Civil Service Commission Minutes - 10/20/2008MINUTES OF THE FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS'
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
October 20, 2008
Present:
Dr. Ernest Dover
Dr. Floyd Thornton
Tammy Guerra, Civil Service Director
Kinley Hegglund, Senior Asst. City Attorney
Manuel Borrego, Police Captain
Earl Foster, Fire Chief
Linda Merrill, Recording Secretary
Jim Dockery, Director of HR /CFO
1. CALL TO ORDER
§ Commission Members
§ City Staff
Commissioner Dover called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (OCTOBER 10, 2008)
Commissioner Thornton moved, seconded by Commissioner Dover, that the
October 10, 2008, minutes be approved. The motion unanimously carried.
3. APPOINT A PHYSICIAN, PSYCHIATRIST, OR PSYCHOLOGIST, AS
APPROPRIATE, TO EXAMINE FIREFIGHTER AND TO SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE
COMMISSION, THE FIRE CHIEF AND THE FIREFIGHTER PURSUANT TO CHAPTER
143.081 (C) OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
Tammy Guerra said Fire Chief Foster has requested the appointment of a
physician, psychologist or psychiatrist to perform an evaluation to determine the mental
fitness of a firefighter, pursuant to §143.081 of the TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.'
Subsection (b) of this section requires that the individual in question provide information
§143.081. DETERMINATION OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FITNESS.
(b) If a question arises as to whether a fire fighter or police officer is sufficiently physically or mentally
fit to continue the person's duties, the fire fighter or police officer shall submit to the commission a
report from the person's personal physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist, as appropriate.
(c) If the commission, the department head, or the fire fighter or police officer questions the report,
the commission shall appoint a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist, as appropriate, to
examine the fire fighter or police officer and to submit a report to the commission, the department
head, and the person.
from his /her personal treating physician, psychologist or psychiatrist. The Commission
has been provided such documentation, as well as a release regarding his physical
health.
Ms. Guerra recommend that the Commission appoint Dr. Leon Morris to perform
this evaluation. He is one of the few forensic psychologists in the area. It is hard to get
someone relatively quickly, but Dr. Morris is available. In addition, he has done work in
the past for the City in regard to evaluating entry-level officers.
Commissioner Thornton moved that the Commission accept the recommendation
of Ms. Guerra, and appoint Dr. Leon Morris to perform the requested evaluation.
Seconded by Dr. Dover, the motion unanimously carried.
6. REPORT FROM POLICE CHIEF
Captain Manuel Borrego informed the Commission that the Department has 12
students in the Academy which started October 13. The Department is in the process of
recruiting for testing on November 22. Some existing officers have left the City, and
others have retired or left due to disciplinary reasons, unfortunately. Commissioner
Dover said the citizens need the best possible officers.
7. REPORT FROM FIRE CHIEF
Chief Earl Foster thanked the Commissioners for attending this meeting on short
notice. He happily reported that the Department had filled the Assistant Fire Marshal
position with a former Fire Department driver. He is excited about this job, and is in the
process of getting certified. Also, they are down to 59 remaining applicants for the
Academy. Legal review of these individuals is scheduled for this Wednesday.
Assessment will be held the first week of November, with the Academy to begin on
January 13. The Department looks to hire 12 people.
8. ADJOURN
Commissioner Thornton moved, seconded by Commissioner Dover, that the
meeting be adjourned. The motion was unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned
at 3:06 p.m.
L
Penny Miller, Commissioner
Dr. Ernest Dover, Commissioner
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Dr. Floyd hornton, Commis loner