[A call to order]
[00:00:03]
I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE MUNICIPAL FIRE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD FOR PRIOR POLICE.
UM, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL FOR ME MS. POOL? YES, SIR.
PRESENT? MR. MICHAEL LEMON? PRESENT? DR.
MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU HAVE A QUORUM.
UM, TODAY I CALLED THE SPECIAL MEETING.
IT'S BEEN MUCH TO DO AROUND THIS BOARD AND, UH, THE UNCERTAINTY OF ITS LEADERSHIP.
BUT, UH, TODAY I'D JUST LIKE TO, UM, KINDA GIVE YOU A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE THINGS THAT HAVE TRANSPIRED.
[1) Announcement: Board Chairman]
SO IN MY TENURE AS CHAIR OF THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, I'VE BEEN STEADFAST IN CHAMPIONING TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRNESS FOR ALL ITS CITIZENS.DESPITE PAY, DESPITE FACING INTERNAL CHALLENGES AND TARGETED ATTACKS FROM INDIVIDUALS WITH PERSONAL AGENDAS, I PRIORITIZE THE HEALTH OF THE MISS OF OUR MUNICIPAL PRIOR AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE ORGANIZATION ABOVE ALL ELSE AS WELL, THE PROTECTION OF ITS CITIZENS.
WHILE THIS IS A NON-PAID BOARD POSITION, I'VE INVESTED HUNDREDS OF HOURS TO LEAD THIS ORGANIZATION AND THE SUPPORT OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS.
I'M DEDICATED TO SERVING MY COMMUNITY BECAUSE MY GREAT LOVE FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE.
AFTER BEING APPOINTED TO THIS BOARD, I TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING CHECKS AND BALANCES TO HOLD BAD ACTORS WITHIN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABLE, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A FAIR AND JUST APPEALS PROCESS FOR THOSE WRONGLY ACCUSED.
HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF SUPPORT, I FACED UNWARRANTED TARGETING OR FULFILLING THIS MISSION.
TRANSPARENCY HAS BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF MY LEADERSHIP.
WE'VE MODERNIZED THE ORGANIZATION BY LIVE STREAMING OUR MEETING, OUR MEETINGS, ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY TO ALL.
UNFORTUNATELY, EVERY DECISION MADE HAS BEEN MET WITH CRITICISM AND OPPOSITION.
THESE ATTACKS HAVE COME FROM VARIOUS ENTITIES, INCLUDING POLITICAL GROUPS, UNIONS, AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATION WHO HAVE GONE AS FAR AS INVESTIGATING, IMITATE, INTIMIDATING, AND THREATENING ME WHILE MY CHARACTER IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION, WHILE TRYING TO ASSASSINATE MY CHARACTER IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION.
IN ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT OR DETER ME OF MY MISSION TO MAKE IN, IN THE EFFORT OF FAIRNESS.
IN LIGHT OF THESE CHALLENGES, SPECIFICALLY THE POLICY CONFLICTS OF MY SERVICE ON TWO BOARDS, I HAVE MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO RESIGN FROM MY POSITION AS CHAIR OF THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD AND WILL CONTINUE MY LIFE MISSION SERVING THE CITIZENS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE RESIGNATION WILL NOT DETER THE PURSUITS OF TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRNESS WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT RATHER SERVE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE.
WE MUST CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR A COMMUNITY WHERE JUSTICE PREVAILS FOR EVERY CITIZEN.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR DEDICATED SERVICE AND WISH THEM WELL IN THEIR CON IN THEIR CONTINUED WORKS.
UH, MY RESIGNATION WILL BE TENURED EFFECTIVE TO THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS TOMORROW.
BRANDON, I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD A SHORT TIME, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
I MEAN, YOU'VE BEEN A, A, A GREAT LEADERSHIP.
PRESS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UH, WHEN DOES YOUR TERM EXPIRE? BASICALLY, WE HAD ONE MORE MEETING 'CAUSE WE, WELL ASIDE FROM MONDAY, BECAUSE WE CANCELED THE MAY MEETING.
SO I WOULD'VE HAD THE JUNE MEETING THOUGH IT WOULD'VE BEEN UP IN JULY.
JUST A PART OF CLARIFICATION, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU INDICATED THAT YOU WERE RESIGNING YOUR POSITION AS CHAIR OF THE BOARD.
WHAT ABOUT POSITION ON THE COMMITTEE ITSELF? ON THE BOARD ITSELF.
OKAY, SO AS, AS THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD CHAIR? YES.
IT COULD BE A THEN OR UNTIL WE ONBOARD A LAWFUL PERSON TO REPLACE ME YEAH.
MEAN, BUT I WOULD REMAIN, I WOULD, I WOULD RESIGN AS CHAIR.
WELL, THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE A VACANCY IN THE CHAIRMAN'S POSITION.
SO I GUESS WE NEED TO DECIDE BOARD MEMBERS WHAT WE WANT TO DO ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND IT IS JUST THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO THAT DISCUSSION.
NEXT PERSON? WHAT'S THAT? UNLESS WE WAIT FOR THE NEXT PERSON.
[00:05:01]
A, UH, A VICE CHAIR.I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT THAT WAY, BUT MY QUESTION IS WHETHER WE NEED TO JUST LET THAT FALL TO THE VICE CHAIR OR DO WE NEED TO HAVE AN ELECTION NOW TO FILL THE CHAIRMAN'S POSITION? BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT.
UH, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, CAN WE PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE OR WELL DISCUSSION FIRST SEE WHAT THE OTHER MEMBERS THINK.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S, IT'S SHORT NOTICE, SO I THINK MAYBE THE VICE CHAIR SHOULD CHAIR FOR THE MEETING MONDAY AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THAT POINT.
UM, THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS.
WE CONSIDER THIS MEETING ADJOURNED.