Travis County Commissioners Court
September 16, 2008
Item A1
>> let's do a 1. That is to receive status report on outreach effort to recruit for the intergovernmental relations court, for the job vacancy and direction for scheduling the next steps in the selection process.
>> very quickly, the job was posted August 11th. It has been out for four weeks. To was posted open until filled. We did our traditional recruiting alternatives through channel 17 and traffic county website and an extensive list for both current and elected officials. We have 66 total applications that were received through Friday, September 12th. Hr has screened those applications and into two categories have identified those who met the minimum qualifications and those that met the preferred qualifications. A total of nine met the minimum qualifications, a total of seven met the preferred. Hr is recommending that the court considers the -- all of those who met the minimum qualifications, which would be those who met and those who exceeded, would be a total of 16 applicants out of the 66 we feel are qualified for the position. The reason we're saying that is the only distinction between those who met the preferred qualification is the master's degree. For those who met the minimum, it would have been having of course met the bachelor degree requirement. What we found when we screened the applications is there was a large number of individuals who met the minimum who had quality experience that was really consistent with those skills sets you were looking for. We are suggesting you look at all 16 of those applicants. With that, we are proposing the next step, that a selection committee be appointed to work through the 16 applications. Following that, there would be at least three to four levels of screening before the final level of recommending top candidates to the courts, for the court to interview and consider. We did not propose a schedule for you. Thinking that you would probably want to suggest that, but items on the second page of the back, you will see the various steps we delineated for you and you may consider.
>> will we get a one or two-word statement for the reasons why they did not meet the minimum qualifications?
>> why they did not meet the minimum qualifications?
>> I'm anticipating a few phone calls since there are so many of them. I would like to pull from the sheet and say you didn't meet this qualification.
>> we can provide you with that and we have that information available to share with you on a per candidate basis.
>> recommendation is that we take a closer look at the ones that met the preferred qualifications and the minimum, which that would be 16 as of today.
>> that is correct.
>> this is posted until filled. Can we get a posting deadline or application deadline?
>> it is always desirable to have a closing date. If we put a closing date in place, it would need to run the full course before you make a decision on it.
>> if we make a decision to have a deadline today, full course goes through what date?
>> whatever date you would want to establish it as. It could be that we could close it September 30th or we can keep it open another week. It is really your call in terms of when you want to close.
>> move that we do September 30th.
>> second.
>> we try to get this other work done between now and then.
>> okay.
>> if we can evaluate new applications that come in, we treat them in the same manner we treated these, put them into categories.
>> exactly.
>> if they fall into the meet minimum and preferred, treat them that way.
>> despite the fact that this is the particular of the particular motion, if we go to September 30th, can we still go ahead and have hr start the process on -- we can still move forward next week, say, with the selection of a committee and the identifying those who have met at least minimum criteria.
>> yes, we would continue to screen and you can go on and set the committee, because we can start forwarding the applications to you as we receive them.
>> okay.
>> so it won't slow down the process any to leave it open until September 30th?
>> no, not at all.
>> do we want to try to appoint the selection committee today?
>> it would be helpful to hr if a commit is appointed. It would help us move the applications that we have already screened for their consideration.
>> any recommendations as to what categories of occupation should be represented?
>> what departments, if not what persons.
>> I would direct those that have the most direct contact with the legislature, you would probably know those departments better than i. I think tnr would probably be one. I'm not really sure right off of what the others would be at this time. Modeling this committee from others that we have used to fill in vacancies of this level, there have been, in the past, some number of Commissioners who had sat on the committee, in addition to executive managers and others that you would designate. So I have no thoughts in terms of exactly what departments would be represented, I'm looking for direction from you on that.
>> then I would recommend Commissioner eckhardt and me. We have been -- I don't know whether the court appointed us to legislative committee or not. It looks like we have been functioning in that manner. Joe tisma.
>> should we consider legislative planning since so much deals with justice courts and funding?
>> roger jefferies or his designee. Someone from pcht po on it?
>> that would be good. Look you're out there. (chuckling).
>> let's do that then. Pbo?
>> that will give you five.
>> that would be enough. That would be inclusive if five more people show up to meet, let's get them to meet. We will start getting the applications out to those five.
>> move approval of that designated committee.
>> very good.
>> is that it?
>> second.
>> discussion? All those in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
>> could we vote on extending the deadline, or do we need to?
>> any objection? Let's do it.
>> great.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 2:37 AM