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08-28-1991 CITY OF EDGEWATER MERIT BOARD WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1991 7:00 P.M. CITY HALL CONFERENCE ROOM CALL TO ORDER: The Regular Meeting of the Merit Board was called to order at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28, 1991 in the City Hall Conference Room. ROLL CALL: Members present were: Ms. Shirley Roberts, Ms. Jan Morris, Ms. CeCe Stevens, Ms. Erna Cook, and Ms. Doris Patterson. Also present was Harry Jones. Sergeant Larry Westfall arrived at 7:22 p.m. Also present was Recording Secretary Lisa Kruckmeyer. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Ms. Morris stated on page 4, three paragraphs from the bottom it states Chairman Patterson made a motion. She stated she doesn't think this is supposed to be in the form of a motion. Ms. Roberts stated she made the motion. She also stated it should say Chairman Patterson made recommendation because the next paragraph states the board went back to the first motion which read Ms. Roberts made a recommendation that Mr. Looney receives his 4% merit raise unless the supervisor can bring documented facts why he should not. It should state motion instead of recommendation. Ms. Roberts made a motion to make corrections, seconded by Ms. Stevens. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Ms. Morris made a motion to accept the minutes as amended, seconded by Ms. Roberts. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Request for Legal Clarification of Merit Board Duties Update Chairman Patterson stated she understands the new attorney starts September 16th. She stated a cover memo to the attorney should be submitted attaching the original package sent to the Acting Attorney asking for her response and inviting and welcoming her to visit the Merit Board. Ms. Morris stated she doesn't know how the attorney is to be paid and if they can invite her to attend board meetings without prior approval since she is under contract. Ms. Stevens stated she is under salary for the city. Chairman Patterson stated she is an employee of the city and her time is theirs. Ms. Stevens so moved Chairman Patterson's request seconded by Ms. Morris. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Presentation from PBA Union Representative, Larry Westfall Chairman Patterson stated Mr. Westfall was not there so they will take no action on this item. Drug Testing Again, Chairman Patterson stated Mr. Westfall was not there so they will take no action on this item. Follow -up work on past Merit Board recommendations that may be incomplete so that appropriate and final action may be taken (does not include grievances) Wastewater Plant Operator Trainee Grade 7 Ms. Stevens made a motion to accept the Wastewater Plant Operator Trainee Grade 7, seconded by Ms. Roberts. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Concession Stand Worker Grade 1 Ms. Roberts made a motion to accept the Concession Stand Worker Grade 1, seconded by Ms. Stevens. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Code Enforcement Officer Grade 11 Ms. Morris made a motion to accept the Code Enforcement Officer Grade 11, seconded by Ms. Stevens. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Add Water Plant Operator Class A Grade 14 to Water Plant Operators Class B and C Ms. Stevens made a motion to add a Water Plant Operator Class A with a Grade 14 to the present Class B and C, seconded by Ms. Morris. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Add Wastewater Plant Operator Class A with a Grade 14 Ms. Stevens made a motion to add a Wastewater Plant Operator Class A with a Grade 14, seconded by Ms. Roberts. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Add a Wastewater Plant Operator Class B with a Grade 13 to the present Class C Ms. Stevens made a motion to add a Wastewater Plant Operator Class B with a Grade 13 to the present Class C, seconded by Ms. Roberts. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Fire Lieutenant Grade 19 Ms. Morris stated this job description seems too lengthy. Ms. Stevens made a motion to return this job description to the Fire Chief for editing, seconded by Ms. Morris. Motion CARRIED 4 -1. Ms. Roberts voted NO. She stated this is the first thing she has seen that defines the position. Firefighter /E.M.T. Grade 12 The Board decided this was also too lengthy and should also be returned to the Fire Chief for editing. Ms. Stevens made a motion to return this job description to the Fire Chief for editing, seconded by Ms. Morris. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Chairman Patterson stated the secretary would do a memo to the Mayor and Council stating these job descriptions were accepted at the August 28, 1991 meeting of the Merit Board. Sergeant Larry Westfall arrived at 7:22. Mr. Harry Jones left at 7:22 p.m. Presentation from PBA Union Representative, Larry Westfall Mr. Westfall gave his presentation of the PBA (Police Benevolent Association. He thanked the Merit Board for having him. He stated the City has a nice Acting City Manager and an outstanding Police Chief. Ms. Stevens asked Mr. Westfall if all policemen in Edgewater are members of the PBA. Mr. Westfall stated without the figures in front of him he would say approximately 36 are. Mr. Westfall stated the dues are $21 a month. Chairman Patterson asked Mr. Westfall how the PBA addresses drug testing. Mr. Westfall stated it is a workable program to protect the citizens. Page 2 Merit Board August 28, 1991 Ms. Stevens asked if the police are tested before they are hired. Mr. Westfall stated yes. Ms. Stevens asked if there is periodic testing. Mr. Westfall stated no because they would have to look at legality. Ms. Stevens asked if they are tested yearly. Mr. Westfall stated no, you might get by with random testing but past litigations would cause a problem. Ms. Stevens stated so they are only tested once or if there is probable cause. Mr. Westfall stated yes if there is probable cause, the police have two options, seek care or be dismissed. Chairman Patterson stated all the union contracts seem to have the same rule of thumb. Everyone is drug tested when hired or if there is probable cause. Chairman Patterson stated she enjoyed the presentation and thanked Mr. Westfall for coming. At that time, Mr. Westfall passed out stickers. He thanked the Board for having him and left at 7:57 p.m. Status of Employee Manual Chairman Patterson stated the manual is with the Volusia County Public Employee Association. She stated it is still being looked at and if there is further action Mrs. Wadsworth would let her know. The Board recessed at 8:00 p.m. The meeting resumed at 8:05 p.m. NEW BUSINESS: Supervisory Documentation Chairman Patterson stated when someone works for you an employee performance log should be kept. This would have been important in some of the grievance decisions. Ms. Stevens felt the department heads should keep a performance log. Mrs. Roberts also agreed. She stated if you are going to keep a log of the good things you also have an option of keeping record of the things that were not as good, then you have a date and time and you can talk to that person. Ms. Cook stated she doesn't agree. It creates more problems than it solves. You scrutinize the employee and the management. If you have accepted the management then you should accept their qualifications. Ms. Stevens stated when there is a grievance, if there is a performance log there would be documentation for the Merit Board to help settle that grievance. Ms. Morris stated she feels a majority of the supervisors do document quite a bit. Chairman Patterson stated if you don't have a written document, then you don't have anything except what you say. Ms. Roberts stated two supervisors who have been to the Merit Board have said they prefer the documentation. Ms. Roberts stated they should make a recommendation to the City Manager to revisit this idea and meet with the supervisors to discuss whether they feel this might be a good idea. Chairman Patterson stated when you are documenting, she thinks supervisors need appropriate training to document objectively and not have I like you and I don't like you. Page 3 Merit Board August 28, 1991 Ms. Roberts made a motion to suggest to the City Manager that he would meet with supervisors and revisit options of keeping documentation on employees for future use for evaluations. She stated this needs to be the good and the objective, seconded by Ms. Stevens. Motion CARRIED 3 -2. Ms. Cook and Ms. Morris voted NO. Ms. Morris stated she feels regardless of how much you may not want it to, there are going to be too many personalities that come into it. Chairman Patterson stated a memo would be sent to Mr. Munoz and copies to go to the Mayor and Council. Ms. Roberts stated this is a supervisory tool. Ms. Stevens explained a situation where an employee performance log would have been helpful. Ms. Stevens stated there was a City Manager who stated no one gets a 4% unless they can walk on water. Set up date for workshop on ordinance re: job descriptions Chairman Patterson stated there are a lot of gaps in the system now where department heads do not have specific job descriptions for each position. She stated she was told they need to create an ordinance. She would like to set up workshop so the Board can focus on one thing. The Board decided they would have a workshop on September 23, 1991 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room. Ms. Stevens made that motion, seconded by Ms. Morris. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Chairman Patterson stated they would write an ordinance that all department heads write job descriptions for each position in their department. Chairman Patterson stated this will eliminate problems you get with grievances. Memo to all relevant parties re: Looney grievance Chairman Patterson stated the Board had received a memo from Mr. Looney and he had accepted his 3% merit increase. DISCUSSION ITEMS /CORRESPONDENCE Karen Rickelman Chairman Patterson stated they received a memo from Mr. Munoz requesting an upgrade from a 17 to a 19 for Ms. Rickelman. Chairman Patterson stated looking at the Cody Report every grade 19 was an assistant. She stated she feels a new position needs to be created. She stated they should not upgrade, they should change her title to Assistant Director of Finance. Chairman Patterson stated the problem with upgrade this to a 19 is if a person comes in and is doing the work of the Finance Officer they would not have or need the extent of the skills she has. Ms. Roberts made a motion to rather than reclassify the Finance Officer from a Grade 17 to a Grade 19 they recommend a new classification be created for the Finance Officer and the title be changed to Assistant Finance Director Grade 19, seconded by Ms. Stevens. Motion CARRIED 5 -0. Page 4 Merit Board ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, Ms. Stevens made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Ms. Morris. The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Lisa Kruckmeyer Page 5 Merit Board August 28, 1991