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[Civil Service on November 7, 2023.]
ON CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 7TH, 2 2 2 2023 AT 9:30 AM WE'RE ACTUALLY STARTING ABOUT 9:43 AM UH, THIS IS THE DALLAS CIVIL SERVICE BOARD REGULAR MEETING FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.AND, UM, BEFORE WE GET TO BOARD MEMBER INTER INTRODUCTIONS, I WANNA PUT, I'LL PUT THAT DOWN A FEW ITEMS. SO, SO IN CASE MR. PIERRE IS ABLE TO GET ON AND WE CAN INCLUDE HIM IN THE BOARD MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS, UM, ANA, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS? PUBLIC SPEAKERS? OKAY.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, APPROVAL OF MINUTES, APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 1ST, 2023 REGULAR CIVIL SERVICE BOARD MEETING.
UH, Y'ALL WERE SENT A COPY OF THOSE IN THE PACKET.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS, REVISIONS, ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE ON THOSE BOARD MINUTES? OKAY.
AND IF HEARING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BOARD MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 1ST.
I'LL, UH, 2023 REGULAR CIVIL SERVICE BOARD MEETING.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY KYLA.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
I'M, WE'RE GONNA GET THE BOARD MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS AT THIS POINT IN TIME, AND, AND MR. PIERRE COMES IN.
WE WILL ALLOW HIM TO CERTAINLY TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIMSELF AS WELL.
UM, I'M GONNA START OFF WITH PAM GERBER, IF YOU, WE, WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT YOU AND CHRIS AND AND CURTIS ARE JOINING US, AND WE'RE GLAD TO BE BACK UP TO, TO FULLY STAFFED NOW AS A BOARD.
SO, PAM, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELVES.
FIRST OF ALL, LIKE I SAID IN MY NOTE TO YOU, YOU ARE A CLASS ACT.
I, I AM, I'M FEELING VERY WELCOME ON THIS BOARD, UH, YOU REACHING OUT AND SAYING LOVE TO GET TOGETHER.
UH, I SERVED ON FOUR OTHER COMMISSIONS, AND THAT'S THE FIRST TIME ANYONE'S EVER DONE THAT, SO THANK YOU.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE LIVED IN DALLAS FOR 23 YEARS, LIVED ALL OVER.
BUT THIS IS MY FAVORITE PLACE TO BE, UH, TO LIVE.
UH, I'VE BECOME A LOCAL POLITICS JUNKIE, LOVE THE LOCAL POLITICS AROUND HERE.
I, UH, WORKED WITH COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION FOR 14 YEARS UNTIL I RETIRED ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO.
I RAN A PROGRAM CALLED ENTREPRENEURS FOR NORTH TEXAS, WHICH IS ENGAGING SMALL AND MID-SIZED COMPANIES IN GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP.
UH, I'M ABOUT TO CELEBRATE MY 33RD ANNIVERSARY WITH MY WIFE.
WHAT ELSE CAN I TELL YOU?
THAT'S ON A NEED TO KNOW BASIS.
WELL, PAM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
CHRIS, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU, SIR NOW, AND YOU GET A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND ABOUT YOURSELF, AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD AS WELL.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, I I WANT TO ECHO PAM, THAT, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATED YOU REACHING OUT, TERRY.
UM, CURRENTLY I, UH, AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE DALLAS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
UH, PREVIOUSLY I WAS A TEACHER FOR DALLAS ISD IN ANOTHER LIFE.
I, I LIVED IN, UH, MANHATTAN FOR SIX YEARS AND WORKED IN FINANCE.
UM, SO I'VE KIND OF DONE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND, UM, OH, I WAS, UH, COME FROM A LABOR BACKGROUND.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, REALLY EXCITED TO BE ON THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, UM, AND, AND DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES.
AND YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT US, SO I'M GONNA ASK KYLA AND ANGELA IF THEY'LL GIVE US A LITTLE BRIEF.
WE ALL KIND OF KNOW EACH OTHER, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW US.
SO GIVE A LITTLE BRIEF, UH, OVERVIEW OF WHAT THEY DO AND, UH, AND, UH, AND TELL, TELL THEM, TELL YOUR, TELL YOU ALL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEMSELVES.
UM, SO I, UH, WAS, GREW UP IN A FARM OUTSIDE OF AMARILLO.
I'VE BEEN IN DALLAS FOR 22 YEARS.
I'M AN PLAINTIFF'S EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION ATTORNEY.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN ON THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD SINCE AUGUST OF 2020.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE DAYS BEFORE ANGELA AND I JOINED THE BOARD, THEY USED TO SERVICE BREAKFAST, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY OF THAT
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE Y'ALL HERE.
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WE'LL HAVE TO DO, IS THAT WRAPPING GRUBHUB TO EVERYBODY BEFORE A MEETING STARTS?THESE ARE MY, WHO'S MY GRANDMOTHER? OKAY.
CAN I JUST SHOW YOU WHAT I BOUGHT THIS WEEKEND? HOLD ON.
THERE ARE SEVEN QUILTS RIGHT THERE THAT WE JUST BOUGHT FOR OUR STAFF FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
AND I NEED TO HAVE ONE CUSTOM MADE TOO FOR SOMETHING.
AND I'LL, I'LL TALK TO YOU AT SOME OTHER TIME.
I WAS ADJUNCT MEMBER, I THINK, UH, FIRST FOR A YEAR AND A HALF THE BOARD, I THINK 2019 MAYBE.
UM, I'M A FULL-TIME, VOLUNTEER, KIND, RETIRED.
UM, I ACTUALLY KNOW A BOARD MEMBER, LEO.
UM, I VOLUNTEER AT THE HEADQUARTERS THERE AND KNOW HIM THROUGH OUR CIRCLES.
AND PAM, YOUR VOICE IS VERY FAMILIAR, AND SO I'M WONDERING IF I KNOW YOU AS WELL.
GLAD TO HAVE A FULL BOARD HERE.
I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN CORPORATE AND NONPROFIT, UM, BACKGROUND AND MY OWN BUSINESS, UM, AND LOVE WORKING ON THIS BOARD.
AND OCCASIONALLY ANGELA AND I SEE EACH OTHER AT, UH, EVENTS,
SO THAT'S, ANYWAY, WELL, EVERYBODY, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
AND, AND IF MR. PIERRE IS ABLE TO GET WORK OUT HIS, UH, TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES, THEN, THEN WE WILL, WE'LL, AT, AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, LET HIM, UH, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIMSELF.
UM, OUR HEARING ITEM TODAY IS TO HEAR THE REHIRE ELIGIBILITY APPEAL OF MS. TONY EDWARDS, A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE, UH, SANITATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND MS. EDWARDS, THANK YOU FOR PERSEVERING WITH US HERE.
UH, LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WHAT'LL HAPPEN TODAY.
UM, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY INFORMAL, UH, PROCESS HERE.
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO THE BOARD ABOUT WHY YOU BELIEVE YOU SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR REHIRE.
AND WE HAVE SOME REQUIREMENTS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES.
UM, UH, AND WHEN WE HEAR THESE, UH, THESE, THESE APPEALS, UH, THE FIRST IS A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS HAS TO HAVE PASSED SINCE THE EMPLOYEE'S TERMINATION OR RESIGNATION.
SECOND IS A FORMER EMPLOYEE HAS ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS OR HER ACTIONS THAT LED TO THE FORMER EMPLOYEE'S RESIGNATION OR DISCHARGE.
AND THE RULE VIOLATIONS THAT ARE PRESENTED, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GIVEN TO THE BOARD MEMBERS IN THEIR PACKETS.
UM, THAT LED TO THE, UH, EXCUSE ME, THOSE, THOSE VIOLATIONS OF WHATEVER.
WE DO NOT REVISIT THAT THIS IS NOT AN APPEAL OF THE TERMINATION.
WE ACCEPT ALL THOSE, THOSE FACT MATTERS AS TRUE.
SO WE DON'T GO BACK AND LISTEN TO DISCIPLINE THAT WAS IMPOSED PRIOR TO, TO THIS APPEAL HEARING TODAY.
AND, UM, WE WANT TO, UH, SHOW YOU, YOU NEED TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE AT LEAST, UH, TWO OR MORE EMPLOYERS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS PRIOR TO SEEKING PERMISSION, WHICH OF COURSE YOU HAVE THROUGH DISD.
UH, WE WILL REVIEW AND CONSIDER YOUR ENTIRE WORK HISTORY FROM THE DATE OF DISCHARGE TO THE PRESENT.
AND, UH, YOU HAVE TO SHOW US THAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY OR DESIRE TO BE A PRODUCTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL CITY EMPLOYEE.
AND THERE ARE NO, UH, THERE ARE NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT INDICATIONS THAT REHIRING THE FORMER EMPLOYEE WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE.
SO THOSE ARE THE ISSUES THAT WE GO THROUGH.
AGAIN, WHAT WHAT'LL HAPPEN, UH, THIS MORNING IS WE WILL GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO SPEAK AND SAY WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE TO, TO THE BOARD.
UH, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS OF YOU.
UH, AND, AND, UH, YOU'LL RESPOND TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
AFTER, AFTER THAT, THE BOARD WILL DELIBERATE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION WHETHER TO, UH, APPROVE THE, UH, THE, UH, THE APPEAL.
UH, AND, AND, UM, AND, AND THEN IF, IF THE, THE APPEAL IS APPROVED, THE REHIRING APPEAL IS APPROVED, THEN YOU'LL GET INFORMATION FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD SECRETARY ABOUT THAT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, MS. EDWARDS, THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE WE COMMENCE THIS MORNING? NO.
WELL, THIS IS YOUR TIME TO SPEAK TO THE BOARDS.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
UH, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, UM, ADDRESSING A CIVIL BOARD.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD BE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
UM, I WAS A CITY OF DALLAS EMPLOYEE FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS.
UH, I ENJOYED WORKING THERE, MY TIME THERE.
NOW I'M A TEACHER AT DALLAS, ISD, AND THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR.
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UM, I REALLY MISS MY JOB.IT TAKES A LOT OF DEDICATION, PATIENCE, AND, YOU KNOW, WHICH I'M SURE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT I AM A OFFICE PERSON.
I MISS THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE AND MOVE UP.
MY HISTORY, UH, WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS BEGAN AS I STARTED OFF AS A OFFICE ASSISTANT IN EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING SERVICES ON CANTON.
I PROMOTED TO, UM, I PROMOTED TO A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT IN PARK AND REC AT THE, UH, RESERVATIONS OFFICE.
THEN THE NEXT YEAR, I PROMOTED TO SANITATION, UH, WHICH IS WHERE I WORKED WITH FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AS A, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST WANT.
MS. O, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO US AS WELL.
GO, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU WISH, WHY YOU THINK YOU SHOULD, UH, BE PERMITTED TO REAPPLY FOR WORK WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS? WELL, UM, AS I STATED IN MY PAPER, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY PREVIOUS OR ANY PRIOR ISSUES WITH EMPLOYMENT THERE.
I REALLY JUST HAD A BAD DAY, ONE DAY, AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, I MADE THE WRONG DECISION IN MY CHOICE OF WORDS.
UH, MY HUSBAND CURRENTLY WORKS THERE.
UM, I'M JUST A, A DILIGENT PERSON, AND I WAS REALLY ENJOYING MY TENURE THERE.
I JUST, LIKE I SAID, HAD A BAD DAY ONE DAY AND, YOU KNOW, MADE THE WRONG DECISION.
BUT I HAVE A GOOD RECORD AS FAR AS WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS, WORKING WITH THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS, HELPING THEM, UM, BEING IN THE OFFICE, ORGANIZING.
AND I JUST FEEL THAT THAT'S WHERE I BELONG IN, IN THE OFFICE.
I MEAN, I LOVE IN, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH CHILDREN WHERE, WHAT I DO NOW, BUT THERE WAS A SECONDARY CHOICE BASED ON WHAT I WAS DOING IN THE CITY.
SO, UM, MOVING UP, I ASPIRED TO BE IN HR.
I WAS, I HAD SOME HR DUTIES WORKING WITHIN THE CITY, SO I WAS WORKING ON THAT, WHICH REFLECTS MY BACKGROUND IN HR.
BUT, UM, I'M CUSTOMER DRIVEN AND THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT I WAS HELPING, WHICH I'M HELPING THEIR CHILDREN NOW, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY.
BUT, UM, I JUST REALLY MISS MY JOB.
I LOVE WORKING IN THE OFFICE SETTING, AND I JUST MISS WHAT I WAS DOING, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS.
NOT EVEN JUST IN SANITATION, BUT IN EVERY ASPECT.
I WAS GROWING AS A PERSON AND, YOU KNOW, JUST HELPING THE CITY THAT I GREW UP IN.
ANY, ANYTHING FURTHER? THAT CONCLUDES YOUR, OKAY.
I WANNA TURN THIS OVER TO YOU FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I WON'T WAIT.
I'LL, I'LL BE HAPPY TO WAIT TILL THE END IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
HERE, I, I HAD A QUESTION JUST IN REGARDS TO THE WORKPLACE OF VIOLENCE THAT'S MENTIONED AS ON REASON FOR TERMINATION IN, IN, UH, JANUARY OF 2021.
I DIDN'T KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO ASK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
WHAT IS THAT IN REGARDS TO? THAT'S ALL THE INFORMATION I SEE, REALLY THAT STATES THAT VERBIAGE.
OH, UM, A COWORKER STOLE SOMETHING AND GAVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE THAT I WAS IN CHARGE OF.
I WAS ON VACATION WHEN I CAME BACK.
UM, I ADDRESSED THE PERSON AND WE STARTED ARGUING, AND BOTH OF US WERE CUSSING EACH OTHER OUT.
PAM, UH, MS. EDWARDS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FILING YOUR, UH, CONCERN AND FOR SHARING WITH US TODAY.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION THAT JUST CAME UP.
YOU USED THE WORD THAT THE COLLEAGUES STOLE SOMETHING, AND WHEN I READ THE MATERIAL, IT SOUNDED MORE LIKE THEY, UM, MISUSED THEIR, UH, ACCESS TO YOU AND YOUR STUFF.
UH, AND THAT THEY TOOK IT AND GAVE IT OUT PRIOR TO YOUR KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY STOLE IT.
OR IF THEY WERE JUST INAPPROPRIATE.
UM, I WAS, UM, IN CHARGE OF ORDERING, UM, MATERIALS AND INCLUDING, UM, UNIFORMS, JACKETS, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERYBODY THERE.
AND WHILE I WAS ON VACATION, A SUPERVISOR, UM, TOOK A JACKET THAT BELONGED TO SOMEONE ELSE IN
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THE DEPARTMENT, AND HE GAVE IT OUT TO A WORKER WHO WAS NOT IN, UM, THE DIVISION THAT WE WERE WORKING IN.SO I DID JUST SAY STEALING, BUT HE TOOK IT AND GAVE IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WE DID NOT ORDER THAT FROM.
AND THAT FELL UNDER MY, UM, I'M GONNA SAY SUPERVISION, BECAUSE I WAS THE PERSON TO ORDER.
SO I DID CONSIDER THAT TO BE STEALING IN A WAY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW HE ADDRESSED IT, BECAUSE AGAIN, WHEN I CAME BACK FROM VACATION THE FIRST DAY, UM, WE JUST HAD THAT SPAT AND THAT WAS IT.
I NEVER RETURNED BACK TO WORK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, JOINING US TODAY.
UM, WHAT AGE GROUP ARE YOU TEACHING? I'M A SECOND GRADE TEACHER.
UM, AND DO YOU THINK YOUR TENURE AT DISD HAS GIVEN YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE ON HOW TO HANDLE WORKPLACE DISPUTES AND ISSUES WITH STUDENTS AND COWORKERS IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN YOU HANDLED IT THAT DAY? YES.
I'VE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT MORE PATIENCE WORKING WITH, UM, CHILDREN WHERE YOU HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE LESSONS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, ADJUST TO BEING, UM, A PERSON BEING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UH, DISTRIBUTED DIFFERENTLY EVERY DAY WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE CHILDREN, THE STAFF, EVERYBODY.
SO, UM, I'M LEARNING MORE HOW TO BE PATIENT ABOUT RESPONSES AND HAVE BEEN, I GUESS, REHABILITATED IN A WAY TO WHERE I'M NOT SO QUICK TO ANGER OR, YOU KNOW, I'M LEARNING HOW, OR I HAVE LEARNED HOW TO SPEAK APPROPRIATELY SINCE I AM WORKING WITH CHILDREN.
SO, UM, YEAH, I WOULD SAY I'M REHABILITATED IN THAT AREA, YOU KNOW, UH, TO WHERE I CAN RESPOND IN A MORE APPROPRIATE WAY IN A WORK SETTING.
AND YOUR LETTER SAID THAT YOU HAD MADE AMENDS WITH MR. WATSON.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? SO, WE WERE FRIENDS, UM, IN THE WORKPLACE, OF COURSE, UH, WE BOTH DID.
I DID REACH OUT TO HIM AND WE DID, UM, SQUASH THE SITUATION.
UM, AND BOTH OF US APOLOGIZED TO ONE ANOTHER.
UM, WE'VE TALKED, I WANNA SAY MAYBE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
SO WE'VE TALKED A COUPLE TIMES SINCE THEN, AND WE BOTH AGREED TO, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WERE, WE, WE HATED THE DECISION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
AND I, I'M, I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS WHEN I SEE WORKPLACE VIOLENCE.
AND, AND SO I, I HAD THE QUESTIONS ABOUT MR. WATSON AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND IN YOUR LETTER YOU REFERENCE THAT THERE WAS A, UH, UM, UH, I SUBMITTED A GRIEVANCE TO HR AS I LEARNED THAT THE MANAGER ASKED SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES TO WRITE SLANDEROUS LETTERS AGAINST ME, WHICH FALSIFIED THE SITUATION THAT DAY, STATING THAT I HAD A GUN.
I, I, I'LL TELL YOU WHERE MY TROUBLE IS, IS THAT WHEN I SEE WORK FACE WORKPLACE VIOLENCE, AND I, I, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE AN IDEA WHETHER, I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER THERE WAS A GUN OR NOT.
THERE, SOMEONE OBVIOUSLY STATED THAT.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS TRUTHFUL OR NOT.
UM,
UM, AND I AM HESITANT KNOWING THAT THERE IS AN ALLEGATION OF A GUN, WHETHER THAT'S TRUE OR NOT, TO NOT HAVE SOMETHING THAT ADDRESSES THAT.
AND EITHER, EITHER THERE'S A WITNESS OR SOMEBODY SAYS, NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
OR IF MR. WATSON WERE, WERE TESTIFYING, NO, THERE WAS NEVER A GUN OR WHATEVER.
AND, AND MY CONCERN IS THAT IN, IN THIS DAY AND AGE, THAT WITH A WORKPLACE VIOLENCE ALLEGATION AND AN ALLEGATION, THERE WAS A GUN.
IF, IF WE AS A BOARD SAY, PLEASE COME BACK AND, AND APPLY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO GO FORWARD, REAPPLY WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS.
IF WE GET THAT WRONG, THEN, THEN, THEN, THEN THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
AND, AND I JUST THINK ABOUT THE, WE KNOW THERE'S AN ALLEGATION OF A GUN AND THAT, AND, AND THE, THE, THE PERSONNEL ACTION WAS WORKPLACE VIOLENCE.
AND, AND, AND THAT JUST TROUBLES
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ME.THAT, THAT I FEEL LIKE, JUST FOR ME, I, I FEEL AS THOUGH I NEED SOMETHING THAT ADDRESSES AN ALLEGATION OF A GUN IN THE WORKPLACE.
AND I, I, I FEEL LIKE TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE, I'M NOT SAYING I, I, I, I, WELL, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS, I, I'M NOT READY TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY UNLESS THIS, I, I'D BE WELCOME TO POSTPONE THIS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS WE MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE MORE CONFIRMATION ABOUT THAT.
I, I FEEL LIKE OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO THE CITY OF DALLAS IS THAT WE ADDRESS THAT ISSUE AND WE ADDRESS THAT ISSUE HEAD ON.
UH, SO THAT IF, AGAIN, IF WE GET THIS WRONG AND THERE'S ANOTHER ISSUE AND THERE'S A WEAPON INVOLVED, THEY'RE GONNA TURN AROUND AND SAY, YOU GUYS KNEW ABOUT A, WE A POSSIBLE GUN IN THE WORKPLACE.
AND YOU, YOU SEEM TO GO AHEAD AND NOT TO TAKE THAT TO CONSIDERATION.
SO FOR ME, I, I AM SOMEONE INCLINED TO SAY, I'D LIKE TO POSSIBLY HAVE YOU COME BACK AND EITHER MR. WATSON, IF YOU CAN GET MR. WATSON TO TESTIFY VIA ZOOM OR SOMETHING, IF YOU GUYS HAVE RECONCILED THAT, MAYBE HE WOULD BE WILLING TO, UH, UH, SPEAK TO US ABOUT THAT ISSUE, OR, OR, OR SOMEONE, BECAUSE I JUST, I, I JUST TAKE WEAPONS IN THE, IN THE, IN THE WORKPLACE PRETTY SERIOUSLY.
UM, UH, AND, AND SO I, I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THAT, THAT IT WAS A BAD DAY.
UM, BUT I, FOR ME AT LEAST, I WANT TO HAVE SOME ASSURANCE THAT, THAT I WANNA UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE GUN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I AM ON THIS.
I DIDN'T HAVE A GUN THAT NEVER CAME OUTTA MY MOUTH.
SOME, LIKE I SAID, SOMEBODY MADE THAT UP.
UM, THAT WAS, WELL, I GUESS I'M IN 2019.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND MS. EDWARDS, I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAD A GUN.
BUT THE LETTER YOU WROTE SAID THE ALLEGATION WAS THAT THERE WAS A GUN.
AND, AND PERSONALLY FOR ME, I, I KIND OF WANT TO HAVE SOME DUE DILIGENCE TO DETERMINE WHAT, WHAT IF THERE'S SOMEONE LIKE MR. WATSON, IF YOU, YOU ALL HAVE RECONCILED.
IF, IF MS. WA SAYS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NEVER A GUN.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
I NEVER SAW A GUN, I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I WOULD CERTAINLY FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH MY DECISION THAN IF, IF, BECAUSE, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW.
SOMEONE MAY HAVE BEEN, UH, WRITING A STATEMENT THAT WASN'T TRUE.
I JUST FEEL LIKE I WANT SOME CONFIRMATION BECAUSE A GUN IS A, A GUN IN THE WORKPLACE IS A, IS A, IS A, IS A BIG DEAL FOR US TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD ANGELA HAND UP? I, I ALSO, UM, JUST THE ONE THING THAT, ON THE SAME NOTE THAT STANDS OUT TO ME AND I'M JUST WANTED, I DON'T KNOW THAT, UM, IT'S BEEN DISPUTED, THE THINGS, UM, THAT HE, THE THREAT THAT HE COME UP MISSING, THREATENING.
IT JUST, IT JUST SEEMS, JUST HAVE SOME CONCERNS.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A FAIR, UM, OPPORTUNITY, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT, ARE YOU DISPU? I'M JUST NOT SURE UNDER, WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE, I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
YOUR COMPUTER WAS BREAKING UP.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF WE EVEN ADDRESSED THAT IN ADDITION TO THE, THE SUGGESTION THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GUN PRESENT.
IT'S JUST, JUST HAD, IT JUST GIVES ME PAUSE AS WELL.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE ON THE BOARD HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. EDWARDS? OKAY.
IS TIME I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UM, AND MS. EDWARDS, IS THERE ANYTHING FURTHER YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY? UM, WELL, I DIDN'T HAVE A GUN.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL LOOKED AT THE PAPERS, THE DOCUMENTATION OR THE CAMERAS THAT WERE THERE, UM, IN THE BACHMAN TRANSFER STATION ON THAT DAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS DID YOUR PART AND PULLED ANYTHING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS SEEN THE, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SENT TO THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION ON THE BEHALF OF THE CITY, ON BEHALF OF MINE, AND LOOKED AT, UM, THEIR AGREEMENT AS TO WHY I WAS TERMINATED OR THE QUOTE UNQUOTE WORKPLACE VIOLENCE.
THERE WAS NOT ANY PHYSICAL VIOLENCE THAT TOOK PLACE.
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UM, SO I REALLY FEEL LIKE EVEN RIGHT NOW, I UNDERSTAND YOUR PAUSE ABOUT A QUOTE UNQUOTE GUN.UM, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, PEOPLE DID WRITE THINGS AFTER I HAD LEFT, AND THE MANAGER DID FIND OUT THAT I WAS TRYING TO FILE A GRIEVANCE AGAINST HIM BECAUSE HE ONLY FILED SOMETHING ON ME, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS CURSING ON BOTH ENDS.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS JUST THE CHOSEN PERSON TO GET TERMINATED, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO ALREADY.
SO, UM, I KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU GUYS ARE, BUT I WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS TO, IF YOU COULD LOOK INTO BOTH, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE SITUATION AND NOT JUST WHAT I WROTE, LOOK INTO EVERYTHING THAT WAS STATED.
LOOK INTO THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION SIDE AS WELL, AND SEE THAT HOW I WAS TERMINATED SINCE WE'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING INTO THAT.
THE, THE, UH, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TOWARDS MY JOB.
UM, LIKE I SAID, SOMEBODY JUST MADE THAT UP BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT SOMEBODY JUST MADE THAT UP.
AND LIKE I SAID, UM, THEY WERE TRYING TO GET ME OUT OF THERE ANYWAY.
UM, I HAD BEEN TRYING TO FILE DIFFERENT GRIEVANCES AND TRYING TO PROMOTE OUT OF THE AREA BECAUSE CERTAIN THINGS WERE GOING ON.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I NEEDED TO DISCLOSE THAT SINCE THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT DAY.
UM, BUT YEAH, I WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS TO LOOK INTO EVERYTHING SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE A CLEAR DECISION.
WE ARE YOU ON MUTE, PAM? AND IS IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO THAT MS. EDWARDS REFERRED TO? SO, SO IF I MAY RESPOND, MR. CHAIR TO, UM, BOARD MEMBER GERBER'S, UM, QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS PROCESS, UM, DOES NOT ORDINARILY DO IS REVISIT OR RE-LITIGATE THE WORKPLACE INVESTIGATION THAT, UH, OCCURRED, THAT RESULTED IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE TERMINATION ACTION.
WHAT WE DO IS, AFTER, YOU KNOW, THE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE CITY'S EMPLOYMENT IN TWO YEARS, WE ALLOW THEM TO SUBMIT TO US AND WE GATHER INFORMATION FROM THE FILE.
AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY TO EVALUATE AGAINST THOSE FACTORS THAT, THAT THE CHAIR MENTIONED EARLY ON.
I JUST HAVE AN INFORMATION QUESTION, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, MS. EDWARDS, DID YOU APPEAL YOUR TERMINATION DECISION? I DID NOT.
UM, HONESTLY, I FELT DEFEATED, AND THAT'S WHAT MY HUSBAND WAS SAYING.
YOU KNOW, I SHOULD HAVE, UM, EXCUSE ME, I SHOULD HAVE APPEALED.
HE WAS SAYING THAT OF APPEAL BEFORE.
EXCUSE ME GUYS, LET ME STOP MY VIDEO FOR A SECOND.
I SPEAK WHILE WE'RE WAITING ON MS. EDWARDS TO GATHER, GATHER HER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE TERMINATION LETTER DOES NOT MENTION THE GUN.
THE TERMINATION LETTER SIMPLY MENTIONS, UM, THE CONFRONTATION, THE VULGAR LANGUAGE, AND THEN THE ONLY THREAT OF PHYSICAL HARM IS YOU NOT, THE ONLY THE THREAT OF PHYSICAL HARM THAT'S MENTIONED IN THE LETTER IS YOU FURTHER THREATENED MR. WATSON WITH PHYSICAL HARM SAYING THAT IT WAS GONNA COME UP MISSING MULTIPLE WITNESSES, HEARD YOUR OUTBURST.
AND SO, I MEAN, I, IN MY MIND, THAT IS THE ALLEGATION THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE AS TRUE, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ALLEGATION THAT THE SUPERVISOR WHO INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT CHOSE AS THE BASIS FOR THE TERMINATION.
AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU GUYS TO PULL THE VIDEO IF THEY COULD.
I ASKED THEM BEFORE, UH, WITH THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, IF THEY COULD PULL THE VIDEO, BECAUSE HE AND I WERE OUTSIDE, NOBODY WAS OUTSIDE WITH US.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THAT THEY WERE LYING BECAUSE HE FOLLOWED ME TO MY CAR, WHICH WAS ON VIDEO.
AND THE MANAGER AGREED, WATSON FOLLOWED ME TO MY CAR.
I DID TELL HIM TO LEAVE ME ALONE.
I WENT AND TRIED TO FILE A GRIEVANCE AGAINST HIM WITH THE MANAGER.
UH, THE VIDEO, WE HAD CAMERAS, THE VIDEO SHOWED ME GOING INSIDE TO THE MANAGER'S OFFICE, WATCHING FOLLOWED ME.
THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN STATING.
AND THAT IS WHY I ASKED FOR THE CAMERAS TO BE SHOWN.
[00:30:01]
REASON TO LIE ON ANYBODY.LET, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION RETAINS AUDIOS OF THEIR HEARINGS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR, I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOUR, WHEN YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION HEARING WOULD'VE BEEN.
UH, OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETIME AFTER, AFTER TERMINATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY, THEY STILL KEEP THOSE RECORDS.
UM, I KNOW THAT I HAVE REQUESTED IN THE PAST, UH, JUST IN MY, IN MY JOB COPIES OF, UH, I'D GET THE, I GET THE DISC A FROM THE TWC AND THEY RECORD THE HEARINGS AGAIN, HOW LONG THE RETENTION SCHEDULE IS FOR THOSE.
I KNOW THAT, I KNOW THAT WE, THE CITY CAN'T GET, I, WE CAN'T GET THOSE.
THE, THE BOARD CAN'T GET THOSE.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I RESPECT KYLE'S OPINION ON THIS.
IT'S JUST THAT IF THERE'S ANY ALLEGATION OF A GUN, I, I, I FEEL COMPELLED THAT WE NEED TO PURSUE THAT FURTHER JUST TO, TO NEGATE IT OR TO, TO, TO DO WHATEVER.
BUT I, FOR ME, I, I DON'T WANT THAT, THAT ALLEGATION TO GO UNADDRESSED, UH, OR, OR THAT, THAT STATEMENT TO GO UNADDRESSED, BECAUSE THAT'S, TO ME, THAT'S A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE.
SO, UM, I SEE ANGELA WITH A HAND UP.
I JUST WANTED TO, TO RESTATE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS OUR CHARGE IS THAT WE TAKE THE ALLEGATIONS AS TRUE.
SO THAT THE, THE, THE FINDINGS OF THE, THE PRIOR, THE PRIOR DISCIPLINARY DOCUMENTATION? CORRECT.
SO THAT'S WHY I HAD INITIALLY ASKED ABOUT THE VIOLENCE TO SAY, BECAUSE IT'S, I ALSO DIDN'T SEE ANY DIRECT VIOLENCE.
UM, BUT I DID HEAR THE THREATS, WHICH IS CONCERNING, AND THAT'S WHY I HAD ASKED INITIALLY ABOUT IT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO REMI JUST TO REASSERT THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO PRESUME THAT THAT WHAT STATED HAPPENED.
UM, I AGAIN, WOULD FOLLOW THE TRAIN OF THOUGHT OF THE CHAIR.
THAT, THAT IF YOU WERE WANTING TO, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD THE INFORMATION FROM THE TEXAS WORKPLACE.
DID YOU INQUIRE ABOUT THAT INFORMATION? I'M JUST CURIOUS.
DID I INQUIRE, SORRY, ABOUT GETTING THAT INFORMATION FROM THEM GETTING THE TAPE, UM, TO BRING YES.
AND THEY DID NOT GIVE IT TO THEM.
THE CITY DID NOT GIVE THEM OVER THE TAPE.
THEM BEING THE, THE WORK OKAY.
HAVE YOU INQUIRED MS. EDWARDS ABOUT GETTING A COPY OF YOUR TERMIN, UH, YOUR, UH, UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION HEARING BEFORE THE WORKFORCE COMMISSION? THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.
THE WORKFORCE COMMISSION RECORDS THE HEARINGS THEY HAVE, AND THEY WOULD HAVE THE TESTIMONY AND HAVE, IT'D HAVE PROBABLY A MORE DETAILED, FACTUAL BACKGROUND ABOUT WHAT OCCURRED.
UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THE HEARING EXAMINER WILL ASK QUESTIONS OF, OF YOU AND OF THE CITY, AND, AND THERE THERE'LL BE WITNESSES ON THE CITY SIDE.
AND YOU, YOU OBVIOUSLY WERE PRESENT ON, ON YOUR SIDE.
SO I, I, I PRESUME YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T REQUESTED THAT.
AND I, I, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO POSTPONE ME PERSONALLY, POSTPONE CONSIDERATION OF THIS UNTIL YOU CAN ENDEAVOR TO TRY TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UH, AND, AND IF MI, IF MR. WATSON WOULD BE WILLING TO TESTIFY.
I, I, I, AGAIN, I I HAVE NO IDEA.
UH, YOU SAID THAT YOU GUYS HAVE KIND OF HAVE, HAVE, HAVE WORKED THINGS OUT.
UM, UM, AND, AND, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE MAKING A DECISION AFTER FOR ME, UH, IF, IF WE, WE'VE AT LEAST GIVEN THOSE, MADE THOSE EFFORTS.
SO IT IS CERTAINLY NOT SAYING DENY YOUR, YOUR REQUEST HERE.
I, I, I WOULD JUST BE SAYING IT FOR ME PERSONALLY.
I'D LIKE TO GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION SO THAT I FEEL LIKE WE'VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE WITH SOME OF THESE ALLEGATIONS RELATED TO WORKPLACE VIOLENCE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. EDWARDS? MS. EDWARDS? I WOULD JUST SAY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ORDER THE TWC FILE, ORDER, EVERYTHING, 'CAUSE THE HEARING TRANSCRIPT WILL BE GREAT, BUT NOT ALL HEARING EXAMINERS ARE AS GOOD AS EACH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT ALL THE SAME LEVEL OF GOOD.
UM, AND SO IF YOU GET THE, THE FILE, YOU'LL ALSO GET ANY PAPERWORK THAT YOU AND THE CITY FILED.
AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE HELPFUL TOO.
IS WITH THAT IN MIND, IS THERE, OH, YES, SIR.
MR. PIER, BEFORE, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, I SAW MR. PIERRE, MS. PIER, WERE YOU ABOUT TO JUMP IN
[00:35:01]
WITH? YES.NO, I JUST WANTED, I, I'M SURE I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU SAW HIM ON YOUR SCREEN, MR. CHAIR.
THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
BEFORE WE MOVED ON, THAT HE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN.
MR. PIERRE, WERE YOU ABLE TO HEAR THIS? I, WERE YOU ONLINE? I, I, I, MY OH, YOU HEARD THE WHOLE THING? OKAY.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE.
MR. PIERRE, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO PROBLEM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NOT AT THIS TIME.
AND MS. EDWARDS, YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
IS THERE A, IS THERE A MOTION BY, BY A MEMBER OF THE, OF THE, OF THE BOARD? YES.
I WOULD MOVE TO POSTPONE THE HEARING UNTIL MS. EDWARDS CAN, UM, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE AS REQUESTED BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? SECOND.
WHO, WHO IS THAT? WHO I, MR. PIERRE.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? OKAY.
ANY OPPOSED? I, I HAVE LOST, LET ME SEE HERE.
I, I THINK BEFORE YOU CARRY THE FULL MOTION, MR. CHAIR, I THINK BOARD MEMBER GERBER IS, YEAH.
IF, IF THIS MOTION DOES PASS, THEN WHAT'S GONNA BE REQUIRED BEFORE THE NEXT CONVENING OF THIS, OF THIS BOARD? WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD ON BEHALF OF MS. EDWARDS EDWARDS? WELL, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR, FOR MS. EDWARDS IS THAT SHE ATTEMPT TO GET A COPY OF HER, HER, UH, TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION APPELLATE PAPERWORK, AND THE, UH, THE, UH, UH, THE DISC OR, OR THE AUDIO OF, OF HER UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION HEARING.
I, I WOULD REQUEST THAT SHE SEE IF MR. WATSON WOULD BE WILLING TO TESTIFY VIA ZOOM.
UM, AND, AND SINCE, SINCE DEALING, AT LEAST MY EXPERIENCE FOR DEALING WITH THE TWC IS, IT'S NOT ALWAYS A QUICK PROCESS IS THAT, UH, MS. EDWARDS, ONCE SHE GETS THE APPROPRIATE INFORMATION, WOULD WOULD JUST CONTACT, UH, JARED, AND, AND WE'D SET IT UP FOR A HEARING ON OUR NEXT, OUR, WHATEVER OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING WOULD BE.
WHICH, SO I HATE TO PUT A DEADLINE ON DO THIS BY SUCH AND SUCH A DAY, BECAUSE I THINK T WC IS SOMETIMES SLOW.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING, KYLE, THAT'S BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I WAS WONDERING, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NECESSARY TO MOVE THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD.
I JUST, I DON'T WANNA JUST LEAVE MS. EDWARDS HANGING IN LIMBO.
SO I JUST WANNA KNOW IF THERE'S BOXES THAT WE NEED TO CHECK BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING FOR THE DECISION TO BE MADE.
SO, MS. SO MS. UM, GERBER, IF I CAN RESPOND, I'LL WORK WITH MS. EDWARDS.
SHE'S GOING TO SUBMIT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE TO HER, AND AS SHE IDENTIFIES, UM, ADDITIONAL, UM, WITNESSES OR ADDITIONAL FACTS SHE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT IN SUPPORT OF HER REHIRE ELIGIBILITY CASE.
SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE WILL UPDATE AND SUPPLEMENT THE PACKET AND WITH, WITH THE NECESSARY INFORMATION.
SO THE NEXT TIME IT COMES BEFORE YOU ALL, UM, MY HOPE IS THAT SHE WILL HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER THE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AND OR DOCUMENTS, UM, IN ORDER TO, TO, TO CHECK THE BOXES, IF YOU WILL, ON ON, ON WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED OR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DISCUSSED, UM, AS AN EXPECTATION OF NEEDING INFORMATION AS A BOARD.
NOW, IN YOUR, IN YOUR HISTORY WITH WORKFORCE, HOW LONG DO THEY GENERALLY TAKE TO RESPOND TO SOMEONE'S REQUEST? BECAUSE I CAN IMAGINE IT TAKING MONTHS, AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA LEAVE MS. EDWARDS HANGING BECAUSE OF THE, I DON'T WANNA CALL IT IN INEFFICIENCIES, BUT SOMETIMES LONG PROCESS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICES.
IN MY EXPERIENCE IN REPRESENTING THE EMPLOYER QUITE OFTEN IN THOSE HEARINGS, UM, I DO KNOW THAT IT VARIES IN, YOU KNOW, IN GETTING THE TRANSCRIPT BACK INTO BOARD MEMBER COLE'S POINT, NOT ALL HEARING EXAMINERS ARE CREATED, CREATED EQUAL IN THEIR, IN THEIR ACCURACY.
SO I, I SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, REQUESTING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR CUT TIMEFRAME, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I, I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR MS. EDWARDS IS THAT SHE KIND OF EXPLORES WHAT THAT TAKES, WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE WITH THE TEXAS WORKFORCE.
JUST DEFINITELY BE IN TOUCH WITH OUR OFFICE SO WE CAN JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT HER AND GIVE HER THE FEEDBACK SHE NEEDS TO KEEP THIS ON TRACK.
AND THAT IT JUST DRAG OUT LONGER THAN NECESSARY UP TO, AND INCLUDING IF I NEED TO JUST KIND OF COME BACK TO YOU ALL WITH ANY DISCOVERY OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE, OR, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FOLLOWING UP.
UM, SO, SO IT JUST DOESN'T LANGUISH OUT THERE.
[00:40:01]
AND I WOULD NOTE THAT WHEN I REQUESTED TRANSCRIPTS AND, OR, OR, UH, UH, CDS OF HEARINGS, ET CETERA, I'VE HAD SOMETIMES IT TAKE ONE TO TWO WEEKS.I'VE HAD OTHER TIMES IT'S TAKEN FOUR TO SIX WEEKS, I WILL SAY THAT.
AND WE NORMALLY CANCEL OUR DECEMBER MEETING BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS.
AND, UH, SO WE WOULD WIND UP PROBABLY HEARING SOMETHING IN JANUARY WOULD BE THE EARLIEST WE'D DO IT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE JANUARY MEETING SINCE OUR, OUR, OUR SCHEDULED MEETING IS JANUARY 3RD.
WE MAY POSTPONE THAT A LITTLE A WEEK OR SO BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY.
BUT, UM, UM, THAT WOULD GIVE HER AT LEAST TWO MONTHS TO GET, UH, GET THE MATERIALS.
I, I, AND YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH GETTING MATERIALS, WE'RE, WE'RE CERTAINLY GONNA BE SENSITIVE TO THAT.
IT'S, AND WE KNOW IT'S NOT IN HER CONTROL TO, TO, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW QUICKLY OR HOW PROMPTLY T WC MAY RESPOND.
SO I BELIEVE BOARD MEMBER ALLELE HAS A QUESTION.
MY PEOPLE GO OFF MY SCREEN AND I CAN'T SEE 'EM, SO I APOLOGIZE IF I'M NOT TRYING TO DISREGARD YOU.
I, I KEEP JUST LOSING, I JUST LOSE, I'LL LEAVE BOXES.
SO, WELL, CHRIS, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
YOUR IMAGE IS FROZEN ON MY COMPUTER.
UH, I DON'T HAVE MR. CHAIRMAN, EVERYBODY ELSE CAN SEE ME.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT'D BE POSSIBLE FOR MR. WATSON TO SUBMIT LIKE A WRITTEN TESTIMONY, OR DOES HE NEED TO BE OH, THAT, THAT'D BE FINE.
YEAH, I, I, I, I THINK WHATEVER, WHATEVER MS. EVERS CAN WORK OUT IS GREAT.
AND MS. EDWARD, BETWEEN ANA AND MYSELF, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR LINES OF COMMUNICATION ARE OPEN AS WE WERE SCHEDULING THIS TODAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL BE HERE AS YOU KIND OF NAVIGATE THROUGH AND FIGURE OUT HOW YOU WANNA SUPPLEMENT YOUR MATERIAL FOR, UM, FOR, FOR WHEN WE HEAR THIS AGAIN.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION, THE MOTION TO POSTPONE CONSIDERATION OF THIS? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON, BY, BY BOARD MEMBERS? AND IF NOT, WE'LL VOTE ON THE MOTION.
UH, AND MR. PIERRE, WE CAN'T, AT LEAST YOU'VE GONE OFF MY SCREEN.
WE HAVE TO BE ON THE SCREEN ALL THE TIMES IF WE CAN.
UH, ARE YOU, ARE YOU THERE, CURTIS? YES, I'M OKAY.
YOU'RE OKAY? YEAH, WE'RE, THANK YOU.
WE HAVE EVERYBODY ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW, SO LET, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE, OR RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE UNANIMOUS 6 0 6 OH VOTE.
THEN MS. EDWARDS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION TODAY, AND WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
AND AGAIN, IF ANY QUESTIONS COME UP, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT JARED AND, UH, UH, WE, WE WILL CERTAINLY DO WHAT WE CAN TO FACILITATE YOU IN ANY, IN, IN ANY WAY WE CAN.
UM, CURTIS, WE, MR. PIERO, WE WERE, WHILE WE WERE, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, WE WENT THROUGH BOARD MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS, AND YOU WEREN'T ONLINE YET, SO WE WANT TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIRST OFF, TO SAY WELCOME A BOARD AND TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
I APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE BOARD.
UH, AGAIN, I'M A FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE, RETIRED IN 2008, UH, SPENT THE BULK OF MY CAREER IN, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, ASSIGNED TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR WATER DEPARTMENT.
UH, I'VE WORKED IN A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS, SO, UH, I HAVE AN OP AN IDEA AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORKFORCE AND SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THAT COME UP.
SO, JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE AND APPRECIATE THE INVITATION.
WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU.
AND, UH, ANYWAY, GOING BACK TO OUR AGENDA, THAT WAS OUR HEARING ITEM FOR THE DAY.
WE'RE ON ITEM SIX, BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ITEMS. AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO JARED FOR HIS UPDATE, AND I THINK IT'S THE LAST PAGE OF THE PACKET TODAY.
JARED, TURN IT OVER TO YOU, SIR.
BOARD MEMBERS, UM, AGAIN, WELCOME OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING AND MEETING, UM, YOU ALL AND WORKING WITH YOU IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.
I THINK MR. PIERRE LEFT OUT HIS NUMBER OF YEARS AS AN ADJUNCT.
UM, UM, UH, YEAH, LIKE, OH, HOW COULD YOU FORGET THAT THE NUMBER OF YOU AS AN ADJUNCT, UM, UM, UM, UM, TRIAL BOARD MEMBER.
AND SO WE'RE JUST VERY GLAD TO HAVE YOU ON HERE AND TO BE WORKING WITH MANY OF YOU IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES AND, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO
[00:45:01]
MEETING YOU, CHRIS, AS WELL.UM, I, I WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME THIS MORNING, UH, JUST VERY, AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, GOING OVER KIND OF THE HIRING REALITIES OF, OF OUR SWORN POSITIONS, PARTICULARLY THE ENTRY LEVEL.
I'M GONNA COME BACK AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING AND DO A DEEPER DIVE, BUT WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF KIND OF HOW MANY APPLICATIONS WE SAW, JUST ORIENT YOU ALL TO LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF THOSE THAT MINIMAL QUALIFICATIONS, THE NUMBER OF TESTED POSITIONS, AND THEN HOW THAT RELATES TO HIGHER.
GONNA SHOW YOU KIND OF THE FORECASTED NUMBERS FOR OUR ENTRY LEVEL SWORN AS WE FISCAL YEAR.
I ALSO WANTED TO, AND, UM, THIS WILL BE A REPEAT, I'M SORRY, FOR, FOR, FOR BOTH, UM, BOARD MEMBER COLE AND, AND, AND PTECH AND, AND, AND, AND, UM, WELCH.
BUT I WANNA JUST GIVE A GENERAL OVERVIEW, KIND OF OUR DEPARTMENT, HOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZED FUNCTIONALLY.
AND JUST A COUPLE THINGS I THINK THAT WILL HELP PUT IN PERSPECTIVE OUR SWEARING HIRING AND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS SPACE.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO SHARE, UH, MY, MY SCREEN.
I HOPE YOU ALL CAN SEE THIS, BECAUSE I'M HAVING TO DRIVE AND I HOPE I DON'T RUN OFF THE ROAD.
I DON'T WANNA FEEL RESPONSIBLE, PLEASE.
SO OUR CIVIL HEART CIVIL SERVICE, OUR CIVIL SERVICE MISSION, AGAIN, IS OUR, OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS TO EMPLOY AND RETAIN THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST WORKFORCE, ENHANCING THE VITALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL IN DALLAS.
SO THAT'S OUR CENTRAL MISSION THAT WE GATHER AROUND AS A BOARD AND AS AN OPERATIONAL DEPARTMENT, UM, IS EMPLOYING AND RETAINING THAT BEST AND BRIGHTEST WORKFORCE.
AND SO WE DO THAT AND WE'RE ORGANIZED REALLY INTO THREE DISCRETE KIND OF FUNCTIONS.
WE ARE THE RECRUITMENT AND EXAMINING, UM, UNIT THAT ADVERTISES JOBS TO CURRENT AND, AND, AND PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES DETERMINE THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, EVALUATE APPLICANT'S, UM, ELIGIBILITY, AND THEN ADMINISTERS WRITTEN AND COMPUTER BASED EXAMS AND, AND, AND OUR SCREENING CRITERIA AROUND OUR, OUR CIVIL SERVICE POSITION.
HEY, HEY, JARED, QUICK QUESTION.
YES, IF I'M PLANNING ON WRITING DOWN NOTES, BUT IF YOU'RE SENDING OUT THE DECK, THEN I DON'T NEED TO DO THAT.
YES, I, I WILL SEND, I WILL SEND IT OUT, UM, SHORTLY AFTER THIS, THIS MEETING.
SO THEN WE HAVE THE TEST AND VALIDATION UNIT, WHICH WORKS VERY CLOSELY TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE SELECTION TESTS FOR OUR CIVILIAN AND UNICORN POSITIONS, PROVIDE JOB ANALYSIS FOR TALENT ASSESSMENT TOOL DESIGN PURPOSES.
SO AS WE'RE LOOKING TO ASSESS TALENT, THEY, THEY ARE DOING THAT, THAT INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY WORK AROUND DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING THOSE TOOLS AND INSTRUMENTS, AND THEN THEY ENSURE OUR SELECTION PROCEDURES USED BY THE CITY ARE LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE.
UM, AS WE, AS WE MOVE THROUGH.
AND THEN MANY OF YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND FAMILIARITY WITH OUR ADMINISTRATION UNIT, WHICH MANAGES THE TRIAL BOARD OF LAW JUDGE HEARINGS, OVERSEE OUR REHIRE ELIGIBILITY HEARING PROCESSES, AND ANALYZE AND MANAGES OUR DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY HOW WE'RE BROKEN OUT INTO THREE DIFFERENT, UM, FUNCTIONAL UNITS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN I, WHEN I CAME ON BOARD IN THIS, IN THIS CAPACITY, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THREE KEY CIVIL SERVICE STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS.
AND THIS WAS A, A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH YOU ALL AND YOUR PREDECESSORS, BUT REALLY WE'RE WE'RE ORGANIZED AND FOCUSED AROUND TALENT ATTRACTION, WHICH IS TO TRANSFORM THE, TO THE CIVIL SERVICE TALENT ATTRACTION HIRING PROCESS TO BETTER ATTRACT TALENT INTO THE CITY OF DALLAS'S ORGANIZATION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT TALENT ASSESSMENT, THAT'S TO ENHANCE OUR TALENT ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING PRACTICES OF THE DEPARTMENT TO BETTER MEET THE HIRING NEEDS OF THE CITY OF DALLAS'S ORGANIZATION.
AND THIRDLY, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, WHICH IS DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT METHODS AND METRICS THAT WILL GUIDE THE EVOLUTION OF CIVIL SERVICE PRACTICES TO ENHANCE SERVICE DELIVERY BACK TO THE CITY OF DALLAS'S ORGANIZATION.
AND THE, THE WORD EVOLUTION IS INTENTIONAL HERE, BECAUSE AS WE HAVE GROWN AND MORPHED OVER TIME, WHAT WE'VE RECOGNIZED AS A DEPARTMENT IS THAT WE MUST EVOLVE TO CONTINUE TO A, UNDERSTAND THE CITY OF DALLAS'S TALENT NEEDS, BUT ALSO DELIVER AND SUPPORT THOSE TALENT NEEDS.
AND SO AT THE CORE OF OUR EVOLUTION IS JUST REALLY AT A HIGH LEVEL, IS ALIGNMENT WITH THE NEEDS OF OUR ORGANIZATION IS MISSION CRITICAL.
THERE'S NOTHING OPERATIONALLY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT'S OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH THE TRUE NEEDS AND TALENT NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
SECOND IS, UM, OVERCOMING THE LONG, AND I THINK WE'VE MADE CONSIDERABLE STRIDES WITH OVERCOMING THE PERCEPTION THAT WE'RE NOT AGILE OR NIMBLE, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT AGILITY IS KEY.
DEPARTMENTS HAVE NEEDS THAT ARE CHANGING AND EVOLVING JUST AS OUR PRACTICES ARE CHANGING AND EVOLVING.
[00:50:01]
CONTINUES TO BE KEY, AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING AND DO IT WELL WITHOUT CONTINUOUS GROWTH, CONTINUOUS GROWTH AND EVOLUTION, UM, BEING IMPERATIVE TO, TO WHAT WE DO.AND THOSE ARE REALLY OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AS WE CONTINUE THIS EXCELLENT JOURNEY, WHICH DOESN'T HAPPEN IN ONE YEAR, BUT OVER SEVERAL YEARS IS WHAT WE WE'RE CONTINUING TO TRY TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND, AND LET THAT BE OUR GUIDING, UM, OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
AND SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL.
WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED SOME TALENT IMPERATIVES, UM, AND I REALLY SHARED THESE WITH, UM, THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION, UM, UH, COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL AS WELL AS OUR GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCES.
NUMBER ONE, IF WE GOTTA EXPAND OUR CANDIDATE REACH THROUGH ENHANCED STRATEGIC MARKETING, BRANDING TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS.
AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT COME TO LIGHT WHEN WE LOOK AT APPLICATION NUMBERS AND THE DECREASE IN INTEREST IN CERTAIN CAREERS.
AND JUST, WE KNOW THAT BY EXPRESSED APPLICATIONS FOR CERTAIN POSITIONS.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO EXPAND OUR CANDIDATE REACH.
SECONDLY, WE UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE HAVE, WE MUST AND HAVE TO INTENTIONALLY GATHER AND UTILIZE MARKET, UH, CAREER AND POSITION DATA TO DEVELOP AND RETIRE AND REFINE OUR, OUR TALENT SOURCING STRATEGIES.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A CRITICAL NEED TO HIRE, UM, POLICE TELECOMMUNICATORS.
AND SO A PART OF THAT IS OUR TEST AND VALIDATION GROUP IS WORKING TO DO JOB ANALYSIS SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT JOB TRULY REQUIRES, WHAT SKILLS ARE NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY PERFORM THAT, BECAUSE WE CAN'T BE USING THE OLD ANALYSIS OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A TELECOMMUNICATOR IN THIS NEW REALITY.
SO A, A AGAIN, ATTENTIONALLY GATHERING AND UTILIZING MARKETING POSITION DATA TO DEVELOP AND RETI AND, AND REFINE HOW WE GO OUT AND GET CANDIDATES FOR THESE CRITICAL AND HARD TO FILL POSITIONS.
THIRD, IS CREATE CAREER INTERESTS AND ESTABLISH TALENT PIPELINES INTO CRITICAL CIVIL SERVICE AND PUBLIC SERVICE CAREERS THROUGH DEVELOPING KEY COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.
WE'RE RIGHT NOW IN THE FORMATIVE STAGES OF IDENTIFYING AND PURSUING A PATH WITH DALLAS COLLEGE, DALLAS, ISD, AND OTHER LOCAL EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS TO, TO DEVELOP PIPELINES INTO CERTAIN CAREERS AND APPRENTICESHIPS IN CERTAIN, UM, SKILLED TRADES.
SO WE CAN DEVELOP A PIPELINE, BECAUSE I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE IS THAT IF WE CAN'T FIND TALENT, WE HAVE TO CREATE IT.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT CERTAIN TALENT PIPELINES.
AND SO THAT'S A PART OF OUR LONG-TERM PLAN AND, AND IMPERATIVE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED OUR RACIAL EQUITY PLAN FIRST EVER HERE AT THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ANALYZING THE ORGANIZATION AND INCORPORATING OUR DELIBERATE EQUITY PLANNING INTO WHAT WE DO AND INTO THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CITY'S ORGANIZATION.
AND SO, I KNOW THAT'S A MOUTHFUL, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL, UM, KIND OF THE CIVIL SERVICE TALENT IMPERATIVES THAT ARE ALSO UNDERGIRDING AND GUIDING, UM, WHAT YOU WILL SEE COMING FROM ME THROUGH, THROUGH, THROUGH OUR CONVERSATIONS HERE, BUT ALSO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, IN TERMS OF OUR PROGRAMMING AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO, TO, TO GET BETTER TALENT INTO THE DOOR MUCH MORE QUICKLY.
I HAVE ANOTHER QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU.
DO YOU WORK WITH, UM, THE HR DEPARTMENT, LIKE WITH SONIA BATS OR, YES, WE WORK.
WHAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR JURISDICTION AND THEIR JURISDICTION? SURE.
THIS IS HOW, SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH, WITH HUMAN RESOURCES IN, IN ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
CIVIL SERVICE HAS, YOU KNOW, BASED ON OUR CHARTER, BASED ON OUR RULES, WE HAVE ROUGHLY 80% OF THE CITY'S WORKFORCE, 83% OF THE CITY'S WORKFORCE.
AND SO, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, UM, BOARD MEMBER GERBER IS, I THINK OF CIVIL SERVICE AS BOOKENDS.
I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT SINCE I I I'VE BEEN HERE, WE FOCUS ON THE FRONT END IN TERMS OF SOURCING, SCREENING, AND THEN REFERRING TO THE DEPARTMENT TO WHERE THEN THEY WORK WITH HUMAN RESOURCES TO CONDUCT THOSE INTERVIEWS AND GET THEM ONBOARDED AND GET THEM THEIR OFFERS OUT THE DOOR AND MAKE SURE THEIR SALARIES ARE CORRECT.
AND THEY HANG OUT WITH HUMAN RESOURCES THROUGH THE ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE.
AND THEN IF FOR SOME REASON THAT EMPLOYEE IS, IS SEPARATED FROM EMPLOY FROM EMPLOYMENT, BE IT A REDUCTION IN FORCE OR, OR CONDUCT REASONS OR PERFORMANCE REASONS, AND THEY WANT TO APPEAL THAT, THEN THEY COME BACK TO OUR TRIAL BOARD OR OUR ADMINISTRATIVE LAW TO HAVE THAT DUE PROCESS COMPONENT TAKE PLACE, UM, TO, SO YOU ALL CAN HEAR THE MERITS OF, OF, OF, OF THE ARGUMENT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
SO WE'RE IN AND OUT AND SONYA'S MORE IN ON THE INTERNAL, RIGHT.
AND SONYA IN PARTICULAR DOES A LOT OF GOOD WORK IN HUMAN RESOURCES AROUND TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND, AND, AND SOME OF OUR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT THINGS, UM, AND EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE AND THOSE KINDS OF EFFORTS THAT ARE INTERNAL, BUT MOST DEFINITELY, SO WE ARE ON THE BOOKEND.
SO THE FRONT END AND THE BACK END IS WHERE WE REALLY, UM, DO MOST OF OUR WORK AND SUPPORT EMPLOYEE NEEDS IN, IN HIRING DEPARTMENTS.
[00:55:01]
FOR, IN ADDITION TO OUR F 20, OUR FY 23 PRIORITIES, WHICH IS ON THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT I WON'T GO INTO VERY MUCH AND I, YOU'LL HAVE THEM HERE 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA DO A DEEPER DIVE AND TALK ABOUT OUTCOMES.AND, UM, ALL OF THAT IS COMING UP AS WE LOOK AT THE NEXT YEAR IN TERMS OF OUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND, AND OUR, AND OUR, AND OUR PRIORITIES FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT IS, UH, TAKE ADDITIONAL STEPS TO CREATE A CITY, A CITY OF DALLAS WIDE INTEGRATOR RECRUITMENT, OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIP PLAN.
WE'RE WORKING ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS TO SEE WHAT POSITIONS ARE MOST SUITABLE FOR A PIPELINE EXPERIENCE AND, AND PROGRAM CONTINUE TO EVALUATE OUR CLIENT SOURCING NEEDS.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND CANDIDATES IN THIS MARKET.
I THINK THAT WE HEAR THAT ALL THE TIME.
I EXPERIENCE IT EVEN INTERNAL TO THE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S HARD TO FIND INDIVIDUALS WHO A, HAVE AN INTEREST IN WORKING IN GOVERNMENT OR FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, MY LIVED EXPERIENCE, I KNOW YOU MIGHT HAVE IT IN YOUR, IN YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCES, BUT THAT'S A REALITY FOR US.
SO REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHERE THOSE, WHERE THAT TALENT IS AND, AND, AND GOING TO SOURCE THAT SECOND SERVICE DELIVERY NEEDS OUR CURRENT CAPABILITIES AS WELL AS IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS TO BETTER MEET DEPARTMENTAL TALENT NEEDS.
AND THEN WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING TO FORMALIZE OUR MARKETING, BRANDING AND OUTREACH STRATEGY THAT INCLUDES A DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO OF ADVERTISING AND MARKETING EFFORT, MARKETING EFFORTS RIGHT NOW, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, MYSELF AND HUMAN RESOURCES.
WE ARE WORKING ON A MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT REALLY IS AROUND DISPLAYING AND SHOWING THE GREAT WORK AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CITY OF DALLAS EMPLOYEE AND HOW WE TOUCH EVERYTHING WITHIN THE CITY.
AND SO MORE INFORMATION AND MORE BRIEFING INFORMATION WILL BE COMING TO YOU AS WE PUT MEAT ON THE BONES AND FORMALIZE THAT STRATEGY.
IN TERMS OF MARKETING, BRANDING, UM, FROM A RECRUITMENT PERSPECTIVE, I'LL LEAVE THESE HERE FOR NOW.
THESE ARE OUR FIVE, UH, PRIORITIES THAT REALLY ARE AROUND OUR RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
AGAIN, THAT MARKETING CAMPAIGN CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY THOSE CRITICAL AND HARD TO NEED, UH, HARD TO FIELD POSITIONS RIGHT NOW.
A, A HUGE LIFT THAT WE'RE IN THE THROES OF IS WORKING WITH IT AS WELL AS HR TO EFFECTIVELY ASSESS AND MIGRATE TO A NEW APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM.
OUR PEOPLE IN THE THROES OF TESTING, WE ARE SLATED FOR GO LIVE DATE OF A NEW APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM ON, UM, FEBRUARY 14TH.
AND SO WE HOPE IT'S THE SWEETHEART DEAL AFTER ALL, BUT WE WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK TOWARDS THAT LUNCH TO, TO MOVE TO A NEW TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM THAT WILL BETTER EQUIP US FROM A TECHNOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE TO MEET APPLICANTS IN THAT, IN THAT SPACE AND GIVE THEM THAT EX EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN CONTINUE OUR DEPARTMENT PROCESS TO, AND STREAMLINE AND, UM, HEAR MORE QUICKLY AND MANAGE THE SCHEDULING OF OUR TRIAL BOARD AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE HEARINGS.
AND, UH, I'M PLEASED ON DOWN IN MY PRESENTATION THIS MORNING THAT WE'RE MAKING CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS, PARTICULARLY WITH THAT ONE.
IN, IN, IN PARTICULAR, I WANTED TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE TOP LINE NUMBERS FOR POLICE.
UM, OFFICER TRAINEE, IF YOU LOOK, WE IN THE LAST, IN 2023, AND THIS DATE IS ONLY THROUGH, UM, SEPTEMBER 30TH.
WE'D HAVEN'T PROCESSED, UM, WE HAVEN'T PROCESSED ALL OF THROUGH OCTOBER TO SHOW YOU THIS DATA, BUT RIGHT NOW AT THE, THROUGH THE 30TH OF SEPTEMBER, WE'RE STANDING AT ABOUT 109, UM, POLICE OFFICER TRAINEES THAT WE HIRED, WHICH YOU SEE BEFORE IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE HIRED 173.
SO AGAIN, ABOUT THAT MARKETING CA, YOU KNOW, BRANDING AND CAMPAIGNING, UM, IS REALLY MY POINT IN KIND OF WALKING YOU THROUGH, THROUGH THIS.
HOW, UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED WITH YOUR OFFICE TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS? WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK.
SO WE WORK VERY CLOSE WITH POLICE.
SO POLICE, UM, WE'RE CLOSE PARTNERS WITH THEM IN TERMS OF THEIR RECRUITMENT ARM.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, POLICE HAVE THEIR OWN RECRUITMENT ARM, BUT WE SUPPORT THEM.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, UM, IN OUR EXAMINING GROUP, WE HAVE ROUGHLY 15 TO 16 PEOPLE.
UM, BUT WE HAVE 'EM ORGANIZED IN DIFFERENT TEAMS. SO WE HAVE A TEAM THAT'S SUPPORTING FIRE.
WE HAVE A TEAM THAT'S SUPPORTING POLICE RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE, UM, 489, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RIGHT AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I, I WAS OVER RIGHT BEFORE THIS MEETING STARTED, AND I'M GONNA GO BACK SITTING FOR THEIR PROMOTIONAL EXAM FOR SENIOR CORPORAL.
SO IT'S AN ALL HANDS ON DECK AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIMES WE'RE FOCUSED ON ENTRY LEVEL, UM, BOARD MEMBER GERBER, AND SOMETIMES WE'RE FOCUSED ON PROMOTIONS.
AND SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A FULL, IT'S A FULL LIFT.
AS YOU SEE IN 2023, UM, WE CONTINUE WITH THE NINE ONE ONE, UM, CALL TAKER TRAINEE.
UM, OUR NUMBERS ARE ROUGHLY THE SAME IN TERMS OF APPLY, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED, ONE OF THE, THE INDICATOR I WANT TO POINT OUT TO YOU ALL IS THE NUMBER THAT MEETS MINIMUM QUALIFICATION, RIGHT? ANYBODY CAN APPLY FOR A POSITION, BUT AS WE LOOK AT THE HEALTH OF THE POOL, YOU
[01:00:01]
WANT, YOU WANT TO SEE THAT NUMBER STAY THE SAME INCREASE, BUT REALLY GET CLOSER TO YOUR APPLIED NUMBER THAT SHOWS THE HEALTH, UM, THE HEALTH OF THE POOL.AND THEN YOU HAVE THOSE WHO ARE TESTED, WHICH IS DOWN TO THE BOTTOM LINE OF THOSE WHO ARE HIRED.
ONE OF THE THINGS, IN ADDITION TO OUR 9 1 1, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH POLICE RIGHT NOW TO LOOK AT SOME OF OUR P-TECH, UM, IN DALLAS, ISD P-TECH INDIVIDUALS, UM, SCHOOLS TO SEE WHAT TYPES OF PIPELINES CAN WE CREATE THAT WILL CREATE PIPELINE OF 9 1 1 TELECOMMUNICATORS PARTICULARLY.
AND THE THOUGHT IS HOW GREAT OF A, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T RIGHT NOW BE A, A SWORN POLICE OFFICER DUE TO CERTIFICATION REASONS UNTIL YOU'RE 21 OR 19 AND A HALF, I BELIEVE.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BETWEEN GRADUATION AGE OF 17, 18, TO THAT FROM A POLICE PERSPECTIVE, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE UNIVERSE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY CREATE A BRIDGE PROGRAM AND, AND A PATHWAY, UM, FOR, FOR 9 1 1 TELECOMMUNICATORS AS A RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STRATEGY, UM, FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE DID SEE A DECREASE IN OUR POLICE DISPATCHER, WHICH IS ALSO IN THE TELECOMMUNICATOR SPACE.
IT'S A HARDER POSITION TO FEEL, NOT JUST HERE, BUT, BUT, BUT OVERALL, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A HARDER POSITION TO FEEL.
IT'S A ONE THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY RECRUITING FOR AND TRYING TO SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT.
AND IT'S A COMPETITIVE POSITION AS WELL.
'CAUSE WE HAVE OTHER JURISDICTIONS WHO OFTENTIMES WILL RECRUIT INDIVIDUALS AWAY, OR WE ARE COMPETING FOR THAT, FOR THAT SAME TALENT.
AND SOME SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES OR GOVERNMENT JURISDICTIONS CAN OFFER A HIGHER SALARY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, AND MAKE SURE OUR COMPENSATION IS TO MARKET.
AND THAT'S WORKING WITH, AGAIN, WITH HUMAN RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE OUR COMPENSATION IS TO MARKET.
BUT WANTING TO SHOW YOU THAT FROM A POLICE DISPATCHER.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THAT.
JERRY, CAN I ASK YOU, OH, GO AHEAD.
I, HOW MANY VACANCIES ARE THERE IN POLICE DISPATCH? ROUGHLY? I MEAN, UM, ONE MOMENT.
I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A HARD TO FILL POSITION.
UM, I DON'T, YOU, YOU CAN LET US KNOW.
I JUST WANTED TO HAVE AN IDEA.
I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A TOUGH POSITION TO FILL.
IT, IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH POSITION TO FILL.
AND, UM, AND RIGHT NOW, UM, MY NOTES FROM KIND OF THE 21ST WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT COMPENSATION AND LOOKING AT KIND OF WHERE WE WERE, UM, I THINK THAT THERE ARE 82%, UM, FIELD IN TERMS OF VACANCIES BEING FILLED.
SO A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO RECRUIT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ATTRITION AND RETIREMENT.
AS OTHER THINGS, IT CONTINUES TO BE A, A CHALLENGE, NOT JUST FOR DALLAS.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TRUE, IT'S TRUE FOR CITIES OUR SIZE AND NOT OUR SIZE.
UM, SO AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT BUILDING OUT THAT OPERATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN OF HOW WE'RE GONNA SOURCE THAT TALENT, TRAIN THAT TALENT, AND GET IT IN THE DOOR.
SO MY QUESTION IS RIGHT ALONG THOSE LINES, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK ABOUT, WE LOOK AT BEING COMPETITIVE IN SALARIES AND PENSIONS WITH OTHER CITIES.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A TRANCHE OF POLICE OFFICERS THAT COME IN AND THEY GET ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL TRAINING AND THEN THEY MOVE TO OTHER CITIES WHERE THEY CAN GET HIGHER SALARIES.
AND SO I WONDER IF THAT'S THE SAME WITH THIS SCENARIO.
'CAUSE GEEZ, 36% DECREASE, THAT'S PAINFUL.
AND, AND, AND JUST IN APPLICANTS, RIGHT? SO, RIGHT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, WHEN WE GO TO MARKET, THESE ARE JUST PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE CAREER.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, THOSE SAYING YOU CAN'T GET BLOOD FROM A TURNUP.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MARKETING AND BRANDING AND CASTING A WIDE NET AND DEVELOPING PIPELINES, IF FOR NO MORE THAN TO FUEL THE NUMBER OF APPLIED JUST TO MEET THE DEMAND DOWNSTREAM.
NOT TO MENTION THOSE OTHER FACTORS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, MONETARY AND OTHERWISE THAT DRAW PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE ORGANIZATION.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT OUR SLEEVES ARE ROLLED UP.
AND WE WILL BE, I WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU ALL WITH MORE DEFINITIVE AND DISCREET, UM, PLANS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'LL MEASURE, UM, OUR, OUR SUCCESS IN THIS AREA.
BUT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU ALL JUST THAT DATA OF, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE ON THAT FRONT END OF APPLIED, THE NUMBER WHO'VE MET TESTING HAS BEEN REFERRED, AND THEN EVENTUALLY HIGHER, I WANTED YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT OUR REALITY IS.
BECAUSE ON EACH ONE OF THESE ENTRY LEVELS, WE HAVE A LOWER APPLICATION RATE, UM, THIS YEAR THAN WE DID LAST YEAR.
HOW'S OUR ATTRITION RATE RETENTION? I, YEAH.
I HAVE NOT FACTORED THAT PIECE INTO,
[01:05:01]
UM, THIS PRESENTATION THIS MORNING.UM, AND SO I'VE NOT CRUNCHED THE NUMBERS, UH, ON THAT, BUT THAT IS A FACTOR THAT, THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT.
AND I KNOW THAT POLICE AND FIRE HAVE DONE SOME OF THAT ATTRITION WORK.
AND SO WE MAY BRING THAT BACK TO YOU SO YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S THE TURN ON THE, ON THE BACKSIDE OF WHAT'S THE REAL LIFT.
'CAUSE IF WE'VE GOT GOOD RETENTION, THEN IT'S NOT SO PAINFUL TO SEE THE REDUCTION IN RECRUITMENT.
AND SO WE HAVE TO DO ALL OF IT AT THE SAME TIME, RIGHT? WE GOTTA RECRUIT, WE HAVE TO RETAIN, UM, AT, AT THE, AT THE SAME TIME.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT THE CHALLENGES OF RETENTION NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT CULTURE COMPENSATION, UM, YOU KNOW, MANAGEMENT AND, AND THE WHOLE REST.
AND I THINK THAT WORK THAT'S TRUE FOR EACH OF THESE SWORN RANKS IN ALL OF OUR POSITIONS, QUITE FRANKLY.
UM, UH, HERE AT THE CITY, THANK YOU,
THESE ARE OUR POLICE REPORT REPRESENTATIVES, UM, WHICH IS A SMALLER HIRING GROUP ORDINARILY, BUT YOU, AGAIN, THE STORYLINE IS THE SAME.
THOSE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK WITH THE PUBLIC, UM, UM, WORK WITH THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF GETTING POLICE REPORTS AND, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, WHICH IS AGAIN, A, A, A, AN INTEGRAL PART TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE SHARE, SHARE WITH YOU THAT THIS OUR FIRE PREVENTION OFFICER TRAINING.
SO THOSE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK ON THE PREVENTION SIDE AS OPPOSED TO THE OPERATION SIDE.
SO, UM, THERE ARE TWO ENTRY POINTS INTO FIRE SWORN SERVICE.
ONE IS FIRE PREVENTION, WHO, UM, I'M PLEASED TO REPORT, I LOST TWO EMPLOYEES IN MY DEPARTMENT TO BECOME FIRE PREVENTION OFFICERS JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UM, BUT WE DIDN'T LOSE
NOT, NOT, NOT SAYING THERE'S ANY INSIDE BASEBALL, BUT GETTING TO SEE HOW IT WORKS AND WHAT ARE THE, AND WHAT ARE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN FIRE.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I TOLD THE, I TOLD MY TEAM THAT THE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT LEFT, I TOLD 'EM I WAS QUOTE UNQUOTE FAKE MAD, UM, THAT
BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF RECRUITMENT AND INTERNAL MOVEMENT THAT I THINK THAT WE WANT IN RETAINING THAT TASK AND KNOWLEDGE.
AND SO I TOLD THEM WHEN THEY'RE GETTING READY FOR PROMOTIONS, I JUST DON'T WANT THEM TO COME BACK AND GIVE US A HARD TIME BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW EVERYTHING SHOULD WORK.
UM, SO THAT JUST SHOWS YOU WHERE WE ARE AND WE'RE GONNA GET READY TO MOVE INTO MORE FIRE PREVENTION.
AND, AND I'M GONNA TALK A BIT ABOUT, GIVE YOU A PREVIEW ABOUT PROMOTIONS HERE IN A MOMENT.
AND THIS IS OUR FIRE RESCUE OFFICER TRAINEE, UM, NUMBERS FROM, AND AGAIN, FROM LAST YEAR TO, TO THIS YEAR.
UM, I, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL, AND THIS IS GONNA BE IN YOUR MATERIAL, SO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ALL EVER WANT TO COME ON SITE AND OBSERVE AND WITNESS ANY OF OUR PLANNED PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.
UM, LET, DO, DO, LET ME KNOW, UM, 'CAUSE WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES IN JANUARY.
SO I'M GONNA INCLUDE THIS IN HERE BECAUSE I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO COME AND SEE KIND OF THE BACKSIDE OF ONCE YOU MOVE FROM ENTRY LEVEL TO BE PROMOTED.
THIS IS ALSO THE SUPPORT AND, AND WHAT WE DO TO HELP WITH TALENT AS WELL, WHICH IS A PART OF RETENTION.
SO OUR F 24 SWORN HIRING PROJECTIONS IS THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE EXPECTED PROJECTED TO HIRE 250 TRAINEE POLICE OFFICERS IN THE UPCOMING YEAR.
AND DALLAS FIRE RESCUE IS PROJECTED TO HIRE 240 IN THE UPCOMING YEAR.
AND SO OF COURSE THESE WILL BE IN DIFFERENT CLASS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CONSIDER CLASSES.
UM, AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT OVER THE WHOLE FISCAL YEAR AS WELL AS 15 SINGLE FUNCTION PARAMEDICS.
SOME OF YOU WERE NOT ON THE BOARD WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, ADD TO OUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGY IS SINGLE FUNCTION PARAMEDICS TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT INDIVIDUALS WHO NOT NECESSARILY WANNA BE IN FIRE OPERATIONS, BUT YOU KNOW, SOLELY FOCUS ON BEING A PARAMEDIC AND BEING ABLE TO RECRUIT THEM FROM OTHERS JURISDICTION.
AND SO THAT'S THE PROJECTION THERE AS WELL AS 22 FIRE PREVENTION OFFICERS IN THE, IN THE UPCOMING, IN THE UPCOMING YEAR.
AGAIN, BACK TO OUR OUTREACH TARGETS AND RECRUITING TARGETS, IS TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND OUR PTECH, UM, PATHWAYS PARTNERSHIPS WITH DALLAS COLLEGE, DALLAS, ISD, WITH BOTH POLICE AND FIRE TO PROVIDE THAT CAREER EDUCATION AND, AND, AND PIPELINE.
WE ARE ALWAYS SUPPORTING AND WORKING WITH THE RECRUITING TEAMS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IN BOTH DFR AND DPV TO ATTEND OUR MAJOR EVENTS.
WE ALSO SUPPORT THEM WHEN THEY TRAVEL NATIONALLY IN TERMS OF RECRUITING, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
[01:10:01]
REALLY FOCUSING IN THE SPRING AND IN THE FALL OF THIS YEAR.SO IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL IS TAKING A LOOK AT A SWO SPECIALIZED HIRING EVENT.
WE'RE ABLE TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE, UM, UM, IN SOME OF OUR ENTRY-LEVEL SWORN HIRING POSITIONS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE TEAM AND I ARE GONNA BE WORKING ON IN THE, IN THE, IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL TO BE ABLE TO SEE IF WE CAN'T GET SOME, UM, CLEAR TRACTION.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS DOING HIRING EVENTS AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FOLLOW THE CITY OF DALLAS ON LINKEDIN, WHICH IS, UM, WHERE WE, UM, REALLY DISPLAY A LOT OF WHAT WE DO FROM A RECRUITMENT, UM, PERSPECTIVE.
IF, IF, IF YOU DON'T ALREADY, I'LL STAND FOR ANY QUESTIONS KIND OF ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT KIND OF OVERVIEW AND KIND OF THE HIRING OVERVIEW.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN KIND OF FULL COURT PRESS OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR PROJECTIONS ARE, HOW WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, FROM ON DOWN TO WHAT EVENTS ARE GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT, GETTING THOSE PIPELINES THAT THOSE APPLICATION POOLS TO WHERE WE NEED THEM TO BE.
SO WE'LL HAVE THE YIELD THAT WE NEED BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND IT'S REALLY KIND OF LIKE A SALES MODEL.
IT'S A FUNNEL, RIGHT? SO THE MORE YOU CAN GET IN THE FUNNEL OF QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS, THE MORE LIKELY WE ARE TO BE ABLE TO MEET OUR, OUR NUMBERS, UM, TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE REGARDLESS OF WHAT DEPARTMENT IT'S IN.
BUT TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOREIGN SERVICE.
UH, IS THIS INFORMATION, IS THIS DECK PUBLIC OR IS THIS ONLY INTERNAL? CAN I SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE? I MEAN, YEAH, SURE.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A PUBLIC DECK AND I DON'T, I DON'T MIND WHEN I YEAH, I MEAN, THANK YOU.
IT'S NOT PUBLISHED ANYWHERE, BUT WE'RE ON, WE'RE BROADCASTING ON TV, SO HEY, WE'RE BROADCASTING LIVE.
WELL, MR. CHAIR, I'LL ROLL INTO, UM, OUR TRIAL BOARD.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP, AND I'M PLEASED TO REPORT WE HAD A MAJOR BACKLOG OF TRIAL BOARD HEARINGS DUE TO COVID AND THE SUSPENSION OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BEING ABLE TO, TO MEET AND THE GOVERNOR'S REGULATIONS.
SO IT'S JUST, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DIGGING OURSELVES OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE DELAYS CONNECTED THERE TOO.
AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND OUR ADJUNCT BOARD MEMBERS FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS AND, AND NIMBLENESS AND EVEN, UM, MAKING SURE WE STAY ON TRACK.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND SO, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THREE TRIAL BOARDS, WE HAVE DATES SET FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S REALLY GOOD.
UH, AND THE OTHERS, WE'RE JUST NOW, WE'VE JUST RECEIVED THEM.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH AVAILABILITY, I THINK.
UM, CHAIRMAN WELCH, YOU HAVE ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA NAIL DOWN SOME DATES ONCE WE GET EVERYBODY, UM, SITUATED.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONE WITH OUR ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO NAIL DOWN SOME DATES.
AND, UM, BOARD MEMBER COLE, I KNOW THAT WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THAT, ON THAT, THAT THAT TRIAL TO BE RESET.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE APPLYING SOME PRESSURE SO WE CAN GET SOME DATES THERE.
BUT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU, THIS LOOKS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE LOOK, WE WERE LOOKING AT, I THINK,
UM, SO
WE MADE AN, I THINK, A FAIRLY AGGRESSIVE EFFORT TO GO THROUGH THAT LARGE BACKLOG OF, UH, OF HEARINGS.
AND SO I, I'M JUST, I'M, I'M PROUD THAT WE'VE DONE THAT.
AND I THINK, UH, KYLA GETS THE PRIZE FOR, I THINK SHE DID THE ONLY ZOOM TRIAL BOARD HEARING
BUT THIS WAS JUST A MAJOR PRIORITY TO GET THESE TO, TO, TO, TO MOVE THROUGH THIS BACKLOG BECAUSE OF COVID.
AND, AND I THINK HAS BEEN A, A GREAT EFFORT.
AND JARED, I WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR, FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, GETTING THESE THINGS SCHEDULED AND GETTING, IT'S LIKE, LIKE, UH, HERDING CATS TRYING TO GET ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES TOGETHER.
YEAH, I WILL NEVER FORGET, SO LONG AS I LIVE AND THINK ABOUT A TRIAL BOARD, HEARING BOARD MEMBER COLE AND I STRIKING OUT TO DO A VIRTUAL
AND SO AGAIN, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE VERY MANY TAKERS TO TAKE VIRTUAL, AND I'M THANKFUL
I'M, I'M REMIND EVERYBODY, I BELIEVE CURTIS WAS THE AD WAS AN ADJUNCT ON THAT PANEL.
SO, SO MR. PIERRE, YOU REMEMBER, UM, HOW MUCH FUN
[01:15:01]
WE HAD? UM, IS THAT THE OPERATIVE TERM? FUN? YES.YOU KNOW,
SO, UM, SO YEAH, SO THAT'S, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
I WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT AS AN UPDATE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S BEEN FRONT OF MIND AND I, I REALLY AM PLEASED TO KNOW THAT ONCE WE GET THROUGH REALLY JANUARY, WE'RE ALL BUT CAUGHT UP.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE DECEMBER WE KNOCK OUT MANY, ESPECIALLY ON, ON Y'ALL SIDE OF THE ADMINISTRATION, ON THE TRIAL BOARD SIDE.
SO HERE'S A, SOME SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER ACTIVITY FOR YOU AND PUT A COUPLE PICTURES SO YOU CAN SEE OUR PEOPLE AND SEE WHAT THEY DO IN THE COMMUNITY AND SEE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH WHO ARE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, OF COURSE, METER SERVICES JOB FAIR.
ON THE, ON THE SEVENTH WE HAD 75 JOB SEEKERS, OUR IT SECURITY, WE ALSO SUPPORTED THE JUDGE, CLAY JENKINS, YOUR HIRED JOB FAIR, UM, WHICH IS VIC COUNTY.
UM, JOB FAIR, OCTOBER THE FOURTH IS THERE'S ABOUT 250 PEOPLE THERE.
UH, THE EMPLOYABILITY JOB FAIR, WHICH OF COURSE IS FOR OUR, UM, EMPLOYEES, UH, WHO HAVE, UM, UH, WHO HAVE DISABILITIES AND OTHER THINGS IN TERMS OF HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE INCORPORATE, UM, THOSE INDIVIDUALS INTO CAREERS WHERE THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE WORKPLACE AS, AS, AS, AS WELL AS OUR FRESH START CAREER READINESS, JOB FAIR, WHICH IS FOR OUR SECOND CHANCE, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE TRYING TO RE, UM, ENTER THE WORKFORCE.
AND THAT, UM, WE CPA, WHICH IS CANDIDATE PHYSICAL ABILITY TESTING.
UM, AND SO WE DO THAT OUT AT DOLPHIN ROAD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THERE MAY BE SOME DISCUSSION I'LL BE BRINGING BACK TO YOU ALL ABOUT OUR, OUR, OUR CPA, UM, WHAT WE CALL CPA FOR, FOR SHORT IN IN SOME LATER MONTHS.
BUT NEVERTHELESS, UM, TWO SESSIONS, 17 PASS, AND THEN THIS MORNING, 450 CANDIDATES ARE SCHEDULED TO TAKE THE EXAM NEXT DOOR AT KAY BAILEY HUTCHINSON, UM, FOR, FOR PROMOTION.
AND SO IT'S A BIG OPERATION AND A BIG DEAL.
AND SO WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT WITHOUT ERROR AND PROVIDE THOSE, THE TEST TAKERS WHAT THEY NEED TO, TO BE CONSIDERED FOR, FOR PROMOTION IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, THAT TAKES CARE OF DEPARTMENT UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AND HERE'S A COUPLE PICTURES, UM, FROM THE WASTEWATER, UM, COLLECTION.
AND THIS IS, I BELIEVE FROM THE CLAY JENKINS.
UM, YOU HIRE AT JOB FAIR AND THIS IS A ONSITE JOB FAIR AT DPD WHERE WE DO HIRING EVENTS ON, ON SITE WITH THEM.
THAT'S THE TEAM CHECKING PEOPLE IN AND WORKING AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
AND THAT'S OF COURSE OUR POLICE COMMUNICATIONS, UH, RECRUITMENT TABLE, WHICH IS EVER UP AND LOOKING FOR QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO THAT CONCLUDES MY DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS, MR. CHAIR.
WELL, JARED, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT OVERVIEW.
AND I, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING A COPY OF THAT AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT TOO.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR JARED? OKAY, WELL WE HAVE NO ACTION ITEMS TODAY.
JARED, THERE ANYTHING FURTHER? YOU WANNA, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOOD.
NO, THE ONE OTHER LAST THING, UM, OKAY.
THAT I WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT TO YOU IN YOUR
UH, IN OUR AGENDA PACKET, UM, YOU HAVE OUR QUARTER FOUR PERFORMANCE METRICS, UH, BOARD MEMBER CALL, UH, I TRANSFER YOU THIS FROM FORMER BOARD MEMBER KOTTER.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING READY TO SOLICIT FOR OUR NEW TESTING VENDOR WHO WILL HELP US WITH OUR NEXT ROUND OF PROMOTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR CURRENT VENDOR IS WITH US THROUGH, UM, ALL OF OUR POLICE AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS, IS, YOU KNOW, GETTING THROUGH POLICE.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL BE GOING BACK TO MARKET TO SEE WHO WILL SUPPORT US FROM A PROMOTIONAL, UM, PERSPECTIVE AND HOPEFULLY NAMING A VENDOR.
I'LL BE WORKING WITH POINTS OF CONTACTS FROM BOTH POLICE AND BAR.
AND SO QUITE NATURALLY WE WILL START PROBABLY WITH FIRE PREDICTION LIKE WE DID ONCE BEFORE AND RUN OUR PROMOTIONS BACK THROUGH AND START BACK OVER.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO KEEP
AND WE'VE MADE SOME, UM, CIVIL SERVICE RULE CHANGES AS IT RELATES TO POLICE.
AND, UM, SO WE, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
AND THAT'S THE INFORMATION LISTED THERE.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DO LET ME KNOW.
UM, BUT WE DO PRODUCE THIS EVERY QUARTER FOR OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, AND THIS IS BASED ON THE METRICS THAT WE IDENTIFIED THAT SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, ARE WE HITTING ON OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS THEY'RE OUTLINED IN THE CHARTER AND, AND HOPEFULLY WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, UM, AS A DEPARTMENT.
[01:20:02]
OKAY, THANK YOU JARED.AND AGAIN, WE HAVE NO ACTION ITEMS. I DO WANT TO BRING UP JUST OUR, DID I SEE A HAND? OH, YEAH.
UM, I, WE, AS A GENERAL RULE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING IN DECEMBER BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS.
UH, SO, UM, I THINK WE'RE TENDENCY LOOKING AT, AT CANCELING THAT MEETING IF SOMETHING COMES UP THAT'S AN EMERGENCY THAT, THAT, THAT COULD CHANGE IT.
BUT I, I KIND OF DOUBT THAT WILL OCCUR.
THE JANUARY MEETING, THE FIRST TUESDAY IS JANUARY 3RD, THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY IS A SUNDAY, SO THE HOLIDAY WILL BE THE SECOND.
IT'S KIND OF TOUGH TO HAVE A MEETING READY AT NINE 30 ON THE FIRST DAY BACK FROM A HOLIDAY.
SO CONSIDERING, UH, MOVING THAT A WEEK LATER, SO RATHER THAN JANUARY 3RD, IT'D BE A JANUARY 10TH MEETING.
UM, IF THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR Y'ALL, JUST CONTACT JARED AND WE CAN SEE IF WE CAN WORK OUT A DIFFERENT DATE, WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO.
BUT I, I KIND OF FIGURED THAT.
YEAH, JARED, I, I WANNA AMEND YOUR DATE.
IT'S WORSE THAN THAT, THE SECOND
THE SECOND IS THE SECOND JANUARY 2ND.
SO THAT WOULD MAKE, IF WE MOVED IT JANUARY 9TH.
I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT, I'M SORRY.
IT'S, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE SENTENCE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, MAYBE COMING BACK FROM A HOLIDAY NO MATTER WHAT.
SO WE'D HAVE IT THE SECOND TUESDAY IN JANUARY RATHER THAN THE FIRST TUESDAY IN JANUARY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IF, IF THOSE DATES ARE, OR THE JANUARY DATE'S PROBLEMATIC, PLEASE LET JARED KNOW AND WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN WORK SOMETHING IF WE NEED TO.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NINTH.
UM, AND I THINK THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF OUR BUSINESS FOR THE DAY.
SO PAM, CHRIS CURTIS, WELCOME ABOARD.
AND, UM, WE MAY NOT SEE EACH OTHER UNTIL, UNTIL EARLY JANUARY, SO HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND, UH, UH, A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON.
MAYBE THE COWBOYS CAN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, LIKE OTHER TEAMS IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH SEEM TO SEEM TO DO, BUT EXCEPT THE COWBOYS.
SO, BUT, UH, DALLAS LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY DALLAS SWINGS.
WHAT WAS THAT, PAM? I SAID DALLAS WINGS.
I THINK ALREADY EVERYBODY'S GOING CHAMPIONSHIPS EXCEPT THE COWBOYS FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS OR SO.
BUT IT'S BEEN A GREAT COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH BASEBALL, SO, SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND AT, UH, THE TIME AT, UH, 1105.