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City Council Minutes 03-24-2008 SpecialMINUTES SPECIAL MEETING - MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL Monday March 24, 2008 - 5 p.rn. Members Present: Clint Herbst, Wayne Mayer, Tom Ferrault and Susie Wojchouski. Members Absent: None. 1. Call to Order. Mayor Herbst called the meeting to order at 5 p.m. The purpose of the workshop meeting was to review and discuss the pay equity report and related issues. 2. Pav Epuity Reuort. Jeff O'Neill provided background on the process used in the pay equity study. The last pay equity study for the City was done in 1991. Employees have had an opportunity to preview the pay equity study and some adjustments were made based on comments that were received. There are still processes needing Council action that need to be completed. These actions are to: 1) Accept the pay equity report including the job descriptions; 2) Adopt the pay scale and method for switching from the old 2007 scale to the new 2007 wage scale and 3) Adopt the COLA for 200$. Sherrie Le reviewed the draft pay equity study. The report was based on information gathered from her meetings with employees and review of their job descriptions. The position evaluation was done using the modified Princeton system which focuses on five factors. Sherrie Le also pulled market information from comparable cities. In her report, Sherrie Le covered the restructuring of certain positions and how that impacts the overall organization of the city. The proposed changes have the Liquor Store and Deputy Registrar's office reporting to the Finance Director instead of the City Administrator. The 200$ budget had funds set aside for a Human Resources position. This position was one that generated considerable discussion. The Personnel Committee discussed various options for filling the Human Resources Manager position including hiring an entry level Human Resources person, hiring an experienced Human Resources person and having the MCC Director take on the duties. Human resources duties currently being done by the Finance Department and Deputy City Clerk will become the function of the Human Resources Manager. The Program and Projects Coordinator position will be filled by Cathy Shuman. Only 20% of this position's duties will be finance related. Other duties that maybe added to the position could include purchasing and animal control. The Community Development Coordinator was the position of greatest change. In the past Building and Zoning were under the Community Development Director. It was felt that Building Inspection, Zoning and Economic Development are compatible and should all be under the Community Development Coordinator. Tt is proposed that this will occur in three steps and the Community Development Coordinator will become the Community Development Director. The City Council will lank at different ways of doing economic development but no change is expected as long as the current Economic Development Director is still working. A Community DevelopmentlCity Engineer Assistant was budgeted far but the position will not be filled in 2008. The receptionist will be under the Community Development Coordinator and will provide staff support for the Community Development Coordinator position. There are also changes proposed for the liquor store. Currently both the Manager and Assistant Manager work days, Monday through Friday which Sherrie Le said was not typical of most liquor stores. The Personnel Committee felt it made more sense to have management cover more hours of operation and are recommending that there is less overlap in the hours that both the manager and assistant manager are on duty at the same time. Shexrie Le felt five full time employees for anoff--sale liquor store was too high. The City Engineer will continue to take on more work from the Public Works Director and the Consulting Engineer. The two construction observer positions (their title will be changed to Engineering Technician and Engineering Assistant) will be under the supervision of the City Engineer. For the Street, Sewer and Water and Parks Department their employees will now be called operators rather than mechanics. Sherrie Le spent considerable amount of time discussing the Human Resources Manager position and its duties. The Human Resources :Manager could also act as Safety Coordinator. Sherrie Le stated the job evaluation measures what the City needs a position to do and not the person in the position. The job evaluation measures the parameters of what the City requires. Position points should not be used to reward employees. Sherrie Le said it is not about the employees it is about the position. She recommended evaluating the position every S-7 years. The process for handling job changes in the future was outlined. The employee or department head can request a review of point, however the job must have changed significantly from the last time it was rated. Sherrie Le said it is hard to be objective if you are in the system and know all the employees. Sherrie Le said just because new duties are added it doesn't change the points. Points are not based on volume of work. Sherrie Le clarified that she only pulled market information for those positions that matched positions in other communities. There is 30% spread from minimum to maximum covering eight steps. It takes seven years to get to the tap step. The Personnel Committee wants to base some of the pay increase on performance. Only exceptional performance could get a two step increase. The system allows %z step increase. Anything other than a one step increase must be approved by the City Administrator. Temporary and seasonal works are not in the salary scale. Only full-time and part-time employees are covered in the scale. For those employees whose pay was quite a bit above the market, Sherrie Le was recommending their salary be frozen until COLA catches up with it. No one can be placed below the Step #1 wage or above the Step #S wage. Sherrie Le brought up the difficulty in filling the Water and Sewer positions. She felt the difficulty with filling the positions was because the minimum requirements including having a Class D license were too high. Sherrie Le lowered the minimum requirements for the position and recommended that the City look at a negotiated differential for somebody who does have a license. Clint Herbst stated the Personnel Committee worked on this far a Lang time noting there was serious discussion on employees getting more than a one step increase. He added that the %z increase or no increase can be used for those employees whose work is not up to par. Tom Kelly went through the positions that had changes. Five positions were frozen and two positions are still being reviewed. Most other positions would have about a 1 % increase. Certain position fell out of the plan's range. Tom Kelly also reviewed the impact the plan will have on the budget. Putting everyone on the new scale would put the City at $138,000. With a 3% COLA, the City would still be $60,000 below what they had budgeted. These figures include the hiring of a Human Resources Manager. Brian Stumpf asked how many times someone had been hired who actually started at Step #1. Tom Moores, Street Superintendent said at Public Works about 95% of the people hired start at Step #1. Jeff O'Neill asked if the Council was ready to adopt the study and the 2007 salary rate. Clint Herbst said he found the numbers slightly disturbing and noted specifically the liquor store. He pointed out the pay difference between the full-time and part-time clerks. Brian Stumpf asked about the salary difference between the two full-time clerks and Jeff O'Neill said the difference was due to longevity. In discussion by the Personnel Committee it was suggested that Weekend/Night Supervisor be changed so that essentially the liquor stare would have three clerks at Grade 4, Step #8. It was felt these positions were overpaid. Clint Herbst brought up the option of putting a sunset date on these positions. The Fersonnel Committee didn't feel anything with pay equity should be approved until the issues with the Liquor Store were resolved. Tam Kelly and Jeff O'Neill will meet with the liquor store staff and come up with a better plan of operation. Clint Herbst didn't feel any part of the pay equity study should move forward until everything was done including the liquor store. As far as the liquor store, the City wasn't looking at cutting positions but restructuring the hours and moving the Weekend/Night Supervisor to a clerk position. Wayne Mayer stated that what was happening at the liquor store shouldn't be allowed to continue. Tom Kelly said the whole scheduling pattern at the liquor store needs to be redone. Several Councilmembers expressed the opinion that Joe Hartman as Liquor Store Manager should have been present at this meeting. It was pointed out that staff had only received the pay equity information on Wednesday. Clint Herbst responded that the Council didn't see it until they got their agenda and yet they were expected to make a decision on it. Wayne Mayer said the liquor store issues are serious and should be taken care of immediately. Wayne Mayer asked if the COLA could be implemented and have the 20007 salary scale tabled until the liquor store issues are resolved. Tom Kelly felt it would be better to approve the salary scale first and the COLA. Brian Stumpf asked how they could justify freezing the salary of a position for 5-6 years. Clint Herbst responded how could the City justify having five full-time employees at the liquor store. Clint Herbst felt by putting a sunset date on the full-time positions they would end up with more part-time employees. Sherrie Le agreed there too many full-time positions. It was proposed that for the liquor store as of January 1, 2009 there would a manager, assistant manager and part-time clerks. By giving the employees until January 1, 2009 they would have adequate notice of the proposed change . Susie Wojchauski asked if Sherrie Le had looked at volume of sales when comparing the liquor store to other liquor stores. Sherrie Le indicated that she had not. Wayne Mayer voiced the opinion that six months is sufficient notice time for the changes to the liquor store positions. Wayne Mayer suggested not acting on the pay equity study at this time which would give the City time to get the liquor store issues addressed and allow other employees to get any questions or concerns they have answered. He recornznended this came back at the April 14, 2008 meeting. Clint Herbst suggested setting a meeting up with the union prior to the next meeting. Tom Perrault brought up the question of having a designated second in command when the City Administrator is out of the office. WAYNE MAYER MOVED TO TABLE ACTION ON THE PAY EQUITY STUDY AND RELATED ISSUES. TOM PERRAULT SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED WITH BRIAN STUMPF VOTING IN OPPOSITION. 3. Adiourn. The workshop meeting adjourned at 6:35 p.m. Recording Secretary