Part 3 of 3 6:35pm
* Discussion
** Superintendent Search Update presented by HR director Mary Page
Page says the search is on schedule and briefly outlines the remaining steps. She notifies the commissioners that one of the three finalists, Dirk Richwine has withdrawn.
Page says interview with candidate Cristofer Gears will be at 5pm on November 30, and interview with candidate Jon Gurban will be at 6pm on November 30. These interviews are open to the public.
Berry Graves ask when the background check information will be given to the commissioners. The answer is Friday, November 26, the day after Thanksgiving, when the Park Board offices are closed.
Mason says that means they won't really receive the information until Monday, November 29 and that the board needs time to discuss it. Can the commissioners get this information sent to them at home so that they can get it soon enough? She asks if both candidates will be tested.
Page answers that only Gears needs to be tested because the testing company, DRI, says the test is valid for several years and Gurban took the test last year. Gurban has the choice of taking the test again if he wants. [Gurban took the test home last year when he took it -- hardly a controlled environment]
Mason says both candidates should take the test in the same manner and fashion.
Olson says that DRI is the experts on testing, etc. [but the answer they give to validity of past tests all depends on how the question is asked, doesn't it?]
Berry Graves asks if criminal background check will be NCIC or MnSUS[?] or both? She has professional concerns about the test; in her full time job they would not allow tests to be taken home, but instead require them to be taken in a controlled environment.
Hauser agrees with Mason and Berry Graves, and cites her professional background as well. She says "for the sake of appearances" Gurban's test should be repeated. Then she says something about data privacy not allowing the commissioners to see the results, and mentions federal law. [It's the State of Minnesota that has the applicable data privacy law, not the feds. Usually applicants sign a waiver allowing potential employer to see things precluded by law, anyway, just as you do when you visit your doctor because federal law actually does restrict who can see your medical records.]
Page points out that it is a management assessment test, not a psychological exam.
Siggelkow reiterates it is a managerial assessment and he has taken several of them.
Erwin addresses the concerns about these test no longer being on paper anymore but on computers and how can that be done in a controlled environment. He suggests the applicants can take the test in the same room at the Park Board, if need be. He agrees with Hauser that it needs to be consistent between candidates for appearance sake. He asks if they can talk to DRI, the testing group, to arrange it.
Berry Graves asks if Park Board might have a liability issue with using only a management assessment and not a psychological exam.
Page says no law requires it.
Berry Graves wants it on the record that the Park Board has required psychological testing in the past and have used a company called Barnett[?] to do it.
Young suggests that the board does not need to see the hard to get exam results before the November 30 interviews, but just before they actually make their decision. Actual vote on hiring will be done on December 8.
Page says testing takes about 6 hours each.
Young says the length of the testing makes it even more unrealistic to expect this be completed by the holidays. She asks how will the questions and interviews be handled?
Olson says we have discussed the management assessment tests. We will the interview questioning discussion as soon as possible.
Kummer says it is not essential to have testing done by November 30 as they have until December 8 to decide. She also wants to know how they will question the candidates.
Hauser agrees with Young and Kummer.
Olson says the other item on the agenda is a concern brought to him by Young about the charter commission and the work they are doing. Olson creates a committee composed of Young, Fine and Dziedzic to work with counsel Brian Rice in influencing the charter commission.
Young says that she has no exact date as to when this committee will get back to the board with a report due to unknowns at present, but that the committee will take care of what needs to be done post haste.
Olson says there will be a 5 minute recess before the long discussion of the questioning and interviewing of the candidates.
7:04pm
Olson calls the Regular Meeting back to order.
Dziedzic says that Hennepin County commissioner Peter McLaughlin has stated the County will put up $100,000 to go with $250,000 from the State to finish the study on completing the Grand Rounds.
Olson suggests the board meet next Wednesday, before Thanksgiving, to discuss the questions to be asked during the board interviews of the superintendent candidates.
Hauser immediately makes a motion to do just that.
Young, in a very emotional voice, says she is very opposed to the idea, she had planned for a very long time to be out of town that week.
Kummer says she understands Young's distress, but that they can take Young's questions [in writing] and treat them gently.
Hauser says she likewise understands Young and asks can't the discussion be held now?
Olson says that Young has her questions ready tonight, but sorry, it would be unfair to the others who have not yet prepared their questions.
Berry Graves says she will also be gone that day.
Mason says she thought that previous discussion had concluded that the list of questions would be the same as last time, but with the opportunity for each commissioner to choose one new question. [Yes, in fact that is exactly what was brought up by Young and Mason at the November 3 meeting.]
Hauser agrees with Mason and says they can either send their questions to Mary Page or discuss them next week.
Young points out that all of the commissioners had 2 weeks in which to prepare their individual single questions. She is very upset and says that while she had planned to be out of town that she thought this process was important enough that if they wanted to have their meeting next week, to go ahead. But she doesn't see why board members are not ready tonight...
Olson cuts her off, repeatedly stating that it is not on the agenda [which he determines] and tells Young she is out of order!
Berry Graves asks if there is a background question as to any felony or misdemeanor convictions, as is often the case on standard job applications.
Olson says Mary Page is gone, so too bad she didn't ask her question earlier.
Hauser moves that they use same list of questions as last time and add one question per commissioner to be sent to Mary Page.
Motion Passes unanimously. There will be NO meeting next week.
* Petitions and Communications
Mason received several letters, including one from CM Dean Zimmerman.
Hauser received a letter about young children playing on clay after a child broke a bone[?] while doing so.
Motion to Adjourn. Passes with Young opposed.
7:15pm - Adjourned
Reported by Chris Johnson, Fulton
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