Personnel Sub Committee Special Meeting August 12, 2013-DRAFT

BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Personnel Sub-Committee – Minutes of Special Meeting
Monday, August 12, 2013
6:00 P.M. – Simsbury Town Offices – Main Meeting Room

DRAFT

1. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.  Committee Chair Lisa Heavner and Committee members Moira Wertheimer and Shannon Knall were present.  Thomas Cooke (Director of Administrative Services) and Sean Kimball (Deputy Director of Administrative Services) were present; Town Staff members Colleen O’Connor (Tax Collector), Richard Sawitzke (Town Engineer), Lisa Karim (Library Director) and Hiram Peck (Director of Planning and Community Development were present; and Library Board of Trustees chair Marianne O’Neil (Chair) was also in attendance.

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 meeting on April 22, 2013

Ms. Knall moved for the approval of the minutes of the April 22, 2013 meeting.  Ms. Heavner seconded the motion and it passed (2-0) with Ms. Wertheimer abstaining.

5.  Approve the proposed guidelines for determination of full-time unaffiliated employee compensation for FY2014 and the proposed terms and conditions for full-time unaffiliated employees hired after August 12, 2013

Ms. Heavner noted that the proposed Compensation Framework, which bases compensation decisions on performance and the market reference range for positions, is the culmination of three years of work.  Its goal is to provide fair and competitive compensation within the context of budgetary constraints.  Mr. Cooke reviewed the process used to develop the Compensation Framework which included review of market reference ranges, experience and performance, compensation of other Town and Board of Education employees with emphasis on recent Town collective bargaining agreements, and the budget.  He noted that as the Compensation Framework was designed with the presumption that unaffiliated employees would add a 0.5% of salary contribution to the Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) trust to help offset the cost of future retirement health benefits. The proposed framework was designed to provide a meaningful compensation adjustment and to offset the cost of the OPEB payment.  Mr. Cooke also reviewed the proposed benefits changes for full-time unaffiliated employees hired after August 12, 2013 which include health insurance premium payments of 20%, contributions to the OPEB trust equal to 2% of salary and two retirement options: (1) participation in the General Government Pension Plan with a 7% contribution or (2) participation in the defined contribution plan with the Town providing a match of up to 6% of employee contributions, to vest on a rolling five-year basis.

Ms. Wertheimer questioned the Framework’s proposed payment of up to 1% of compensation to employees whose performance was “not satisfactory” and the Committee agreed that this could not be justified.  Mr. Cooke noted that the proposed payment was only intended to offset additional costs resulting from the OPEB contribution.  After discussion, Mr. Cooke recommended that the Framework be changed to provide a maximum payment of 0.5% to employees rated “not satisfactory” only when the employee was new to the position and performance issues were the result of insufficient experience.

Ms. Wertheimer asked whether the performance reviews were prepared by an elected official.  Mr. Cooke responded that the reviews were prepared collaboratively by Mr. Cooke, Mr. Kimball and Ms. Glassman.

Mr. Cooke noted that the position of First Selectman was not intended to be included in the Compensation Framework and noted that the Framework submission includes a recommendation that, in light of recent changes to the Town Charter with respect to the duties of the First Selectman, a study be conducted to determine the appropriate scope of duties for the First Selectman.  The Committee discussed the scope, cost and potential timing of such a study.  Mr. Cooke stated that he believed the study could be completed for under $5,000.

After further discussion, the Personnel Sub-Committee took the following actions:

• Ms. Knall moved the approval of the Compensation Framework for full-time unaffiliated employees hired prior to August 12, 2013 including a modification of the framework to limit compensation adjustments for “not satisfactory” employees to a maximum cash payment of 0.5% and only in the circumstance where (1) the employee’s performance rating was the result of inexperience in the position, and (2) the payment was necessary to offset an increase in employee benefits contributions.  Ms. Wertheimer seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
• Ms. Wertheimer moved the approval of the proposed benefits changes for full-time unaffiliated employees hired after August 12, 2013 as proposed.  Ms. Knall seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
• Ms. Knall made a motion to conduct a study to determine the appropriate scope of duties of the First Selectman in light of changes to the scope of the First Selectman’s duties in the charter, as well as the appropriate compensation for those duties.  Ms. Wertheimer seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

6.  Approve the creation of the attached Part-Time Tax Clerk job description

Mr. Kimball explained that the Town’s full-time Tax Clerk was retiring and that Ms. O’Connor was recommending that, instead of hiring one full-time clerk, the Town hire two part time clerks for improved coverage of the Tax Office desk.  Ms. O’Connor stated that with only two employees left in the Tax Office, there were often coverage issues when one of the employees was sick or on vacation.  By increasing the number of personnel and building in some scheduling flexibility, some of the coverage issues could be avoided.  Mr. Kimball added that because the positions were part time and the positions were proposed for 12 and 17 hours respectively, there would be a savings on benefits costs as well as total salary.

After discussion with the Committee concerning the current staffing and operation of the Tax Office, including the increasing role of on-line services, the Committee took the following action:

• Ms. Knall moved the approval of the proposed job description for Part-Time Tax Clerk and Ms. Wertheimer seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

7. Approve the proposed job description revisions for the position of Water Pollution Control Facility Supervisor

Mr. Kimball explained that the job description for the position of Water Pollution Control Facility Supervisor was reviewed in light of the pending retirement of the position incumbent, Jim Clifton.  The Committee noted that Mr. Clifton should be commended for his excellent work for the Town and the WPCA.  Mr. Kimball and Mr. Sawitzke noted that the description had been refined with input from Mr. Clifton to more accurately reflect the current duties.  Mr. Sawitzke, referencing his own impending retirement, added that the description included his recommendation that the position report to the Director of Public Works instead of the Town Engineer.

After further discussion, the Committee took the following action:

• Ms. Wertheimer moved the approval of the proposed revisions to the Water Pollution Control Facility Supervisor job description.  Ms. Knall seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

8. Approve the proposed job description revisions for the position of Head of Adult Services

Mr. Kimball introduced Lisa Karim, the new Director of the Library.  He noted that James Miller recently resigned from the position of Head of Adult Services at the Library, that the position reports directly to Ms. Karim, and that Ms. Karim and Library Board of Trustees Chair Marianne O’Neil had worked on the revisions.  Ms. Karim added that the description was revised in the context of the Library’s long range planning process and that the Head of Adult Services was key to the plan.  The reorganization plan has been revised to save money (an additional department head proposed in the plan has been eliminated) and job descriptions will be reviewed based on attrition over time.  The current job description has been revised to clarify responsibilities by strengthening programming and outreach and eliminating oversight of technical services. Ms. O’Neill added that the long range plan had been put on hold when Ms. Bullock announced her retirement as Library Director to give Ms. Karim, as the new Library Director, an opportunity to add her own input.

After further discussion, the Committee took the following action:

• Ms. Wertheimer moved the approval of the revised job description for the position of Head of Adult Services.  Ms. Knall seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

9. Approve amendments to job descriptions in the Planning Department

Mr. Kimball explained that, with the resignation of Lynn Charest from her position as Zoning Enforcement Officer and in the face of a 50% reduction in Planning Department staff over a ten-year period, the Planning Department took the opportunity to review all of its job descriptions to determine the most efficient and appropriate assignment of responsibilities.  Mr. Kimball reviewed a spreadsheet outlining the proposed changes which included the upgrade of the Administrative Secretary II – Planning position to Land Use Specialist; the refocusing of the ZEO/Planning Analyst position on Planning Analyst Functions (retitled as Planning Analyst/Asst. Code Enforcement Officer), and the centralizing of enforcement activities in a Code Enforcement Officer position (to replace the Conservation, Inland Wetlands and Zoning Compliance Officer position).  Mr. Peck stated that the existing split in enforcement duties had presented problems and that the creation of a single position with enforcement responsibilities should be a significant improvement.  Mr. Kimball and Mr. Peck both explained that the proposed changes should be revenue-neutral or better.

The Committee asked whether there was coverage for enforcement in the event the Code Enforcement Officer was out and Mr. Peck explained that the Planning Analyst position would include assistance for Code Enforcement as necessary.

The Personnel Sub-Committee took the following action:

• Ms. Wertheimer moved the approval of the proposed amendments to job descriptions in the Planning Department.  Ms. Knall seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

10. Adjourn

• Ms. Wertheimer moved the adjournment of the meeting.  Ms. Knall seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.  The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.