Meeting Information

Personnel and Policy Committee

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Mr. Schulz stated that the purpose of this meeting was to engage in an informational exchange with representatives of the Department of Human Resources on concrete formal steps currently necessary to convert the “acting” to “provisional” employment designation for the Director of Elections for purposes of appropriately compensating any individual occupying that Civil Service position requisition — until such time as a permanent Director of Elections is appointed by the Elections Commission.

 

The working document for this discussion was Memorandum DHR No. 34-01 (12-14-2001):  POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR MAKING PROVISIONAL AND NON-CIVIL SERVICE APPOINTMENTS [incorporated herein by reference].

 

In the questioning and discussions that ensued, the following relevant information was disclosed:

 

•   To Mr. Schulz’ enquiry as to the differences between Memorandum DHR No. 34-01 and a similar 1997 document [Memorandum DHR No. 23-97 (4-4-1997)] provided very recently to the Elections Commission by DHR staff, Ms. Yee explained that Memorandum DHR No. 34-01 now excludes AA requirements included in the 1997 version of this policy memorandum.

 

•   Since the eligibles list for Class 1128 Director of Elections expired on June 25, 2002, DHR staff present confirmed that the process to recruit for a permanent Director of Elections is well under way.  In tandem, DHR staff advised that, — until the Elections Commission as appointing officer or its designee requests an Oral Authorization to make a provisional appointment to the position requisition for Director of Elections, — all applicants for the permanent position would need to be considered to fill the provisional position.

 

•   Parenthetically, DHR staff informed the Committee that Ms. Kate Favetti, Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission, telephoned this morning to Ms. Nancy Woo, Departmental Personnel Officer of the Administrative Services Department, to inform her that a current Superior Court Order required Ms. Woo to immediately reinstate Ms. Tammy Haygood to the position of Director of Elections.  President Michael Mendelson, ex officio member of the Committee, stated that attorneys for both the Elections and Civil Service Commissions are still working on this matter, which will be addressed by the San Francisco Superior Court on August 30, 2002.

 

•   To an enquiry from Mr. Schulz as to whether work on filling the position requisition for a Provisional Director of Elections could move forward at DHR in light of Ms. Favetti’s telephonic instructions, DHR staff stated that the process could move forward as long as there exists a vacant (unoccupied) position requisition to fill.  Specifically, Ms. Borja-Valdés stated that there currently exist the following relevant position requisitions:

 

             Class 1128 Director of Elections [currently supplanted by Class 0941];

                     Class 0941 Manager VI [Acting Director of Elections]; and

                     Class [unnumbered] Director of Elections [being created; will abolish Class 1128].

 

Ms. Borja-Valdés informed the Committee that it is the position requisition for Class 0941 Manager VI that the Elections Commission would currently be seeking to fill provisionally.

 

•   DHR staff noted that the role of staff of the Department of Human Resources in the employment of provisional and non-civil service appointments is solely to advise departmental appointing officers, personnel officers and/or their designees on established City policies and procedures for such appointments.  DHR staff noted further that, while they have prepared detailed procedural checklists that they would be happy to share with the Elections Commission, the Commission would need to provide the name of an individual who will be “authorized” to call for an “Oral Authorization” and who will ultimately be “authorized” to make an offer of employment to a successful candidate.

 

•   As to “Oral Authorization,” DHR staff brought the attention of the Personnel Policy Committee to those sections inMemorandum DHR No. 34-01 (i.e., pp. 4-5) that specifically address the role played by staff of DHR’s EEO and MSS staff — once an “OA” is submitted by an appointing officer, personnel officer and/or designee.

 

•   Ms. Linda Crawford, Personnel Manager for the Department of Elections, clarified that, to this point in time, the City’s Administrative Services Department — through the good offices of Ms. Nancy Woo, its Departmental Personnel Officer, — has handled all personnel matters for the Department of Elections.  Ms. Crawford clarified further that her current job includes managing all personnel matters for Mr. John Arntz, Acting Director of Elections,  up to, but not including, his own position.  And she stated that, on advice of Deputy City Attorney Julia Moll, Mr. Arntz may currently “employ but not dismiss” staff of the Department of Elections.

 

•   Mr. Schulz stated that the San Francisco Elections Commission — in tandem with its clear Charter mandate, that includes the employment of a Director of Elections and a Commission Secretary, — is desirous of establishing functional independence within City government from the administrative operations of other City departments, including and particularly their personnel operations.

 

Relative to this specific matter, Mr. Schulz enquired of staff of both DHR and the City Attorney whether the Elections Commission could solicit and secure the temporary services of an independent City government personnel officer of the Commission’s choosing for purposes of managing its current provisional and permanent Director of Elections search.  Mss. Claire Sylvia, Dorothy Yee and Ana Borja-Valdés replied that they would make enquiries and get back to the Commission on this matter.

 

•   Deputy City Attorney Sylvia advised that, — should the Elections Commission choose to engage a “panel of experts” to interview and recommend a candidate or candidates to fill the position requisition for either provisional or permanent Director of Elections, — the referred interviews would be considered confidential administrative personnel proceedings not open to the public.  Subsequent to the eligibility and appointment process, all allowable documentation would be disclosable to the public under relevant provisions of the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance.

 

Ms. Sylvia advised further that, — should the Elections Commission and/or Personnel Policy Committee choose to serve as the interviewing/recommending “panel of experts,” — the referred interviews would similarly be considered confidential personnel proceedings not open to the public under relevant provisions of the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance.  And, again, subsequent to the eligibility and hiring process, all allowable documentation would be disclosable to the public under relevant provisions of the Sunshine Ordinance.

 

In this latter instance, Ms. Sylvia counselled, such a meeting of Elections Commissioners — serving as their own personnel “panel of experts” — would constitute a formal meeting of this public body and would  have to be formally and timely noticed as an official meeting of the Commission convening in Closed Session in conformance with relevant provisions of the Sunshine Ordinance.

 

•   Ms. Borja-Valdés informed the Committee that she will be away on vacation and that any  DHR consultatory needs the Elections Commission may have in her absence would be handled by Ms. Marsha Stroope, Deputy Director of DHR’s Merit System Services Division.

 

•  Mr. Schulz announced that the valuable information gathered at this meeting would be shared with his fellow Elections Commissioners.  And he again thanked Mss. Sylvia, Yee and Borja-Valdés for their assistance.

 

4.    PUBLIC COMMENT:  Mr. Dennis MacKenzie applauded the Personnel Policy Committee for spending this meeting time to sort through the administrative intricacies of civil service necessary to adequately and appropriately staff the Department of Elections.  And he congratulated the Elections Commission for taking all steps necessary to insure free, fair and transparent elections in the City and County of San Francisco.

 

ADJOURNMENT:  There being no further business, Mr. Schulz adjourned the meeting at 4:25 p.m.

 

ATTACHMENTS:

 

I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct draft of the August 12, 2002 meeting minutes of the Personnel Policy Committee, Elections Commission of the City and County of San Francisco.

 

 

 

 

Peter Fries

Acting Commission Secretary

 

August 16, 2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO ELECTIONS COMMISSION

The Honorable Michael Mendelson, President

The Honorable Alix Rosenthal, Vice President

The Honorable Robert Kenealey

The Honorable Thomas Schulz

The Honorable Richard Shadoian

The Honorable Brenda Stowers

[Vacancy]

Shirley Rodrigues, Commission Secretary

 

 

 

COMMITTEES

 

Personnel Policy Committee

Commissioner Thomas Schulz, Chair

Commissioner Richard Shadoian

[Vacancy]

Commissioner Michael Mendelson, President [ex officio (non-voting)]

 

Budget and Policy Committee

Commissioner Brenda Stowers, Chair

Commissioner Robert Kenealey

Commissioner Alix Rosenthal

Commissioner Michael Mendelson, President [ex officio (non-voting)]

 

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO ELECTIONS COMMISSION

City Hall – Room 48

1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

San Francisco, California 94102

 

Telephone:  415-554-4305  —  FAX:  415-554-7457  —  E-Mail:  [email protected]

 

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS

John Arntz, Acting Director of Elections

Telephone:  415-554-4375  —  FAX:  415-554-7457  —  E-Mail:  [email protected]