01-07-2002 Minutes THE MINUTES OF THE OCOEE PERSONNEL BOARD
MEETING HELD JANUARY 7,2002
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Resnik called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. in the Commission Chambers
Conference Room. He called the roll and declared a quorum to be present.
PRESENT: Chairman John Resnik, Members Debbie Bertling and Jean Grafton. Also
present were Human Resources Director Fran Diedrich and Deputy City
Clerk Green.
ABSENT:. Commissioner Howell and Member Betty Hager.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PERSONNEL BOARD MEETING HELD OCTOBER 23, 2001.
Member Grafton, seconded by Member Bertling, moved to approve the Minutes as
presented. Motion carried 3-0.
DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION REGARDING PERSONNEL RULES AND
REGULATIONS
Human Resources Director Diedrich said revisions are proposed in Sections 8, 12, 13
and 16 of the Rules and Regulations. She explained the proposed changes and why they
are needed. Members commented as noted.
Section 8 - Holidays
8.02 Eligibility for Holiday Pay
G. The proposed addition clarifies that Personal Holidays may not be used for sick leave.
Ms. Diedrich said this revision was needed because there had been some problems with
this use. Member Bertling said not allowing use of floating holidays for sick leave has
been the practice and this addition would formalize it.
Members had no objection to this change.
Section 12 -Pay Plan & Starting Rates
12.05 - Performance Salary Increases
C. This revision deletes language alluding to requirement of overall "Above Operational"
rating to receive a merit increase, and adds language clarifying the requirement for
Ocoee Personnel Board
,,. January 7,2002
evaluators to use the instrument to justify rating and to provide ways for the employee to
improve poor performance.
Ms. Diedrich explained the change is requested to require supervisors to include
documentation of ways that employees can improve for categories below operational and
documentation to support ratings above operational.
Member Grafton asked if Department Directors will be required to support operational
ratings. Member Bertling said currently City Manager Gleason is requiring Department
Directors to document every category. Ms. Diedrich said the proposed changes had been
sent to Mr. Gleason and he had not requested any changes, but this will need to be
changed if Directors must continue to complete every category.
Ms. Diedrich explained that it needs to be possible for employees to receive increases
when rated operational so that performance reviews can more accurately reflect reality.
She said this was especially important for legal purposes. Currently evaluators are not
allowed to give an increase to anyone who is rated less than above operational. She
wants to propose to Commission that increases be given on a scale of 1% for standard,
2% for above, and 2'/2% for superior.
Chairman Resnik said this means to him that employees who are rated below
operational need to be provided an action plan so they may return to operational or above.
Ms. Diedrich said the first part is to remove the generalization precluding any increase if
rated operational. The second part specifies that supervisors must provide this
information, as some of them were not. She said there needs to be uniformity in
percentage of increase granted for a given rating so that it can be equitable across the
board for everyone.
Chairman Resnik agreed there needed to be consistency.
Member Bertling explained for the last several years increases were either 0 or 4% and
that has been changed to be from 0 to 2'/2%.
Members had no objections to these changes.
Section 13 - Miscellaneous Policies and Benefits
13.11 - Education Incentive Program
Lor 2
Low Ocoee Personnel Board
January 7,2002
Fees were added to items authorized for funding under the program.
Ms. Diedrich explained this is already being done and needs to be addressed specifically
as there are items discussed later which are specifically excluded.
Revisions to Section 13.11 C included insertion of a new Item 3 and all subsequent
portions of C were renumbered.
C. 2. Participants must be continuously seeking a high school diploma, College level
professional certification, or College degree. Continuous is defined as attending
three out of four College semesters per school year. Exceptions may be made for an
employee with a documented seriously debilitating health problem after review by
the Educational Incentive Review Committee. Failure to continuously pursue a
diploma, certification or degree may result in disqualification from further
participation in the program. "-- -. . .. .. • .•• _., ,- . - .• • .
Ms. Diedrich said the intent is to encourage continuous participation in hopes there will
be achievement of a degree in a reasonable length of time.
C. 3. Degrees above the AA or AS level must be directly related to the field of
government.
C. 6. Fees and books are added to this section for clarification, and must be included with
the initial request. Deletions are made to eliminate tuition advances. Employees will be
required to pay up front and will be reimbursed when course is completed. The change is
recommended for simplification of administration and budgetary constraints.
C. 7. This section is changed to delete reference to prepaid tuition funding and to add that
approval from Education Committee is required in advance of taking any course.
C. 8. This section is changed to delete language regarding advanced payment and to add
language clarifying how to properly return texts to avoid reimbursement for texts upon
termination.
C. 9. An addition to this section further defines that protective clothing or equipment will
not be covered under the program.
C. 10. Additions to this section clarify what is required for reimbursement and delete
language regarding prepaid tuition and texts.
3
Ocoee Personnel Board
January 7,2002
C. 10. (A thru C) - Revisions to these sections define criteria for reimbursement under
the program (Must be completed, have grade of"C' or better.
C. 11. Revisions change period required for reimbursement upon termination from two
to three years and specify reimbursement amount based upon a three year schedule:
100% for the first 12 months; 75% for 13 to 24 months, and 50%for 25 to 36 months.
Chairman Resnik asked if this is becoming a standard practice. Ms. Diedrich said she
could not say that it is standard, as it varies, but this would encourage employees to
remain with the City longer.
13.11 E. Correspondence Degree
(1-4) Revises referenced section numbers to match revisions as noted above and deletes
reference to prepayment of tuition.
Chairman Resnik said he thought it would require a greater commitment if employees
must pay for the costs up front.
Ms. Diedrich commented that she had sent the proposed changes to the Firefighter Union
representative requesting their reply by January 21.
13.17 DUI,DWI and Moving Traffic Violations
C. Moving Violations
1. & 5. Both sections are revised to increase number of allowed points from seven to ten.
Ms. Diedrich explained that the City had had problems attracting qualified professional
employees under the current parameters. She said exceptions had been made. Member
Bertling said it had been tying their hands in some cases in which applicants have more
than seven points.
6. Revises the section to provide that employees whose job descriptions require a valid
Driver's License shall maintain a valid Florida Drivers License.
Ms. Diedrich explained that requiring all employees to possess a driver's license
regardless of their job description would eliminate the possibility of hiring certain
handicapped employees for City positions that would not require driving.
Section 16 Grievance Procedure
4
Ocoee Personnel Board
January 7,2002
16.2 Grievance Procedure
16.3 Step 3-Hearing Committee
C. Revised to change Committee members terms of service from one to two years.
Ms. Diedrich said this change had been requested by the City Clerk. She said longer
terms reduce administrative hassle of elections every year and provide continuity for
committee members.
As members had no objections to the proposed changes, Member Grafton, seconded by
Member Bertlin moved that th- Pers•nnel Board recommen. a..royal of the ch. 'es
as presented by Human Resources Director Diedrich.. Motion carried 3-0.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
Attest: APPR I,
kCIA-4:04‘)J11-aki
Marian Green, Deputy City Clerk John Resnik, C :irman
5