EAST PROVIDENCE — After weeks of speculation, qualms over the recent fire department recruitment process were finally aired publicly during the city council meeting held Tuesday night, Feb. 7.

The matter came to light with a letter penned by Human Resources Director Kathleen Waterbury taking issue with the process, which began in June of 2016, and noting it had been deemed void due to a number of deficiencies cited by the city’s personnel hearing board. The board’s decision was based, in part, because the original posting of the academy was allegedly done incorrectly and that the minimum test score was improperly lowered.

In spite of that, however, applicants involved were notified about their acceptance into the upcoming academy, a course of study that was supposed to start in the coming days. Instead, administrators decided to repost the academy notice with an eye towards holding the next academy in June of this year. The new academy notice was actually posted earlier in the day on February 7.

In defending the decisions made on the matter, acting city manager Tim Chapman said the personnel hearing board had met twice in open session to discuss the situation, though the minutes of those meetings were not as of yet approved or posted by the board. He also said the list of approved applicants, against claims to the contrary, had not been certified and no letters of acceptance should have been sent out.

Mr. Chapman specifically cited city ordinance 11-64, which states the advertising notice must be published in a “general circulation newspaper” within the city. Also according to the ordinance, he said the minimum score earned by each applicant must be “70 percent.”

Councilors Bobby Britto and Joe Botelho took exception to Mr. Chapman’s claims. Mr. Britto noted the advertisement for the academy was posted in several locations both inside and out of the city. Mr. Botelho went so far as to hold up a copy of the monthly publication, “The Reporter,” where the advertisement was placed. He noted The Reporter is sent to every home in the city.

“If that’s not a general circulation publication, then I don’t know what is,” Mr. Botelho said.

On the test scores, it was said the minimum score was lowered to 65 percent from 70. It was speculated then interim HR director Ray Benoit had the made the decision, but no one at Tuesday’s meeting would confirm that point. Mr. Chapman said he would decline to comment because the decision was made by the personnel hearing board, which has purview over the process, and that because most matters of personnel could not be discussed in an open session without proper posting. Mr. Botelho also questioned whether it was not the prerogative of the human resources director to change the test score, to which Mr. Chapman again refused to answer saying it was a “personnel matter.”

“We’re not going to hide behind that,” Mr. Botelho said, chiding Mr. Chapman’s response. He added, noting the amount of overtime needed to cover the lack of manpower in the fire department which required the academy initially, “It’s the taxpayers who are paying the freight on this.”

According to EPFD Chief Oscar Elmasian his department is three members below full staffing of 122. To date in the current fiscal year, which began on November 1, 2016, the department has paid $610,000 in overtime.

The council discussion also included whether or not the city could face legal ramifications about the decision either way, whether a suit could be filed by those applicants already accepted or those that could claim to have been wronged by the process.

Ultimately, the decision of the personnel board and the HR director remained. The plan is to restart the application process then hold the academy in the summer. In a move made to assuage some of the existing applicants concerns, Mr. Chapman said they would not have to pay for a second time the $30 fee required with their applications.