Bellingham Civil Service Commission

The Bellingham Civil Service Commission held its January reorganization meeting, re-electing its current leadership and processing three employee reinstatement requests following budget-driven layoffs. The brief 15-minute session unanimously approved placing three former Parks Department employees on reinstatement registers after their positions were eliminated as part of budgetary reductions on December 31, 2025. The three employees — Greg Hope (Education Programs and Activity Coordinator), Sam Vita (Park Ambassador), and Cami Serena (Park Ambassador) — were all working in regular non-benefited positions under the 1937 contract when their roles were cut. While their positions were technically classified under civil service, their employment status as regular non-benefited employees meant they weren't covered by civil service protections during the reduction in force. Human Resources Manager Angela Beatty explained that all three employees demonstrated qualifications for the classifications they're seeking on reinstatement registers. However, she noted that for the two former park ambassadors, the specific job duties they performed no longer exist in the city structure, so they're seeking placement in classifications that better match their field experience and skill sets.

**Greg Hope Reinstatement Request:** - **Vote:** 4-0 approval (1 absent) - **Action:** Placed on reinstatement register for Program Assistant classification - **Finding:** Determined to be in the best interest of civil service **Sam Vita Reinstatement Request:** - **Vote:** 4-0 approval (1 absent) - **Action:** Placed on reinstatement register for Park Worker classification - **Finding:** Determined to be in the best interest of civil service **Cami Serena Reinstatement Request:** - **Vote:** 4-0 approval (1 absent) - **Action:** Placed on reinstatement register for Natural Resources Worker 1 and 2 classifications - **Finding:** Determined to be in the best interest of civil service **Leadership Elections:** - **Chair:** Knitson re-elected unanimously - **Chair Pro Tem:** Julie re-elected unanimously **November 12th Minutes:** Approved unanimously

**Angela Beatty, explaining employment status complexity:** "They were both regular non-benefit for the covered other service... their position as it's classified is civil service. So for example, when you look at, for I'll use Greg, when Greg in his position as education programs and activity coordinator, that position is covered under civil service, but he sits in the position as a regular non-benefited employee, and therefore he was not covered under the rights of civil service." **Cami Serena, on her career goals:** "I'm just excited about an opportunity to keep working with the city and keep advancing in my career in natural resource management and learning new skills, getting some new certs." **Greg (Employee), proposing budget solution:** "I dare say, if it can be postponed for two months, that would cover my wages for the next year. And so I didn't want to walk through the door without some kind of creative solution to offer." **Commissioner, clarifying competitive concerns:** "So they're all entry level positions. And so they're not competing, as it were, against somebody who who's already been a union civil service employed with this city." **Chair, congratulating applicants:** "Congratulations to all three of you."