Commission locks records in safe, away from mayor

 

Last updated 12/10/2014 at 9:26am



Grand Coulee Mayor Chris Christopherson has filed a public records request for all activity and minutes of meetings of the city’s Civil Service Commission from July through October of this year.

It seems all part of the see-saw tug of war that has been going on in city government over the past few months as the city looks for a new chief of police.

Alan Cain, chair of the CSC, said, “That’s fine, we have nothing to hide.”

But the trust between the mayor and the Civil Service Commission isn’t fine, and Christopherson has been working to exclude CSC protection for the future chief of police (see separate story).

Last Wednesday night, the commission took action to insure its independence by locking five applicant packets in an independent safe and making a decision to have its mail delivered to a separate postal box rather than receive its mail at city hall.

It was all a part of a determination to protect the independence of the commission, Cain said.

Another issue was raised during the CSC meeting on whether council action to remove the new police chief from Civil Service protection while applications were still being sought meant that last Wednesday’s deadline for applying would have to be extended.

There was talk of contacting an attorney for clarification, but that hit a snag also.

The city’s attorney had advised the lawyer the commission was using that if he did work for the CSC the city wouldn’t pay him.

Cain stated that under Washington state law the Civil Service commission could have its own attorney if there was conflict over its independence.

Meanwhile, the commission has hired a new secretary, Kristine Thiesfeld, who attended her first meeting last Wednesday night.

The commission is pondering whether it can now move ahead, and considering the method it needs to use for giving oral and written examinations to the applicants for police chief.

Former police chief Mel Hunt retired Oct. 1, and police Sgt. John Tufts is serving as interim chief.

 

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