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06-21-2000 ..... ...." City of Edgewater Personnel Advisory Committee June 21, 2000 Minutes A meeting of the City of Edge water Personnel Advisory Committee was called to order at 2:02 p.rn. on June 21,2000 in the City Hall Conference Room. ROLL CALL: Deborah Sigler, Chairman Tracey Barlow Jack DeRosier Patricia Hayes Calvin Ayers Thomas Smith Present Present Present Present Present Present Also present were Kenneth Hooper, City Manager and JoAnn Richard, Recording Secretary. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: A Motion was made by Patricia Hayes to approve the minutes from the meeting held on March 22, 2000 with a second by Tom Smith. Motion CARRIED 5-0. COMMUNICA TIONSIREPORTS: In reference to the Memo to the City Manager regarding a City Wellness Program for interested City employees, Deborah Sigler explained that Jack Corder thought the City should hold off on negotiating at this time with the YM.C.A. Jack felt we should wait until the YM.C.A. moved into our building. Mr. Hooper suggested approaching the YM.C.A. now to get the proposed cost for the Wellness Program so it can be budgeted in the new budget. NEW BUSINESS: Deborah asked if there were any new problems with the City's policies, etc. Calvin Ayers said that some employees have expressed concerns regarding the General Employee's Pension meetings, and how the pension figures are determined. -1- ~ .."", Deborah suggested holding a meeting with all general employees so they could ask questions regarding their pension. The employees should relay their concerns to their Pension Board Members for discussion at the regular General Employee's Pension meeting. The board normally meets twice a year, the second Wednesday in May and November. The board secretary sends the minutes along with the account summaries out to about ten different locations in the City for posting, and to the board members Jack DeRosier said some employees asking how the General Employee's Pension works. Since there is no new money coming in they're concerned about their retirement. Deborah explained that it is the City's obligation to keep the plan funded. Mr. Hooper confirmed that they are guaranteed penSIOns. Patricia Hayes questioned why the pay grades were not on the job postings. Deborah explained that one advertisement is used for all openings, and outside job applicants don't understand the pay grades. The postings show the salary range for each position open. She also stated that the grades are written on the ads or job descriptions in the departments before they are posted on the board.. Patricia said that some employees suggested that the City should hold semi-annual meetings for all employees with an open communication forum. Chief Barlow thought it would be a good idea to make the employees aware of upcoming plans for the City. Jack DeRosier stated that the only way most employees would show up for that type of meeting was if it was held during working hours. Ken Hooper explained that the reason they hold Staff meetings is for the purpose of information filtering back to employees. Tom Smith stated that since he has been employed by the City there has been "Suggestion Boxes", and there has never been anything in them. He also said that in the past no one has showed up for meetings like that. He added that his supervisors keep them informed of what's going on. Deborah said if an employee wants to express their concerns about a particular benefit, we could invite them to attend our Personnel Advisory meetings for an open discussion. We want to get employees ideas. She has held benefit meetings in the past, and if they were not mandatory, very few employees would show up. Calvin Ayers said people are questioning how to calculate if they retire on a particular date how much they would have to subsidize into their 457 Plan to have what they'll need at retirement. -2- ~ ...." Deborah said we would inquire of Jack Ascher!, and Principal to see when the latest figures will be ready. A meeting is scheduled for the second or third week in July, and it may be decided at that time when we could have Mr. Ascher! or Principal's Representative meet with all employees to go over all the Pension information. Patricia Hayes suggested having a City picnic so that we could create a family like atmosphere. Jack DeRosier explained that we have done that in the past, and not even one third of the employees showed up. Jack DeRosier inquired as to whether or not retirees still received insurance after they retire, and if they have to pay for it? Deborah explained that all employees have the option to choose COBRA which means stay on our insurance, but pay for it themselves. There is a time limit on the coverge, except for retirees who can stay on the City's plan forever. Jack stated that some employees were inquiring whether they could contribute towards their pension to supplement the cost of insurance after they retire, or if the City would contribute toward that cost. Deborah explained again that employees need to attend the General Employee's Pension Board meetings when the insurance agent is present to ask these questions. The Principal representative is looking into whether the General Employees could change to the 40la Plan where they could contribute to their pension, if they want to. As soon as we can get a date for a membership meeting notices will be put out and time allowed for employees to attend. MISCELLANEOUS: Deborah suggested we refer back to the continued discussion of "Use of City Property" from the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual. The committee was going to work on the language from the paragraph that reads "Negligence in the use and care of City property, including abuse, misuse, willful or negligent loss or destruction will result in the employee being responsible for the first two hundred dollars for the repairs or replacement of the City property. Said negligence may result in disciplinary action, the requirement for further restitution or prosecution". She said it was her understanding that if a person was deemed by their supervisor to be negligent that they could be disciplined and made to pay at least the first two hundred dollars, and this was not what was intended. City Manager Hooper said his thoughts were "up to two hundred dollars if they were deemed negligent". That is not the way it reads. Jack DeRosier asked if we were taking away the disciplinary action of a three day suspension with or without pay? If he is not getting paid the incident is going to cost him close to four hundred dollars. -3- ..., ...., Chief Barlow suggested changing the wording to "up to two hundred dollars for the repairs or replacement of the City property. Said negligence may also result in other disciplinary action"... He also asked Deborah if the Personnel Advisory Committee had been adopted as a policy into the Personnel Polices and Procedures for the City. Deborah responded that it is in the first section of the Personnel Polices and Procedures Manual. Chief Barlow felt that it conflicted with Section 13, "Employee Grievance Policy". Unless there is a difference between grievance and appeal A grievance is a form of appeal, and it would be duplicated. City Manager Hooper explained that for those who have their own Unions, they would go through the City's set of hearings and the Union representative may want to challenge it. That would be a different grievance and process they're entitled to. Chief Barlow questioned the fact that if a department is not unionized they only have the appeals process, but not a second chance at a grievance hearing. City Manager Hooper explained that the employee would still have a third appeal, they could go to court. He didn't feel like there is a big difference in the union or not union appeals process. Mr. Hooper said he would like the unions to go away, but the employees need to have a strong and clear policy so someone wouldn't be giving up their rights. The reason for this committee would be to make a recommendation as to policies and benefits as well as an appeal. Chief Barlow suggested changing the sections in the Personnel Policy and Procedure Manual regarding the Personnel Advisory Committee which is in the first section to include the Committee's function in the grievance procedure. City Manager Hooper suggested Deborah go through the manual and make any updates needed. Deborah said that there has already been one case where an employee was found negligent, and he forfeited vacation time in lieu of paying cash money. Some people may not feel that is fair, but it is up to the Department Head's discretion. This section needs to be amended as soon as possible. Jack DeRosier said until the language is clear, he won't give any information to his employees. He felt that forfeiting vacation time is still paying restitution. Deborah explained that she would go through the Policy and Procedure Manual and make the changes being discussed. She would bring the changes back to the Committee for their review, and she felt that it needed to go before the City Council since they adopted it to begin with. The changes will be sent out with each employee's paycheck so they would be informed. -4- .-- ...., Chief Barlow questioned ifit was ever decided that ifan employee had an incident involving damage was a drug test needed. Deborah explained that anytime an employee had an incident involving a workers compensation claim, regardless of the extent of damage to City property or injury they incur they still have to take a drug test. The Drug Free Work Program requires it. If a City employee is involved in an incident where no one is hurt, but there is minor damage to City property they do not have to take a drug test. If there is damage in the amount of two hundred dollars or more they need to take a drug test. If a City employee has an incident where a citizen is involved the employee needs to take a drug test for his own protection in case there is a law suit where accusations could be made against him. Every scenario is different. The supervisors have to decide these things. She also stated that before anyone comes off probation they have to get a drug test, according to current policy. Calvin Ayers asked if any employee could attend the General Employees Pension meeting. He stated that employees have been telling him they didn't know what was going on with their pension. Deborah said everyone is welcome, and she would like to see more employees attending. ADJOURNMENT: Jack DeRosier made a motion to adjourn seconded by Patricia Hayes. Motion CARRIED 5-0. Minutes submitted by: JoAnn Richard, Recording Secretary -5-