Minutes 01/11/1977 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ii2 January 11, 1977 76-S16 - The following ordinance approved on first reading at the regular meeting of December 14, 1976, was taken up and read: "AN ORDINANCE TO APPROPRIATE $1S6,56S FROM THE FEDERAL GRANTS FUND FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE PORTSMOUTH METHADONE TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR THE FOURTH~YEAR." On motion of Mr. the following vote: Ayes: Nays: Elliott and seconded by Mr. Holley, Elliott, Holley, Oast, Davis None the ordinance was adopted, and by 76-517 - The following ordinance approved on first reading at December 14, 1976, was taken up and read: the regular meeting of "AN ORDINANCE TO APPROPRIATE $35,000 FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR THE PURCttASE OF OPEN SPACE." On motion of Mr. Holley and seconded by Mr. Elliott, the ordinance was adopted, and by the follOwing vote: Ayes: Elliott, Holley, east, Davis Nays: None 76-518 - The following ordinance approved on first reading at December 14, 1976, was taken up and read: the regular meeting of "AN ORDINANCE TO APPROPRIATE $10,000 FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR REPAIRS TO THE WALLS OF THE OAK GROVE AND CEDAR GROVE CEMETERIES." On motion of Mr. east and seconded by Mr. Hotley, the ordinance was adopted, and by the following vote: Ayes: Nays: Elliott, Holley, Oast, Davis None 76-519(A) - $5,000 to the Civil ServiceCCommission for costs of purchasing Civil Service Promotional Examinations, deferred from meeting of December 14, 1976. The following report was presented by the City Manager: "The last set of promotional exams given members of the Fire and Police Departments was, March of 1975. The Civil Service Rules currently stipulate exams at least once every two years and the Commission is now preparing for a set of exams for March or early April, 1977. It is the consensus of the Commission that the exams be purchased from the same company from which they were purchased in 1975, McCann Associates. Full cost of the exams at all of the levels of promotions would, if purchased from McCann, be in the neighborhood of $5,000 and there is presently no funds budgeted for exams in the Commission budget. I have looked at some alternatives to McCann, and I am in agreement with the Commission that the McCann service is the better alternative at this time. Prior to 1975 promotional tests were written by the Commission. Presently there are two relative new members of the Commission, so the task of writing test questions based on local knowledge of the department and past experience in test writing would to a large extent fall on one Commissioner and/or Administrative Assistant. Documentation of test question selectior and elimination of bias are complicating factors that would have to be considered if tests were to be properly written at this time. In my opinion the time frame at present does not allow for properly written in-house tests for the six levels of promotion. Norfolk, Suffolk and Chesapeake are using tests developed by consul-rants and the cost shared by the three cities and an IPN~ grant. The City of Portsmouth did not participate and could not intervene at this time. The McCann Service offers~tests that are developed to specifications selected by our Commission to the extent of choosing what percent of a test would be devoted to a particular general topic. Also, there are questions based specifically on Virginia State law and all questions are checked against State law. Bibliographies of sources of test questions can be made available to candidates; that such was not provided in the past is a subject of comple in the Fire and Police Departments. The designed tests are called deluse tests and these are the ones of the $5,000 range. They do have what is called economy tests but they are the same test given in 1975. They have a new Police Sergeant test that has complete validati¢ statistics available. The test questions are copywrited. Based on the information that we have received from the Civil Service~C~mmission and the City Attorney's office, one or more members of the Commission assist the Secretary in grading the promotional exams. Also, the tests themselves are handled on a numerical identifi~ cation system which insures that the names which correspond to the individuals test are not known until such time as all grades have been completed and final scores posted. Based on the information included in this report, it is my recommendation that the Council authorize the transfer of $5,000 in order that we may purchase promotional exams for the Fire and Polic~ iht n