council at their meeting on February 7^th to appoint a fourth Lieutenant and to hire a new Firefighter. Since the Commission will not be meeting again before that date, Chief Riddle asked the Commissioners to give provisional approval to Recording Secretary Tritle to begin the hiring process on February 8^th, if so approved by the Council. Chief Riddle said that Firefighter Shaun Penn will be promoted to Lieutenant and the new hire would be replacing him. Commissioner Ubl asked if the next person on the eligibility list is still available for the job. Chief Riddle said that he is available. Commissioner Dailey asked if the new hire is a new position. Chief Riddle explained that, when Cary Niewold was promoted to the position of Assistant Fire Chief, the number of Lieutenants in the department decreased from four to three. He said that this arrangement has not worked out that well, necessitating the need for a fourth Lieutenant. He also said that the department needs a roster of 22 people in order to operate without a lot of overtime; the new hire will bring his staff to 22,. However, they will technically still only have a roster of 21, as one Firefighter is still out on extended medical leave. Commissioner Ubl asked when the current list expires. Recording Secretary Tritle said it expires on September 10, 2006. Chief Riddle said that the new hire would be the second candidate taken from this list.

A motion to prepare a letter of hire dated February 8, 2005 to send to the next candidate on the Fire eligibility list, pending Council approval, was made by Commissioner Ubl and was seconded by Commissioner Dailey.

Ayes: 3

Nays: 0

Abstain: 0

A motion to promote Firefighter Shaun Penn to the position of Lieutenant, pending Council approval was made by Commissioner Ubl and was seconded by Commissioner Dailey.

Ayes: 3

Nays: 0

Abstain: 0

Recording Secretary Tritle asked if the Commissioners would need to interview Firefighter Penn prior to his promotion. City Attorney Foster said that this was a part of the procedure. Chairman Beasley said that the Commissioners would set up a time to interview Firefighter Penn.

Commissioner Ubl said that he thought the final interview process was unnecessary, especially since the Commissioners have begun to do the oral interviews themselves, as opposed to having an outside firm do them. Commissioner Dailey agreed, adding that she does not feel that the final interview accomplishes anything. Commissioner Ubl said that this might be something that the Commissioners should consider at their next meeting. Chief Thomas said that he thought the Commissioners could waive the interview, but added that they should keep this option open since something questionable could occur to a candidate during the time that passes between the oral exam and the time that he or she is actually hired that the Commissioners might wish to explore in a final interview.

• Police Chief

Since it has now been ascertained that there are no educational preference points given in the promotional testing process, Chief Thomas asked the Commissioners to consider making education a prerequisite for promotion. He recommended that, for the position of Sergeant, a candidate must have a two-year degree and for the position of Lieutenant, a candidate must have a four-year degree. He said that he does not think it matters what discipline the degree is in. He said that he would leave the prerequisites this way for a few years, but would ultimately recommend that they be changed to require a four-year degree for the Sergeant’s position. He believes that this should be implemented step by step. He said that, of the four Sergeants currently on his staff, he believes that only one has a four-year degree. If the Department were testing for the position of Lieutenant within the next one or two years, this new prerequisite might be unfair to them. However, the three Lieutenants currently on staff are all in their forties and have expressed a desire to work until the age of fifty. The Chief added that he himself has a five-year contract. Therefore, he does not foresee an opening within the Lieutenant’s position for several years and this will give the Sergeants time to obtain the educational requirements if they are serious in becoming a Lieutenant in the future.

Chief Thomas said that he understands that, by law, the Commission can make this educational prerequisite. Chief Riddle has already made it a prerequisite that a candidate is a fully trained Firefighter before he or she can be hired by the Sycamore Fie Department. He said that he is not ready to make this requirement for entry-level Police Officers, as he is still interested in recruiting younger candidates. He explained that, on the Fire side, an 18 or 19 year old is able to get Fire training; this is not possible on the Police side. He also is not interested in changing the educational requirements for new recruits, as they are able to receive educational preference points, so those candidates with education will be rewarded.

Chairman Beasley asked what would happen if this educational requirement was made and none of the Sergeants currently on staff had a four-year degree. Chief Thomas answered that the Commissioners would then need to decide whether to waive the requirement or to look for candidates outside of the Department. Chief Thomas said that the Commissioners could start out by making the educational requirement for the position of Lieutenant a two-year degree and wait a few years to change it to a four-year degree. This would give the current Sergeants time to meet the requirement if they so choose. Chief Thomas said that the Lieutenants in the Sycamore Police Department are basically at the level of Deputy Chief, which you find in many Departments east of here. He said that it is mandatory to have a four-year degree to become a Deputy Chief in these departments. He said that it is his wish to professionalize the Sycamore Police Department and that is why he is recommending that education be a prerequisite for a management position. He explained that the entry-level written exam is difficult and is designed to test a candidate’s ability to read and write. If a high school graduate can pass the written exam, he or she has proven they have the capacity to do well. The Chief believes that the educational requirement becomes important when the candidate wants to move onto a managerial position. Commissioner Ubl asked that Chief Thomas put his recommendation in writing so that the Commissioners can consider it at their next meeting. Chief Thomas said that he would draft a proposal that would include background as to what other Police Departments require and how this would affect his current staff. Commissioner Dailey asked Chief Thomas if he knew how many of his staff members currently have a two-year degree. He answered that he thought there were only three or four and there were actually more staff members that have four-year degrees than two-year degrees. He said that the last three Officers they hired all had four-year degrees. Officer Wig said that he thought the last six or seven Officers hired had at least a four-year degree. Commissioner Ubl believes that DeKalb requires a four-year degree. Officer Wig said he thinks DeKalb requires either a two-year degree or experience. Chief Thomas reiterated that he thought the Commission could legally make this educational prerequisite. City Attorney Foster agreed. Commissioner Ubl asked if the current staff members would need to be grand-fathered in, so that they would not need to meet the educational requirements for promotion due to the fact that it was not a requirement when they were hired. City Attorney Foster said that they would be grandfathered in regards to promotions. Chief Thomas asked if this meant that the staff members who were currently Sergeants would not need a four-year degree to be promoted to the position of Lieutenant. Chief Foster said that this is incorrect - what it means is that they would not need a two-year degree in order to keep the rank of Sergeant. Chairman Beasley asked if this would mean that a Police Officer who has a four-year degree could be promoted to Lieutenant over a Sergeant who does not have a degree. Chief Thomas answered that they would not recommend this; they would either waive the educational requirement or look for a candidate outside of the Department. Commissioner Ubl said the exceptions are of concern to him because he thinks there will be a lot of them, at least initially. Chief Thomas said that, if they initially made a two-year degree a requirement for the position of Lieutenant they would be covered, as two of the three current Lieutenants have one. Chief Thomas said that the City currently pays for college classes for the employees and that employees with education receive extra pay, so this would just be a third reason for our Officers to get an education. He said that, considering these three factors, if an employee does not want to further his or her education, then we probably do not want him or her for a manager. Commissioner Ubl stressed that he is in favor of Officers getting an education, but worries about changing the rules on them mid-stream. Chief Thomas said that, to avoid this problem, he is willing to implement this requirement gradually.

Chairman Beasley asked Chief Riddle if there were any educational requirements for promotion in the Fire Department. Chief Riddle answered that a Firefighter must complete certification for a Fire Officer. He added that he believes that anyone who enters the Fire service today thinking that they will not need a degree in the future in order to qualify for a management position is just kidding themselves. He said that this is the message that they are trying to convey to the high school students today – if you want to someday be a manager in the Fire Services, you will need to get an education. He said that he also emphasizes the fact that an education is important because, if a Firefighter is injured and can no longer perform the duties of the position, he or she will need to be able to find another line of work – having an education will also help in this respect.

• Schedule of Regular Meetings of the Commission in FY06

The Commissioners tentatively scheduled their regular meetings in FY06 on the first Monday of every quarter: May 2, 2005, August 1, 2005, November 7, 2005, and February 6, 2006. The meeting would begin at 11:00 a.m.

The Commissioners will elect their Officers at the May 2^nd meeting and prepare the Annual Report to present to the City Council on May 16, 2005.

Chairman Beasley reminded the Commissioners that he is up for reappointment in May.

Ayes: 3

Nays: 0

Abstain: 0

The meeting was adjourned at 11:10 a.m.

Minutes accepted by:

 

____________________________________________

George Beasley, Chairman Date

 

Attest:

 

____________________________________________

Jean Tritle, Recording Secretary Date