City Administrator Eric Olson and his Chief Human Resources Officer Ed Sisson recently abolished the Personnel Board that was created to handle employees’ appeals of disciplinary actions.
The creation of the Personnel Board was a commitment made to the Florida Legislature when lawmakers voted unanimously to repeal the city’s longstanding Civil Service program.
In April 2013, the Florida Legislature passed HR 4053 that repealed the Civil Service Act of the City of Pensacola. This Civil Service Act was codified by the Legislature in 1984, but a 2009 referendum replaced many of its provisions with a new charter and strong mayor.
The Florida House Final Bill Analysis stated, “Today, collective bargaining agreements have replaced most contracts and issues previously encompassed by the Civil Service Act. Over 80 percent of Pensacola’s city employees do not rely on any facet of the Civil Service Act. For those employees still reliant on the Civil Service Act, the city intends to adopt a new policy that largely mirrors this Act but also reflects the changes made in the city’s form of government.”
City officials committed to replace the Civil Service Board with an Independent Personnel Board (Personnel Board):
“Like the current Civil Service Board, this board would
(1) handle minimum qualification changes,
(2) hear disciplinary appeals from city employees not otherwise protected by collective bargaining contracts, and
(3) be provided an attorney.The Personnel Board would be composed of three members: one selected by the mayor, one selected by the employees, and one selected by the first two. Each would serve two-year terms. The existing Civil Service Board would assume the role of the new Personnel Board, where the members would finish their current terms and then hold elections according the policies governing the Personnel Board.”
For two years, city officials did nothing to create the promised Personnel Board. Then this fall, Sisson sent out a request for nominations. The election of the employee’s representative was to be in November or December. Two nominations were submitted – Kurt Larson and Maren Deweese. The election was never held.
Yesterday, Inweekly discovered that Olson and Sisson had abolished the Personnel Board.