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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-26-05 Minutes SS MINUTES OCOEE CITY COMMISSION October 26, 2005 at 6:30 P.M. COMMISSION SPECIAL SESSION PAY PLAN AND PERSONNEL RULES AND REGULATIONS 11\. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Vandergrift called the Special Session to order at 6:30 p.m. III the Commission Chambers of City Hall. Roll Call: Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioner Anderson, Commissioner Johnson, Commissioner Parker, and Commissioner Hood Also Present: City Manager Frank, Human Resources Director Carnicella, and City Clerk Eikenberry SALARY SURVEY CONDUCTED BY HRMP, 005/2006. Human Resources (HR) Director Carnicella discussed the salary survey. He said the first item that that needs to be considered is the adjustments to pay grades; accepting the new minimum and maximum for each grade, which would include a handful of employees that would need to be moved to their new minimum in their pay range at a cost to the City of less than $30,000.00. Commissioner Hood asked about position #54, where the new minimum would be lower than the previous one, and asked if that employee would receive a demotion or pay decrease. HR Director Carnicella advised that no employee would be adversely affected from a salary perspective. HR Director Carnicella said that Laurie Barefoot from HRMP was supposed to be here tonight to discuss the process used for their analysis, however, they suffered serious hurricane damage in West Palm Beach and will not be able to attend the meeting. He said he has made some recommendations for issues that stand out, but it would take several months to do a comprehensive review, which would include an external and internal market comparison to our salaries. He said he feels the HRMP recommendations are a good base to start out with and would like to see the Commission approve the plan. It would move the salaries to be more consistent with what is happening in the market. When a more comprehensive look is done, adjustments can be made over time. He said the options now are to accept the plan as recommended by HRMP, or do not make any changes until the more comprehensive review is completed, which will take several months. Commissioner Johnson said that he feels we should adopt these recommendations, and take another look at it during the mid-year budget review, to determine if budget adjustments need to be made to fund other changes. HR Director Carnicella said the HRMP recommendations to make necessary adjustments proposed approximately $206,642.00 in funding. When the police and fire departments are removed from that figure, because of the labor negations in progress, it is approximately City Commission Special Session October 26, 2005 $140,000.00. City Manager Frank said there is approximately $10,000 - $20,000 under police that includes general employees (non-union) that would have to remain in the recommended adjustments. Commissioner Anderson asked about how the new pay scales were determined, and if everyone from an old pay range would be moved to the same new pay range. HR Director Carnicella said the only positions that were moved to a new grade, were moved because of system used to weight their position. The analysis used 10 factors to rate each position, each factor carries a "weight," and a number value is assigned to each position. That number value would determine if any position needed to be moved to a different range. Those factors include positions requiring certifications or licenses, specific skills or management experience, etc. to do their job. Discussion followed regarding: the accuracy and subjective nature of the study done by HRMP; raising salaries of all employees below the "mean" salary for the City of Ocoee because they have not kept pace with the market, and the funding needed to do that; using the Florida League of Cities survey to assist with our comparison; HRMP position comparisons with other cities only being done when another city has a position that matches the job duties; using different methods distribute the budgeted funding for salaries in a more fair and equitable way; giving end-of-the-year checks to employees who are "topped out" in there salaries; morale problems that may be created in different scenarios; changes in position titles such as Spray Technician; HRMP being a very well recognized firm in this field and used by many municipalities in Florida; and that a motion to approve the recommended minimum and maximum ranges would not affect the other issues or adjustments to individual positions. Commissioner Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Johnson, moved to approve the new Pay Grade Order for all new grades, 10 through 37, including job titles, overtime status, and the minimum and maximum salary ranges, as presented by staff and recommended by the HRMP Study: and raising the salaries of employees who are below the new minimums in their grade, at an implementation cost of less than $30,000. Motion carried 4-1, with Mayor Vandergrift opposed. Mayor Vandergrift, seconded bv Commissioner Johnson, moved to table the discussion regarding the individual salary survey adjustments, until an in-house comprehensive review can be done of all positions, and the salary survey is finalized, on or before April 1 ,2006. Motion carried 5-0. Commissioner Anderson said he would like to address switching the COLA and Merit increase, as discussed during the budget process. Commissioner Johnson asked if the City Manager could advise where that money would come from. City Manager Frank we could probably come up with the additional $125,000 from money left over from the salary survey, project accounts, or operational accounts if we took a look at them at mid-year. Commissioner Anderson moved to switch the COLA and Merit increase from what was adopted with the FY 2006 budget hearing (2% COLA and 3% Merit), to 3% COLA and 2% Merit Increase. Motion died for lack of second. Page 2 of 4 City Commission Special Session October 26, 2005 Commissioner Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Johnson, moved to adjust the COLA and Merit Increases from what was adopted with the FY 2006 budget hearing (2% COLA and 3% Merit), to a 2.5 % COLA increase, retroactive to October 1, 2005, and a 2.5% Merit increase, payable on the employee's anniversary date: and automatically increasing the minimum and maximum of the salary ranges the additional .5%, at a cost to the City of approximately $37,500. Vote was not taken at this time due to subsequent amendment. HR Director Carnicella pointed out that the only employees that may be negatively affected by that would be employees who are topped out and only received COLA increases, they would lose the.5 % COLA increase. Mayor Vandergrift, seconded by Commissioner Johnson, moved to amend the motion, deleting any increase in the minimum and maximums of the salary ranges due to adjustments in the COLA and Merit. Motion carried 5-0. A vote was taken on the original motion, as amended. Motion carried 5-0. Commissioner Johnson said he thinks we should reward the long-term employees who have stayed with the City over the years when wages were frozen and whose salaries have reached the maximum. He would like to give them their Merit Increase in cash (check) at the time of their anmversary. Commissioner Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Hood, moved to provide for merit increases to those "topped out" employees who have already reached the maximum in their pay grade, by issuing those employees a separate check, equivalent to their merit increase, payable on their anniversary date. Motion carried 5-0. Ie. DISCUSSION:REGARDINGTHE PERSONNEL RULESAND REGULATIONS Commissioner Johnson asked if Commissioners could meet individually with the HR Director we bring the item back before the Commission. HR Director Carnicella said that the rules would have to be changed by ordinance, which will take a month. He asked if we could move forward with first reading of the ordinance and hold individual discussions with the Commissioners to answer any questions they may have. Consensus of the Commission was to have individual discussions with the HR Director and City Manager regarding the recommended changes to the Personnel Rules and Regulations, and to hold a workshop, if necessary, prior to the second reading of the ordinance to adopt such amendments, which would occur on December 6, 2005. Page 3 of 4 The meeting adjourned at 8:17 p.m. Attest: APPROVED: City of Ocoee