[1. Roll Call]
[00:00:05]
GOOD MORNING. I CALL TO ORDER THE AUGUST 24TH, 2026 REGULAR MEETING OF THE BATON ROUGE FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD. MS. TWAHNA, COULD WE GET A ROLL CALL? YES.
MR. JOSHUA NEWVILLE. PRESENT. MR. BRADLEY RICKS.
PRESENT. MR. EDWIN BERAUD. PRESENT. MR. MICHAEL LEMING.
PRESENT. MR. TODD STERLING. HERE. YOU HAVE A QUORUM.
THANK YOU MA'AM. I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
SEEING NONE, CLOSE THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
AGENDA ITEM 3. CONSIDER MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
MR. RICKS, I BELIEVE YOU HAD A SEPARATE INTERNAL ISSUE.
YEAH. SO AS VICE CHAIR I THINK I'M GOING TO HAVE TO STEP DOWN AS VICE CHAIR.
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT BEYOND THAT ARE BEYOND MY CONTROL.
SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO STEP DOWN AS, AS VICE CHAIR AT THIS TIME.
ALL RIGHT. SO JUST TO. I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED IT, BUT JUST TO BE SAFE.
ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION TO STEP DOWN AS VICE CHAIR? YES. ALL RIGHT. I'LL SECOND IN CASE WE NEED. ANY OBJECTION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES. THAT IMMEDIATELY BRINGS US TO NEEDING TO FILL THAT POSITION.
DO I HAVE ANY MOTIONS TO NOMINATE INDIVIDUALS FOR VICE CHAIR? AND PEOPLE CAN NOMINATE THEMSELVES IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
YEAH. I'LL MOVE TO NOMINATE MIKE LEMING AS VICE CHAIR.
ALL RIGHT. AND THESE DO NOT NEED SECONDS. ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NO OTHER NOMINATIONS AND A MOTION TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED.
HAVING ONE NOMINEE, I WILL STILL BRING IT FOR A VOTE BECAUSE I TECHNICALLY BELIEVE WE NEED ONE.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPOINT MR. MIKE LEMING TO VICE CHAIR.
ANY. DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL OR ANY OPPOSED? HEARING NONE.
I DIDN'T TAKE A SECOND. ARE WE? I THOUGHT WE WERE PAST THE NOMINATION ARE WE STILL ON THE NOMINATION? OH, SO WE HAVE THE.
IN FAIRNESS, WE HAD THE NOMINATION. WE HAD THE.
I AGREE LEMING, I'M SORRY. AND CONGRATULATIONS. [LAUGHTER] YOU ARE NOW VICE CHAIR.
AS A REMINDER THAT THAT MEANS THAT ANYTIME I AM NOT PRESENT, YOU WOULD RUN THE MEETING.
IF FOR SOME REASON, I NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF OR STEP OUT, YOU RUN THE MEETING.
AS MR. RICKS MADE US ALL AWARE, WHEN HE DID NOT ELEVATE UP TO CHAIR DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE CHAIR IF FOR SOME REASON I HAVE TO STEP DOWN FROM THE BOARD GENERALLY, AND WE NEED TO SELECT A NEW CHAIR.
OTHERWISE MR. RICKS WOULD HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE LAST YEAR OF MEETINGS INSTEAD OF ME.
ALL RIGHT. SO WITH THAT DISPOSED OF, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
MR. LEMING, I BELIEVE WE TALKED ABOUT AGENDA ITEM 4.
IF WE COULD GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DEPTH ON WHAT'S GOING ON OR AGENDA ITEM 7, BULLET POINT 4.
CORRECT. FIRE CHIEF ASKED ME TO REMOVE BULLET POINT 4 WITH CONCERNING CHARLES LE BRUN AND RAY ROSE AS A SUBSTITUTE APPOINTMENT. OKAY. DOES THAT NEED ANY DISCUSSION OR DOES ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? HEARING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THE FLOOR TO THAT DISCUSSION.
SO THAT WAS A MOTION, MR. LEMING. I WILL SECOND.
ANY OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. BULLET POINT 4 AGENDA ITEM 7 IS STRICKEN FROM THE AGENDA.
ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS NEEDED AT THIS TIME? HEARING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THE FLOOR TO DEBATE ON AGENDA ITEM 3. CONSIDER A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
CHAIR SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY MR. BERAUD. ANY OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES.
AGENDA ITEM 4. CONSIDER A MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM JULY 27TH, 2026.
MR. STERLING, I BELIEVE YOU'VE POINTED OUT THAT WE HAVE AN ERROR THAT NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED ON THE ROLL CALL, SO I. ARE THERE ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA THAT WE NEED TO MAKE? OR THE MINUTES, RATHER NOT THE AGENDA.
[00:05:01]
[LAUGHTER] IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL ANY BETTER. WHEN I REVIEWED THE MINUTES, INITIALLY MY NAME WAS SPELLED CORRECTLY MULTIPLE TIMES, AND THEN THERE WAS A NEWMAN AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, LOOK AT ME.LIKE, I JUST. [LAUGHTER]. SO KNOW IT HAPPENS.
AND SO. OH, I THINK, I THINK I HANDED YOU MY COPY OF THE MINUTES.
SO NO WORRIES, NO WORRIES. AND SO THAT'LL BE AMENDING AGENDA ITEM 1.
AND THEN NUMBER 2 FOR SPELLING. GOT IT, GOT IT, GOT IT.
I SAW IT, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A SPECIAL REQUEST FROM MR. STERLING.
[LAUGHTER] WERE THEY HAPPY OR SAD TO SEE YOU AT THE TIME? THEN THE CHAIR MOVES TO AMEND ITEM 1 ON THE MINUTES TO REFLECT THAT MR. TODD STERLING WAS, IN FACT, PRESENT AND TO AMEND THE SPELLING OF MR. TODD STERLING'S NAME ON MINUTE ENTRY 3. ARE THERE ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT WE NEED? DO I HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND. I'LL LET MR. STERLING SECOND.
ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES.
AGENDA ITEM 5. CONSIDER A MOTION TO APPROVE OR REJECT PERSONAL ACTION FORMS THE BATON ROUGE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT. DO I HAVE A MOTION? I THOUGHT WE COULDN'T DO THE DEPARTMENT AND THEN NUMBER 5, THE. WE COULD JUST SPLIT IT INTO TWO MOTIONS.
SURE. THE OSC HAS DEVELOPED A NEW SYSTEM FOR TAKING THE PAS.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS FULLY TRANSITIONED SO FAR.
AND WE'RE WAITING ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. IS THAT FAIR? SO FOR PURPOSES OF TODAY THE BOARD CAN APPROVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PAS BUT NOT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THEN THE CHAIR MOVES TO PASS WITHOUT ACTION. THE MOTION REGARDING THE BATON ROUGE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. SECOND BY MR. LEMING. ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE. THAT ITEM IS PASSED STILL ON AGENDA ITEM 5.
CONSIDER A MOTION TO APPROVE OR REJECT PERSONAL ACTION FORMS THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? I SO MOVE. MOTION BY MR. LEMING.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY MR. BERAUD.
ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? I SO MOVE. LEMING YES, SIR. MOTION BY MR. LEMING. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. SECOND BY MR. RICKS. ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES. AGENDA ITEM 7. NOTIFICATION FROM THE BATON ROUGE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT MILES WILKINSON HAS BEEN PROMOTED TO FIRE INSPECTOR 1, EFFECTIVE JULY 25TH, 2026. RODERICK JONES HAS BEEN PLACED IN A PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT TO FIRE INSPECTOR 2, EFFECTIVE JULY 25TH, 2026. JOSHUA HARRIS HAS BEEN PLACED IN A SUBSTITUTE APPOINTMENT TO FIRE INSPECTOR 1, EFFECTIVE JULY 25TH, 2026. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS JUST AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM.
IS THERE ANYTHING TO REPORT? YEAH. SO I SPOKE WITH MR. BUTLER. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO MOVE 2ND DISTRICT, WHICH IS LOCATED ON HIGHLAND ROAD, AND THEY'RE DOING A NEW FACILITY, NOT A NEW FACILITY.
THEY'RE REDOING A BUILDING ON 3RD STREET TO MOVE 2ND DISTRICT TOO.
THE PLAN IS TO PUT CIVIL SERVICE IN THAT BUILDING WITH 2ND DISTRICT AT SOME POINT, AND MAYBE IF THERE'S ROOM IN AREA FOR HEARINGS AND IN MEETINGS. OKAY. THAT THEN RAISES A MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE IT AND RECORDING NEEDS.
THEY SAID, WE'RE GOING TO BE RIGHT THERE AT MAYBE THE 200 BLOCK OF 3RD STREET.
AND CERTAINLY WE WOULDN'T HOLD THEM TO IT. BUT DO THEY HAVE ANY IDEA ON TIMELINE? FROM WHAT THEY'VE TOLD ME IS END OF THE YEAR, FIRST OF THE YEAR, IT'S.
OKAY. AND AGAIN, NOT GOING TO HOLD THEM TO IT.
TWAHNA IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED ON THAT? ALL RIGHT.
AND ASSUMING NO OTHER INFORMATION THAT CONCLUDES AGENDA ITEM 8.
ARE THERE ANY IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS THAT THE BOARD NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF BEFORE ADJOURNMENT?
[00:10:21]
JUST KEEPING THE FORMS FOR BACKUP. YEAH.I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. MS. HARRIS IS BRINGING UP A FAIR POINT.
OF WANTING TO KEEP THE PAPER FORMS FOR INTERNAL USE, ESSENTIALLY.
SO HOW, I GUESS, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE TO THE DEPARTMENTS IS THAT THROUGH OUR REPS, OR SHOULD WE WRITE THEM AN OFFICIAL LETTER? WHAT'S MORE EFFECTIVE? AND I GUESS YOU'RE DEALING WITH THEM.
JUST INFORMATIONAL. BUT WE CAN, WE CAN GIVE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE THOUGHT.
BUT YEAH, THEY, BECAUSE THEY, IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE HAVE INTERNAL REASONS AND CONCERNS, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE INTERNAL REASONS AND CONCERNS. SO I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO SEND THEM A LETTER MAKING DEMANDS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE WE TALK TO THEM. WELL, I THINK, I THINK MY OPINION THAT JUST EVEN IF IT'S JUST SIX MONTHS UNTIL, UNTIL WE GET COMFORTABLE USING THAT SYSTEM AND SHE'S GOT A BACKUP INSTEAD OF NOW AFTER SIX MONTHS, SHE MAY SHE MAY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE DON'T NEED THIS ANYMORE, PARTICULARLY ELECTRONIC, BUT JUST AS A BACKUP FOR AT LEAST.
AND SO I DON'T I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT PLAYS OUT.
THIS IS ME SAYING I WANT TO TALK TO THEM.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? TAKE IT OVER TODAY. ALRIGHT, WELL, HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED TO I GUESS? I THINK THAT A COUPLE OF THINGS. TO JOSH'S POINT, WE SHOULD PROBABLY INVITE THE DEPARTMENTS HERE NEXT MEETING SO WE CAN KIND OF MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. AND THEN THAT GIVES YOU 30 DAYS ALSO TO, TO LEARN THE SYSTEM OR WHATEVER.
SO IN ORDER TO, I GUESS, MAKE A MOTION OR DECLARATION, HOWEVER WE WANT TO DO IT.
WE'RE BASICALLY SAYING WE NEED 30 DAYS TO KIND OF TRANSITION TO THIS ONLINE SYSTEM.
IS THAT FAIR? WELL, NO, NO, I THINK WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT AND.
THIS IS YEAH, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THAT MEETING ABOUT THE SYSTEM.
I AGREE. YEAH. AND SO I THINK THAT'S MORE OF A WE TALK TO CIVIL SERVICE AND THE APPOINTING AUTHORITIES TO JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AS FAR AS HAND OFF. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE BOARD HAS ANY CONTROL TO MANDATE.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO REACH OUT BECAUSE I MEAN, NO ISSUE SAYING THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, CIVIL SERVICE SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO WORK WITH US DURING THAT TRANSITION. NEITHER APPOINTING AUTHORITY SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE LOOKING TO IMMEDIATELY DUMP IT OFF ON YOU.
AND SO I THINK IF WE JUST OPEN IT UP AS A CONVERSATION FOR THAT TRANSITION, I THINK THAT'LL BE FINE.
I DON'T AND I DON'T EVEN THINK WE NEED TO START WITH TALKING ABOUT DEADLINES. CIVIL SERVICE SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ACTIVELY WORK HAND IN HAND WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TRANSITION WORKS. AND SO YEAH, WE CAN JUST, WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH ALL THREE ENTITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T GET OVERWHELMING FOR YOU. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? ANYTHING FROM ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS?
[00:15:07]
HEARING NONE. AGENDA ITEM 9. CONSIDER A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE AGENDA. THE CHAIR SO MOVES.DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY MR. BERAUD.
ANY OBJECTION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES. MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.