Civil Service Commission - March 17, 2014 - Meeting Minutes

CALL TO ORDER

2:00 p.m.

ROLL CALL

President Scott R. Heldfond

Present

Vice President E. Dennis Normandy

Excused  (Notified Absence)

Commissioner Douglas S. Chan

Present

Commissioner Kate Favetti

Present

Commissioner Gina M. Roccanova

Present  (Not Present for Item #s 1 through 8 and Item # 10)

President Scott R. Heldfond presided.

REQUEST TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION BUT NOT APPEARING ON TODAY’S AGENDA  (Item No. 2)

None.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES  (Item No. 3)

Regular Meeting of March 3, 2014

Action:

Adopted the minutes.  (Vote of 3 to 0)

ANNOUNCEMENTS  (Item No. 4)

None.

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR’S REPORT  (Item No. 5)

None.

EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT  (Item No. 6)

Jennifer Johnston, Executive Officer, reminded individuals that the City is moving to a new web platform system and that, as a result, there have been some delays in the posting of public materials on the Civil Service Commission’s website.  Ms. Johnston encouraged individuals to contact the Civil Service Commission office for any documents they wish to have in advance. 

Ms. Johnston also announced that the Department of Technology is in the second phase of updating and improving the Personal Service Contract Database.  This second phase will also include making amendments to the Commission’s PSC Form 1 in the next few months, to ensure that PSC submissions are transparent, understandable and thorough.

RATIFICATION AGENDA

0053-14-8

Review of Request for Approval of Proposed Personal Services Contracts.

(Item No. 7)

PSC#

Department

Amount

Type of Service

Type of Approval

Duration

48955-13/14

CITY PLANNING

$2,000,000

This feasibility study represents the first step toward potential implementation of the Railyard and Boulevard project. The study has five components to analyze the potential and effects of: Boulevard I-280 in the area, Reconfiguration/Relocation of the 4th & King railyard, Potential of redevelopment of the 4th & King railyard, Connection and interaction of Downtown Tunnel Extension (DTX – to Transbay Transportation Center – TTC), and Potential to minimize area through the use of loop track at TTC. This Study will develop a neighborhood vision for the area and identify transportation investments to fulfill the neighborhood vision. The Study will include: evaluation of the technical and financial feasibility of a comprehensive transportation project that consolidates/relocates existing rail tracks underground, surfaces an existing elevated freeway, consolidates/relocates a railyard, enhances the area around the Transbay Transit Center, and creates new opportunities for neighborhood connectivity and transit oriented development. Further, the study will look at opportunities to connect and/or consolidate the two planned stations.

Regular

6/30/2018

44212-13/14

DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

$132,000

Xybix Systems, Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of proprietary workstation furniture for 9-1-1 call centers. Department of Emergency Management (DEM) purchased the existing dispatch furniture under contract in 2008. The contract has expired requiring a new service maintenance contract for the next 5 years for parts and services. The Xybix workstations meet ergonomic functional standards to accommodate a range of Dispatchers from a 5th percentile female to a 95th percentile male. DEM has 42 work stations in use 24 hours a day 7 days a week with over 200 Dispatchers. The equipment requires adjustments and reconfiguration hourly to suit the ergonomic requirements of various staff members assigned to a work station. The demands on the workstations require service repair to lifts, cable tray, and environmental control units connected to the workstations. Under the new contract, Xybix will furnish parts and dispatch factory trained technician when repairs are required. The new contract will extend the life of the equipment an additional 5 years. A RFP will be developed in 2018 to replace all workstations.

Regular

6/30/2019

46840-13/14

AIRPORT

COMMISSION

$1,500,000

As-needed environmental consulting services are required for verification of compliance with environmental laws, regulations, and standards. The as-needed consulting services will assist the Airport to maintain compliance with environmental regulations in support of operations and maintenance functions and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects. Services will include: site investigation for contaminant characterization, planning and design of asbestos/lead abatement and demolition of Airport buildings, construction management and technical oversight of environmental remediation, air quality control permitting and monitoring services, and environmental database support services.

Regular

6/1/2019

45705-13/14

AIRPORT

COMMISSION

$450,000

The Airport requires a third party to certify for the Ground Transportation Management System & Taxi Management System (GTMS/TMS) that will provide real time tracking of taxi & ground transportation operators, and interface with other City agencies and other Bay Area airports and public transit agencies. The system will be built on an open source platform and will utilize a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device and smart card technology for tracking taxi and ground transportation (GT) operators. The system will have a taxi short monitoring solution that uses 5.9 GHz Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) technology in a manner that is consistent with the latest IEEE 802.11P standard and GTMS that uses ISO 18000 6C Communications technology in a manner that is consistent with the latest ISO standard. SFO requires certification by OmniAir Certification Services (OCS) to confirm that the selected technology solutions meet the SFO requirements/standards mentioned above.

Regular

4/1/2015

42676-13/14

PUBLIC HEALTH

$3,360,000

Contractor(s) will provide capacity building and reduce disparities in access to mental health services among Filipino, Southeast Asian (Laotian, Cambodian and Vietnamese) and Samoan populations in San Francisco, with priority given to the South of Market, Tenderloin, Bayview and Visitacion Valley communities. The work will include building the capacity of community based organizations, schools, ethnic specific cultural centers and intervention services, outreach and engagement, mental health promotion activities and psycho-social education, behavioral health screening and assessment, referrals and linkage, and short term therapeutic services.

Regular

12/31/2018

46631-13/14

PUBLIC HEALTH

$1,344,000

Contractor(s) will provide innovative mental health services to low income, socially isolated older adults through a system of care to integrate mental health programs, older systems of care, the community and a network of peer support services so they may work together to identify, reintegrate and engage this hard to reach population. The work emphasizes peer support and the trust found in these relationships as a novel and powerful means of engagement and linking the population to services.

Regular

12/31/2018

48236-13/14

PUBLIC HEALTH

$840,000

Contractor(s) will provide capacity building, policy and advocacy for adolescents and transitional age youth services (emphasis on treatment of trauma) in San Francisco.

Regular

12/31/2018

42855-13/14

CONTROLLER

$5,000,000

Perform specialized audit, analytical and technical assistance consulting and training services to maximize the effectiveness of the Controller’s Office City Services Auditor function to assess and improve the financial condition and performance of City departments.

Regular

2/28/2019

41256-13/14

AIRPORT

COMMISSION

$250,000

System support for SFO’s Automated Vehicle Identification/Ground Transportation Information Systems (AVI/GTIS). Contractor will provide AVI/GTIS system monitoring and telephone support during business hours, bi weekly system maintenance, AVI system preventative maintenance, and software configuration and refinement. The AVI/GTIS system measures ground transportation (GT) and taxi traffic volume that corresponds to the number of trips made for drop-offs and pick-ups at SFO.

Regular

6/30/2016

4030-11/12

ENVIRONMENT

Current Approved Amount

$75,000

Increase Amount Requested

$122,000

New Total Amount Requested

$197,000

The contractor will provide the pick-up and disposal of residentially generated, discarded pharmaceuticals collected at designated pharmacies and police stations in San Francisco. Pick-ups must be available on both a regularly scheduled and on-call basis, depending on the collection site’s individual needs. The contractor will also provide supplies and equipment as necessary for accomplishing this task.

Modi-

fication

6/30/2016

Speakers:

Lisa Randall and Dina Casado, San Francisco International Airport, spoke on PSC #45705-13/14.

Jacquie Hale and Marlo Simmons, Department of Public Health, spoke on PSC #42676-13/14 and PSC #48236-13/14.

Action:

1)  Postponed PSC # 42855-13/14 to April 7, 2014.  The department representative failed to appear.  (Vote of 3 to 0)

2)  Postponed PSC #4030-11/12 to April 7, 2014.  The department representative failed to appear.  (Vote of 3 to 0)

3)  Approved the request for all remaining PSCs (PSC numbers 48955-13/14, 44212-13/14, 46840-13/14, 45705-13/14, 42676-13/14, 46631-13/14, 48236-13/14 and 41256-13/14.).  Adopted the report; notified the Office of the Controller and the Office of Contract Administration.  (Vote of 3 to 0)

(8)

Review of Request for Approval of Proposed Personal Services Contract Number 4021-10/11.  (File No. 0035-14-8) – Action Item

4021-10/11

GENERAL

SERVICES

AGENCY - CITY

ADM

Current Approved Amount

$89,000,000

Increase Amount Requested

$90,000,000

New Total Amount Requested

$179,000,000

The Risk Management Division of the Office of the City Administrator seeks to reestablish a pool of as-needed insurance brokers and to place insurance and provide specialized support and independent analysis (e.g., act as independent insurance advisor, proactively analyze the City’s insurance programs and identify risk transfers and risk financing options), risk analysis and Enterprise Risk Management consultant services (e.g., assess  risks and propose an enterprise solution to mitigate/measure/improve the City’s risk profile), insurance services (e.g., design policies and programs most advantageous to the City for coverage of exposures), and claims support services (e.g., represent the City in policy interpretation and negotiations with carriers) The pool will be utilized by multiple departments including the Airport, SFMTA, SFPUC, and Port. During the six year period, approximately $83 million will be for insurance premiums and approximately $7 million for risk management consultant services. Vendors will also train City managers on new international standards for Enterprise Risk Management.

Modi-

fication

11/26/2021

March 3, 2014:

No action taken.  Personal Service Contract #4021-10/11 was postponed to the meeting of March 17, 2014 at the request of the General Services Agency.

Disclosure:

President Heldfond disclosed, in the interest of transparency, that his company is in the general pool of as needed insurance brokers.  However, the Commission does not deal with the award of those contracts since that is within the purview of Risk Management, and there is therefore no conflict of interest.

Speakers:

None.

Action:

Adopted the report.  Approved the request for PSC# 4021-10/11; notified the Office of the Controller and the Office of Contract Administration.  (Vote of 3 to 0)

CONSENT AGENDA

0055-14-1

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s Conviction History Presentation.

(Item No. 9)

Speakers:

Derek Kim, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

Action:

Accepted the presentation.  (Vote of 4 to 0)

0054-14-1

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s Report on 2013 Equal Employment Opportunity Workforce Utilization Analysis.  (Item No. 10)

Speakers:

None.

Action:

Adopted the report.  (Vote of 3 to 0)

REGULAR AGENDA

0058-14-8

Proposed Revisions to the Civil Service Commission’s Policy on Requests to Extend Approval to Contract Out under Personal Services Contracts.  (Item No. 11)

Speaker:

Jennifer Johnston, Executive Officer

Action:

Adopted the Executive’s Officer’s report.  Established the recommended policies on requests for additional approval to contract out services under approved PSCs, with two amendments:

1)  That the word “only” is added to the sentence, “Departments may only submit a request for a new PSC…;” and  

2)  That the word “materially” replaces the word “substantially” in the sentence, “Departments must submit a new PSC for Commission approval any time a department is seeking to include a new or substantially materially different services…”  (Vote of 4 to 0)

0059-14-5

Proposed Civil Service Commission’s Policy on Future Employment Restrictions; and Proposed Amendments to Civil Service Rule Series 022, Request to Remove Department Ban.  (Item No. 12)

Speakers:

Jennifer Johnston, Executive Officer

Action:

Adopted the Executive’s Officer’s report; directed the Executive Officer to post the proposed policy on future employment restrictions to meet and discuss the proposed policy with any interested stakeholders; and directed the Executive Officer to post the proposed amendments to Civil Service Rule Series 022 for adoption as required under the Charter and Civil Service Rules, and to meet and discuss the proposed revisions with affected labor union(s) and other interested stakeholders.  

(Vote of 4 to 0)

0056-14-5

Request from the Municipal Transportation Agency to Adopt a Permanent Civil Service Rule 411A – Position Based Testing Program.  (Item No. 13)

Speakers:

Jennifer Johnston, Executive Officer

Derek Kim, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

Action:

Accepted the Executive Officer’s report and granted the Municipal Transportation Agency’s request to make permanent Civil Service Rule 411A as recommended, with following additional revisions: 

1) that for the first three-year period during which the Department of Human Resources will be reviewing the operation of the Position-Based Testing Program at the Municipal Transportation Agency under Civil Service Rule 411A, the reporting requirement will continue as is (quarterly) and the maximum duration of the eligible list will remain two years; 2) after the three-year review period, following a report from the Department of Human Resources, the Commission will consider making the provisions of Civil Service Rule 411A fully consistent with Civil Service Rule 111A with respect to the reporting requirement and maximum eligible list duration.

Directed the Executive Officer to post the revised Civil Service Rule 411A (as amended) for adoption as required under the Charter and Civil Service Rules, and to meet and discuss the proposed revisions with affected labor union(s) and other interested stakeholders.  (Vote 4 to 0)

0195-11-6

Appeal by Karla Gottschalk of the Human Resources Director’s Determination That There Was Insufficient Evidence to Support Her Charges of Discrimination.

(Item No. 14)

December 17, 2012:

Off calendar.  The Executive Officer to seek advice from the City Attorney on the time frame for court filings.  (Vote of 4 to 0)

Disclosure:

Commissioner Chan disclosed that he served as a Commissioner for the Human Rights Commission during the time period of the events that are the subject of Ms. Gottschalk’s complaint.  However, Commissioner Chan clarified that he was unaware of any of the facts pertaining to Ms. Gottachalk’s case and that he did not believe it would affect his ability to fairly or impartially review the evidence.

Speakers:

None.

Action:

Adopted the report.  Sustained the decision of the Human Resources Director; Denied the appeal by Karla Gottschalk. 

(Vote of 4 to 0)  Note: Ms. Gottschalk failed to appear.

SEPARATIONS AGENDA

0079-11-7

Request for hearing by Bernard Block on his Future Employment Restrictions with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and City and County of San Francisco.  (Item No. 15)

October 17, 2011:

No future employment with the Municipal Transportation Agency.  (Vote of 3 to 0)  Note: Mr. Block failed to appear.

November 7, 2011:

Cancelled due to lack of quorum due to illness.  (Vote of 3 to 0)

November 21, 2011:

Continued to a meeting when the Deputy City Attorney can provide the Commission with further direction as to restrictions the Commission might impose that will insure continued public safety and in the specific instance of Mr. Block, that the Commissioners be as fair as possible in making sure that what is done by way of restrictions are in fact legal.  (Vote of 3 to 0)

Speakers:

Chris Iborra, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

Clarence Block, Appellant’s Representative

Bernard Block, Appellant

Martha Block, Appellant’s Sister-in-Law/Member of the Public

Action:

Adopted the report.  Upheld the Municipal Transportation Agency’s decision and denied the appeal of Bernard Block, with the following amendments to the restrictions on Mr. Block’s future employment:  1) no future employment with the Municipal Transportation Agency for one year (until March 17, 2015), and subject to Mr. Block submitting to the Director of Transportation proof of two years’ satisfactory performance in a driving position with another employer; 2) no future employment with the City and County of San Francisco, subject to Mr. Block submitting to the Human Resources Director proof of two years’ satisfactory performance in a driving position with another employer.  (Vote of 3 to 1; Commissioner Chan dissented)

CLOSED SESSION AGENDA

Public comment on all matters pertaining to Items #17 through #20.  (Item No. 16)

Speakers:

None.

Vote on whether to hold Item #18 in Closed Session – Action Item.  (Item No. 17)

Basis for Closed Session: Personnel Exception (Gov. Code § 54957(b)(1), Admin Code § 67.10(b))

Speakers:

Action:

None.

The Commission voted to conduct Item #18 in Closed Session.

(Vote of 4 to 0)

0336-13-4

Closed Session – Appeal by Stephen Albonico of his Background Rejection for a 1054 IS Business Analyst–Principal Position with the San Francisco Police Department.  (Item No. 18)

The Closed Session on this matter started at 3:43 p.m. in City Hall Room 400.  The following individuals were present for Item #18:

Scott R. Heldfond, President, Civil Service Commission

Kate Favetti, Commissioner, Civil Service Commission

Gina Roccanova, Commissioner, Civil Service Commission

Douglas Chan, Commissioner, Civil Service Commission

Micki Callahan, Human Resources Director

Paul Zarefsky, Deputy City Attorney

Jennifer Johnston, Executive Officer, Civil Service Commission

Sandra Eng, Civil Service Commission

Jennifer Bushman, Civil Service Commission

Sergeant Walter Ware, San Francisco Police Department

Action:

Adopted the report; denied the appeal and upheld the background rejection by Stephen Albonico.  (Vote of 3 to 1; Commissioner Chan dissented)  Note: the appellant failed to appear.

Reconvened in Open Session at 3:58 p.m.  (Item No. 19)

Vote on whether to elect to disclose any or all discussions held on Item #18 in Closed Session (San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.12 (a)) – Action Item 

(Item No. 20)

Speakers:

None.

Action:

The Commission voted to disclose its vote on the appeal, but not to disclose its Closed Session discussions on the item.  (Vote of 4 to 0)

COMMISSIONERS’ ANNOUNCEMENTS/REQUESTS  (Item No. 21)

None.

ADJOURNMENT  (Item No. 22)

3:59 p.m.