Sep 28, 2026 Fire Police Municipal Board Meeting

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I WILL CALL TO ORDER TODAY'S SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2026 REGULAR MEETING OF THE MUNICIPAL FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD.

[1. Roll Call]

MR. JOSHUA NEWVILLE. PRESENT. MR. MICHAEL LEMING.

PRESENT. MR. EDWIN BERAUD. MR. BRADLEY RICKS.

PRESENT. MR. TODD STERLING. HERE. DO YOU HAVE A QUORUM? DO YOU THINK AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, BRADLEY, THAT SHE'D KNOW YOUR NAME BY NOW? THAT'S A SHAME, RIGHT? AGENDA ITEM 21. OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SEEING NONE, CLOSE THE FLOOR TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

[3. Consider Motion to Approve Agenda.]

AND I WAS LIKE, LOOK AT YOU. JUST ON THE BALL. SO WITH NO MOTIONS TO AMEND, THE CHAIR WILL MOVE TO APPROVE.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND BY MR. STERLING. ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE. AGENDA IS APPROVED. CONSIDER MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST 24TH,

[4. Consider Motion to Approve Minutes from: • August 24, 2026]

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY MR. RICKS.

ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES.

[5. Consider Motion to Approve or Reject Personnel Action Forms in the BRFD and BRPD.]

SO THAT'S BEFORE THE MEETING. THAT'S WHAT I WAS KIND OF TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.

AND MR. STERLING. SO THE. NORMALLY WE APPROVE ALL OF THESE FIRE AND POLICE REVIEW THEM.

THE BOARD THEN APPROVES ALL OF THEM, AND THEN THEY GO TO THE OFFICE OF STATE EXAMINER.

OSC IS ROLLING OUT A NEW SYSTEM WHERE INSTEAD OF ME HAND SIGNING 500 PIECES OF PAPER, IT ALL ROLLS THROUGH A DIGITAL SYSTEM, BUT THAT ALSO ADDS A LITTLE EXTRA LAYER OF COMPLEXITY IN THAT THEY CAN NOW COMMENT ON THESE PERSONAL ACTION FORMS BEFORE THEY COME TO THE BOARD. AND SO SOMETIMES THOSE COMMENTS, INCLUDING COMMENTS SAYING THAT THESE SHOULD BE REJECTED.

AND HERE'S THE REASON WHY SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS ARE BEING ACTED ON BEFORE IT MAKES IT TO THE BOARD.

SOME OF THOSE HAVEN'T BEEN. AND SO IN MY REVIEWING THESE PERSONAL ACTION FORMS, THERE WERE 2 OF THEM AND FOR VERY MINOR REASONS.

THERE WERE TWO OF THEM THAT THE NOTE FROM THE OFFICE OF STATE EXAMINER WAS THAT THESE SHOULD BE REJECTED BASICALLY BECAUSE THEY WERE ENTERED IN INCORRECTLY.

THE THE WAY THEY WERE TAGGED WAS INCORRECT. THEY WERE UNDER OTHER, OTHER, OTHER AND THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER PAY CHANGE.

AND SO OSC IS TELLING US THAT WE SHOULD REJECT THESE AND HAVE THEM RESUBMITTED AS PAY CHANGES.

AND WHILE THAT IN A VACUUM, I APPRECIATE SEEMS VERY TICKY TACK WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE OFFICE OF STATE EXAMINER IS THAT THIS ISN'T FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE JUST HISTORICALLY. THEY APPROVE IT, THE BOARD APPROVES IT, AND THEN WHEN IT GETS TO OSC, THEY REJECT IT AND THEN IT GETS SENT BACK. AND THEN WE HAVE TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.

AND SO WE CAN REMOVE SOME OF THOSE EXTRA STEPS IF WE JUST REJECT IT AT THIS POINT AND SEND IT BACK TO THEM.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THAT? AND BRADLEY, YOU IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN KIND OF THOSE THINGS OVER THE YEARS.

YEAH. AND THE ONLY THING, LIKE I SAID PREVIOUSLY IS JUST, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE, THE CHANGEOVER FROM, FROM THE OLD SYSTEM, HOW WE USED TO DO IT TO NOW IS, YOU KNOW, WE HOLD THESE DEPARTMENTS UP AND WHEN THEY SEND IT BACK THEN, THEN WE DON'T MEET FOR ANOTHER MONTH. SO WE FOR NOW.

SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN, WE'LL WORK WITH.

BECAUSE IT. BEFORE THE MEETING, FIRE WAS SAYING THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY CLOCKING THESE AND GOING IN AND CHANGING THEM.

THE 2 THAT I'M LOOKING AT ARE BOTH FROM POLICE AND SO OKAY, MAYBE THEY JUST DIDN'T CATCH IT.

WHAT OSC, IS TELLING US IS THAT BECAUSE I COMPLETELY HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS HISTORICALLY, WE WOULDN'T HAVE NOTICED THIS. THE BOARD WOULD HAVE APPROVED IT.

I, THE CHAIRMAN WOULD HAVE SIGNED IT. IT WOULD HAVE GONE TO OSC AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE REJECTED IT THEN.

YEAH. AND SO IT WAS GOING TO GET REJECTED ANYWAY.

IT JUST GOT REJECTED FURTHER DOWN THE LINE. AND SO I THINK IN A PERFECT WORLD BEFORE, WHENEVER THEY COME THROUGH IN OSC MAKES THEIR COMMENT, WHETHER IT'S US OR SOMEONE ELSE TO THEN FLAG THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY, LIKE, HEY, OSC MADE THIS COMMENT. THEY'RE SAYING WE SHOULD REJECT THIS.

DO YOU WANT TO GO IN AND DO A NEW PERSONAL ACTION FORM ON THIS, KEYING IT IN DIFFERENTLY SO THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO REJECT IT.

I BELIEVE GOING FORWARD IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM THIS MORNING.

BUT TO REITERATE, AS BEST AS I CAN TELL, THE OLD WAY WOULD HAVE JUST HAD THIS REJECTED BY THE OFFICE OF STATE EXAMINER ANYWAY.

IT JUST WOULD HAVE GOTTEN REJECTED 2 WEEKS FROM NOW INSTEAD OF REJECTED THIS MORNING.

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THERE WERE A HANDFUL THAT WERE RED FLAGGED JUST AUTOMATICALLY, BUT THERE WERE 2 AND MISS SHAWANDA.

THIS IS WHERE I'LL WE'LL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MINUTES ARE CLEAR.

THE 2 THAT I CLOCKED AND I WROTE THEM DOWN. BUT THE, I SAY THAT BECAUSE I WAS WRITING IT QUICKLY AND MY HANDWRITING, I WANT TO MAKE SURE.

SO IT IS.

AND THE SECOND IS BLAINE NANCE. BLAINE NANCE.

THEY BOTH HAD NOTES FROM THE OFFICE OF STATE EXAMINERS THAT THEY SHOULD BE REJECTED AND RECODED AS PAY CHANGES.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS A NEW SYSTEM, BUT IT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION THAT WE AS THE BOARD VOTE TO APPROVE, ASSUMING I BELIEVE THAT, BECAUSE NORMALLY YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES THAT REVIEW THEM, EVERYONE ELSE'S LOOKS GOOD. ALL OTHER. OKAY, THEN MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT WE APPROVE ALL BUT THOSE 2 AND ASK POLICE TO RESUBMIT THOSE AS THE PROPERLY CODED ITEM. I AGREE. OKAY THEN AS CHAIR, LET ME SEE HOW THIS AGENDA ITEM IS CURRENTLY WORDED.

SO LET'S JUST CONSIDER A MOTION TO APPROVE OR REJECT. THEN I WOULD THE CHAIR MOVES TO REJECT THE PERSONAL ACTION FORMS FOR SHERWIN BROOKS AND BLAINE NANCE AND APPROVE ALL OTHER PERSONAL ACTION FORMS. DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND MOTION BY THE CHAIR, SECOND BY MR. RICKS. ANY OBJECTION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES.

AGENDA ITEM 6. CONSIDER. MOTION TO REVIEW/ACCEPT APPLICATIONS IN THE BATON ROUGE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS,

[6. Consider Motion to Review/ Accept Applications in the BRFD for: • Hazardous Materials Chief • Fire Services and Supply Technician]

DO WE HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT. I KNOW EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THERE ARE SOME THAT NEED TO BE PULLED BACK OR.

SO IF I COULD HAVE A MOTION ON THAT. I MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.

CHIEF AND FIRE SERVICE SUPPLY TECHNICIAN FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

MOTION. MOTION BY MR. FLEMING. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL. SECOND. SECOND BY MR. RICKS. ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES. AGENDA ITEM 7. CONSIDER A MOTION TO REVIEW/SLASH ACCEPT TEST SCORES IN THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR POLICE CAPTAIN.

[7. Consider Motion to Review/ Accept Test Scores in the BRPD for: • Police Captain]

LOOK AT ME, LEARNING.

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AND TO WEAR INTO THE GARAGE. IT GOT ME INTO THE BUILDING.

I LET ME IN, BUT IT DID GET ME TO THE THIRD FLOOR.

THERE YOU GO. REVIEWING TEST SCORES.

AND I EVEN REMEMBERED WHICH AGENDA ITEM OPENED THE ENVELOPE THIS TIME.

LOOK AT ME. LEARNING.

AND JUDGE THE ONLY THE ONLY AGENDA ITEM. THAT WAS KIND OF OF ANY NOTE WHILE YOU WERE GONE.

WERE YOU IN HERE EARLIER WHEN I WAS DISCUSSING THE, THE NEW SYSTEM AND OSC FLAGGING SOME FOR.

SO THERE WERE IN MY REVIEW OF IT THIS MORNING, THERE WERE 2 INDIVIDUALS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WERE EVEN AFTER EVERYONE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT APPROVED IT ALL THE WAY UP.

THE LAST NOTE BEFORE SHAWNDA PUT IT ON OUR AGENDA OR ASSIGNED IT TO ME TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA WAS FROM OSC SAYING THAT THEY SHOULD BE REJECTED AND RECODED AS PAY CHANGES AS OPPOSED TO OTHER CODING.

SO THE MOTION THAT WAS MADE WAS TO REJECT THOSE 2, APPROVE ALL OTHERS.

AND SO JUST BEING, THAT'S THE ONLY KIND OF NON PRO FORMA ITEM.

I JUST WANTED TO FLAG YOU ON THAT. SO THEN IT JUST GOES TO THE DEPARTMENT AND THEN THEY I BELIEVE SO.

AND I'LL ASK YOU TO JUST KIND OF GIVE A HEADS UP.

SO THAT WAY THEY CAN RESUBMIT IT ASAP. AND. I'M NOT REAL BRIGHT.

I'M NOT REAL BRIGHT. FORTUNATELY, OUR COUNT IS THE SAME.

AND SO WHAT WAS OPENED AND REVIEWED WERE THE GRADES FROM THE POLICE CAPTAIN EXAMINATION ADMINISTERED ON AUGUST 27TH, 2026. THE COUNT WAS 13. INDIVIDUALS PASSED, 0 DID NOT PASS AND 2 DID NOT SHOW.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THESE TEST SCORES? I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE TEST SCORES FOR BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICE CAPTAIN MOTION BY MR. RICKS. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? SECOND BY MR. FLEMING. ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES.

AGENDA ITEM 8. WELL, ACTUALLY, LET ME PUT THESE BACK AWAY.

AGENDA ITEM 8. CONSIDER. MOTION TO SCHEDULE. APPEAL OF SERGEANT CHAD MONTGOMERY. ITEM NUMBER 0526 FOR NOVEMBER 23RD,

[8. Consider Motion to Schedule Appeal of Sergeant Chad Montgomery, IA No: 005~26 for November 23, 2026.]

THE PARTIES HAD A SCHEDULING CONFLICT. THEY ASKED FOR 1 CONTINUANCE.

AS CHAIR, I'M ALLOWED TO GIVE GRANT OR DENY ONE CONTINUANCE WITHOUT BRING IT BEFORE THE BOARD.

THAT CONTINUANCE WAS GRANTED AND THEY HAVE JOINTLY REQUESTED TO RESCHEDULE FOR THE NOVEMBER 23RD, 2026 DATE. WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, THE CHAIR MOVES TO SCHEDULE THE APPEAL OF SERGEANT CHAD MONTGOMERY FOR NOVEMBER 23RD, 2026. DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY MR. FLEMING? ANY OBJECTION? HEARING NONE. MOTION CARRIES.

AGENDA ITEM 9. HEAR REPORT FROM BOARD MEMBERS CONCERNING SEARCH FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR BOARD OPERATIONS.

[9. Hear Report from Board Members Concerning Search for Reasonable Accommodations for Board Operations.]

I THINK YOU WERE AT THAT LAST MEETING, OR AT LEAST MR. BARROW TOLD ME THAT YOU WERE AT THAT LAST MEETING. YES.

SO MR. BERAUD AND I ATTENDED A MEETING WITH THE DPW HEAD OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING TO A BUILDING ON I BELIEVE IT'S ON 3RD STREET.

IT'S GOING TO BE WITH THE 2ND DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE MOVING THERE AS WELL.

SO WE'LL HAVE A SECTION ON THE S2ND FLOOR. WE'LL HAVE A SEPARATE ENTRANCE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE TO COME IN.

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WE WILL HAVE A ELEVATOR THAT WE SHARE. WE'LL HAVE THE FILE ROOMS THAT WE NEED AND THE OFFICES THAT WE NEED AND THE RECEPTION AREA. SO THERE IS THERE IS A PARKING LOT AT THE BUILDING.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SPOTS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, BUT THERE'S ALSO PARKING ACROSS THE STREET AS WELL.

I WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S A PARKING GARAGE ACROSS THE STREET AS WELL.

ALSO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO MAYBE HAVE A PLACE FOR US TO HAVE MEETINGS THERE, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE RECORDING IF SO, IF THAT HAPPENS. I KNOW THAT THAT WOULD ADD COMPLEXITY POTENTIALLY DEPENDING ON HOW IT'S WIRED AND ALL OF THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE A PROBLEM FOR US TO STILL HAVE MEETINGS HERE.

AND BEING IT SO CLOSE, I ASSUME THAT WOULD BE NO ISSUE FOR YOU KIND OF COMING BACK.

YEAH. SO MY INCLINATION WOULD BE TO CONTINUE HERE WITH THE MEETINGS.

AND THEN ONCE WE'RE KIND OF FULLY MOVED IN, FULLY COMFORTABLE, ALL OF THAT, WE CAN THEN EXAMINE TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S MERIT.

BECAUSE YEAH, PARKING IS ALWAYS INTERESTING. IT IS ALWAYS INTERESTING.

SO WE CAN KIND OF GO FROM THERE. THOUGH THE PARKING IS A GOOD POINT IF, MISS SHAWANDA WHENEVER YOU ARE COORDINATING WITH THEM.

IF YOU COULD TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT IF IF AT ALL REASONABLE, IF WE DO HAVE AT LEAST A FEW DESIGNATED PARKING SPOTS NOT ONLY FOR YOU AND THE IN AND OUT OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, BUT ALSO A FEW SPOTS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING WITH BUSINESS FOR THE BOARD, BECAUSE GENERALLY, WE'RE USUALLY NOT GOING TO HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP AT ONCE. WE DON'T NEED A BUNCH OF SPOTS, BUT HAVING A FEW DESIGNATED. SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE ONE, TWO, THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN AND DROPPING THINGS OFF HAVE SOMEWHERE TO PARK WOULD WOULD BE HELPFUL. DOES ANYONE OR ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MISS HARRIS? IS THERE A TIME FRAME? THE TIME FRAME THAT I'M AWARE OF IS.

THE END OF THE YEAR, THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO GO TOO FAR INTO THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE IT IS AN EXISTING BUILDING.

IT'S JUST KIND OF AN INTERNAL BUILD OUT. RIGHT.

AND WHEN I SPOKE WITH BERAUD, HE SAID THE SAME, I THINK THEY WERE ORIGINALLY TARGETING THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT WE'RE NOW FLIRTING WITH THE END OF THE YEAR, SO I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE WE ARE NO LONGER IN THE FIGHTING FOR SPACE.

RIGHT. STAGE OF THE PLAN. NOW IT'S THE WAITING FOR THE BUILD OUT STAGE OF THE PLAN.

SO THIS IS VERY, VERY GOOD PROGRESS AND IN CLOSE PROXIMITY FOR THESE MEETINGS AND ALL OF THAT.

SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. HONESTLY JUST SEEMS LIKE THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS.

HAVE YOU ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO, I GUESS, LOOK AT THE SITE? I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S GOT TO BE MORE OF A BUILD OUT, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST GOING OFF OF WHAT LIKE THE DESIGN IS.

YES. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT THE SITE.

I AM GOING TO REQUEST TO BE ABLE TO GO AND LOOK AT IT.

AND I WILL SEND AN EMAIL REGARDING THE PARKING SPACES, BUT.

WELL, AND WHENEVER YOU DO IT, IF YOU COULD, IF I CAN, I'D LIKE I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU SCHEDULE AROUND ME, BUT IF I CAN MAKE IT, I'D LIKE TO MAKE IT WITH YOU. WE DID SEE SOME BLUEPRINTS, THOUGH.

OKAY. OKAY. SO IT SEEMS FEASIBLE. YOU DO? IT'S A DECENT SIZED BUILDING.

IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH IS BEING USED BY OTHER.

LIKE THE 1ST FLOOR. I DON'T REMEMBER. THE 2ND FLOOR IS GOING TO BE THE 2ND DISTRICT.

AND OUR DEPARTMENT. AND THEN ON THE 3RD FLOOR, IT'S BEING USED FOR A TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

IT'S NOT FOR CITY PARISH AT ALL. THE 3RD FLOOR.

ANYTHING ELSE? HEARING NONE. AGENDA ITEM 9 IS JUST INFORMATIONAL, SO NO NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON THAT.

DOES ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER OR STAFF HAVE ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO ADDRESS BEFORE WE ADJOURN? HEARING NONE. AGENDA ITEM 10. CONSIDER MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.

THE CHAIR SO MOVES. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? SECOND. BY MR. LEMING. ANY OBJECTION? HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.