Committee Report - C of APM - 6-5-18 — File 206071

Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee Page 1 of 3 Printed 6/19/2018 June 5, 2018 REPORT OF THE CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENTS AND PERSONNEL MATTERS COMMITTEE Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Jefferson Thomas ("J.T.") Scott Chair Present Stephanie Hirsch Vice Chair Present Wilfred N. Mbah Alderman at Large Present Lance L. Davis Ward Six Alderman Present Ben Ewen-Campen Ward Three Alderman Absent Others present: Frank Wright - Law, Candace Cooper - Personnel, Annie Connor - Legislative Liaison, Rositha Durham - Clerk of Committees. The meeting took place in the Committee Room and was called to order at 6:05 PM by Chairman Scott and adjourned at 9:01 PM. Aldermen Ewen-Campen was attending the Ward 3 ResiStat meeting. Approval of the May 9, 2018 Minutes RESULT: ACCEPTED Approval of the May 23, 2018 Minutes RESULT: ACCEPTED 205083: That this Board’s Committee on Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters develop a comprehensive procedure manual regarding review processes for all categories of appointments and re-appointments. Ms. Connor told the committee that there is a state law and requirement from the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC) which dictates that members of commissions and boards who are paid a salary over $5,000 yearly must receive benefits. It was noted that there are many city employees who work less than 19 hours a week who do not receive benefits, with the exception of the aldermen.

Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee Page 2 of 3 Printed 6/19/2018 Alderman Hirsch’s motion that the Administration provide an explanation, including applicable citations of PERAC CMR and MGL, for the accrual of pension or creditable service for Board and Commission members, including an explanation of how these positions are adjudicated differently from part-time city employees who earn more than $5,000 yearly, was approved. Ms. Connor distributed a document containing feedback from the Mayor’s Office on the committee’s newly drafted confirmation process manual and said that it is a starting point of the city’s response to get a better understanding of what the committee would like to see prior to interviewing or reviewing candidates. The committee continued its previous discussion of Statements of Financial Interest, asking it they could be required and expanded to other positions on Board and Commissions. Members also questioned what types of documents may be reviewed by the committee and if the documents might differ depending upon the position. The committee discussed the positions of Special Police Officers and was informed that those individuals are retired police officers who, by a special act of the legislature, are appointed and perform limited duties, e.g., working a police detail. Special Police Officers are armed and have the same authority as regular police officers. The committee discussed professional standards files which pertains to fire fighters and was told that no responsive records exist for this request with regards to Fire Department promotions or any other city position. Asked if the city could look into setting up such a file for fire fighters, the committee was told that it would need to be a collective bargaining issue. Chairman Scott spoke about a fire incident report that was very detailed to the point of the time, number of trucks and number of people involved in the fire. This point was raised to question why the city does not have response records for staff in certain positions. Additionally, questions were raised about having two separate protocols for police personnel, i.e., the city’s Personnel Office vs. the Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit. Questions were also asked about the Ethics Commission’s review of various records and how that information is shared with the Mayor and/or the Personnel Department. There was a discussion about complaint histories and the effects they might have on the working environment and it was suggested that documents could be redacted prior to providing them to the committee. Alderman Davis’s motion that the City Solicitor provide an opinion on whether the content, or some subset of the content, of an individual’s personnel file may be reviewed by the Committee on Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters during their deliberations when considering appointments, was approved. Asked if the committee could have access to the same information as the mayor when considering appointments, Mr. Wright stated that the mayor is the appointing authority and the committee is the confirming authority. With regard to prior discussions about the Board of Aldermen having its own attorney, Mr. Wright informed the committee that according to the city charter, the BOA may not have its own attorney, adding that the City Solicitor works for the city and that include the mayor and the BOA. The next meeting of the committee may be scheduled for July.

Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee Page 3 of 3 Printed 6/19/2018 RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE Handouts: • Response from Administration (with 205083) • Stipends boards and commissions