Personnel Sub-Committee Minutes of Special Meeting - Final - December 9, 2013

BOARD OF SELECTMEN

Personnel Sub-Committee – Minutes of Special Meeting

Monday, December 9, 2013

6:30 P.M. – Simsbury Town Offices – Main Meeting Room

1.         Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.  Committee Chair Lisa Heavner and Committee members Sean Askham and Cheryl Cook were present.  Tom Cooke, Director of Administrative Services and Selectman Nancy Haase were also present.

2.         Pledge of Allegiance

All stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

3.         Public Audience

After the pledge of allegiance, Ms. Heavner offered the opportunity for public audience – no member of the public spoke.

4.         Approval of minutes of meetings on October 28, 2013 and November 25, 2013

Mr. Cooke explained that he had spoken with Tom Hennick of the Connecticut FOI Commission concerning the approval of minutes of meetings by committee members who were not on the committee at the time of the meeting and that such members are not required to abstain from voting.  Mr. Cooke stated that the minutes had been drafted by Mr. Cooke and Mr. Kimball and that they accurately reflected the actions at the meeting.  Ms. Heavner concurred.  Mr. Askham moved for the approval of the minutes of the October 28 meeting.  Ms. Cook seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.  Mr. Askham moved for the approval of the minutes of the November 25 meeting.  Ms. Cook seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

5.         Approve Regular Meeting schedule for 2014

Mr. Cooke presented the proposed meeting schedule for 2014 noting that all of the proposed Regular Meeting dates preceded regularly scheduled Board of Selectmen meetings.  Ms. Cook moved the approval of the proposed schedule and Mr. Askham seconded the motion.  Ms. Heavner recommended that the meetings be held in a different location to permit SCTV access to the Main Meeting Room to set up for the Board of Selectmen meetings.  With that modification, the motion passed unanimously.

6.  Review of status of personnel issues including recruitment for open positions and status of collective bargaining agreements

Mr. Cooke reviewed the positions currently open with the Town of Simsbury, including the positions of Director of Finance, Town Engineer, Superintendent of the Water Pollution Control Authority (where there is an offer pending) and Executive Assistant to the First Selectmen.  Mr. Cooke explained that candidates for the Town Engineer position will be interviewed on December 12 and that the Town hopes to have the position filled by January 1, 2014.  He stated that the application process for Finance Director will close on December 15 and that the Town will move quickly to identify appropriate candidates.  Mr. Cooke will work closely with the First Selectmen and the Chair of the Board of Finance on this process.  He explained that a committee consisting of the Chair of the Board of Finance and one other representative from the Board of Finance, the Chair of the Personnel Sub-Committee, Mr. Cooke himself, Finance Department representatives and outside experts (including a Town Manager and a Finance Director) would be used during the selection process.

Mr. Cooke also explained the status of the Town’s six collective bargaining agreements.  He noted that the collective bargaining agreement for the police officers expires in 2014 and that all of the other contracts are for longer terms.  He noted that the Town was proceeding to arbitration on negotiations over the police pension plan.  The Sub-Committee asked for a document describing the different collective bargaining units and the status of the agreements for each unit.  Mr. Cooke agreed to create such a document and provide it to the committee.

7.  Review and possible action on RFP responses – delegation of human resources function

Ms. Heavner stated that the RFP responses had been presented to the prior Personnel Sub-Committee and that the decision was made to give the newly appointed committee the opportunity to make the selection.  Mr. Cooke reviewed the responses with the committee and recommended that the committee retain Mr. Erdmann for the study.  He noted that the other respondent with significant municipal experience – Murtha Cullina – was significantly more expensive.  Mr. Askham moved that the Personnel Sub-Committee interview Mr. Erdmann and Ms. Cook seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.                                           

8.         Adjourn

Mr. Askham made a motion to adjourn at 6:50 pm.  Ms. Cook seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion to adjourn passed unanimously.