2024-05-24 Merit Appeals Board Minutes

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Merit Appeals Board May 24, 2024 MS. TAVARES: I'm not sure the procedure and I apologize for it, but I believe the Appellant asked for a closed hearing. CHR. CABANAS: Closed hearing, exactly. The Appellant's name will not be on the minutes. MS. TAVARES: Okay, I just wasn't sure but I wanted to protect the Appellant (inaudible). CHR. CABANAS: Oh, no, of course —we need to protect the Appellant's identity but because I'm because the Appellant is here, I want to personally address the Appellant — MR. WISEMAN: Madam Chair? CHR. CABANAS: Yes? MR. WISEMAN: Excuse me, but is a closed hearing a prerogative of either parry or just the Appellant? CHR. CABANAS: The Appellant. MR. WISEMAN: Okay. So, the Counsel, really, has no standing to request a closed hearing? CHR. CABANAS: No the Appellant. MS. TAVARES: I'm not requesting it. I just wantedI wasn't sure the Board's procedure in it. MR. WISEMAN: I see. Okay. MS. TAVARES: I've been in other boards and commissions where they kicked everyone out and I understand there's not much people here. But I just wanted to clarify `cause I saw that noted on the Appellant's appeal. I'm not asking for it. MR. WISEMAN: Oh, okay. Thank you. CHR. CABANAS: We don't have to close the hearing for now, but once the hearing is scheduled and ongoing, it will be closed. The doors will be locked —no one else will be in the room other than the Board, you, and the attorney. In fact, we do have a fact sheet that we are going to finalize today about the process involved for an appeal hearing, so that you can adequately —both parties —can adequately prepare for the appeal hearing. So, the Board has been working on that for a couple months and we're about ready to finalize it today. Yeah, so we will send it out to all appellants and to the Office of the Corporation Counsel. MS. TAVARES: Perfect. Thank you for the clarification. Page 11