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CASE # 1 PROCESS FOR FILLING POSITION OF FIRE CHIEF By: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator and Kay McAioney, Administrative Services Manager Background: On December 31, 1994 Fire Chief Dave Griffin intends to complete his tenure as the Ramsey Fire[Chief. He will continue, however, as a Ramsey Fire Fighter. At the AuguSt 17, 1994 Fire Board meeting there were concerns raised about the proposed procedure. T~he Board requested that additional information be brought before the Board to support the need for such changes. Attached are: 1. A section of Minnesota Statute 197.46 - Veteran's Preference Act 2. "Avoi):ling the Legal Quicksand of Selecting and Terminating Public Employees" - Minnesota Cities, February 1991 3. "New; and Improved Ways to Follow the Law in Hiring Fire Fighters" - 1994 LMCIT Safety and Loss Control Workshop AuguSt 25, 1994 Letter to LMCIT Attorneys Augugt 31, 1994 Response Letter from LMCIT Attorney Carla Heyl Recommendation: Staff recommends that the position of Fire Chief be filled in the same manner as all other positions at the City of Ramsey. The following is the suggested process. This is the same process follO~ed for the hiring or promotion of any .department head position. The inclusion of t½e Fire Board has been inserted as typically departmental staff input would be solicited for similar situations elsewhere in the organization. 1. A posting would be created and posted in various places at City Hall. 2. Interested applicants would fill out an application and return to personnel by a set deadline. 3. Personnel will review applications based on set criteria and narrow applications down to a reasonable number. 4. Narrowed down applications would be reviewed by City Administrator ~r, Personnel and Fire Department designee(s) to arrive at the candidate list. 5. Applicants meeting minimum qualifications would be interviewed by City Administrator ~r, Personnel and a Committee organized by the Fire i Board. 6. -Finalists (one to three) will be interviewed by the Personnel Committee. 7. Personnel Committee will make recomm.endation(s) to the City Council. 8. , City Council will make a hiring/promotiOn decision. There had been a concern stared that the Fire Department membership wished to have more involvement il! the decision-making process than in the original proposal. Given these comments and; those by the Fire Board, modifications occurred in the process to address these concerns~. It also has been stated that there is a preference and intent to provide a promotional o~po~:tunity in placing the next Fire Chief. Staff believes that the above