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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-HRC-2002-06-24 HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE Regular Meeting June 24, 2002 Members Present: Carolyn Peterson, Susan Blumenthal, Ed Hershey, Dan Cogan Members Excused: Peter Mack Staff Present: Schelley Michell-Nunn (HR Director), Leslie Moskowitz (Manager of OD), Michael Thomas (Deputy GIAC Director), Phyllis Radke (Building Commissioner), Denise Malone (Administrative Secretary) Chairperson Peterson called the meeting to order at 7:31 p.m. A. Agenda Review, Approval of Minutes & Announcements Human Resources Director Michell-Nunn stated that the Building Department only has one (1) item. The Committee reviewed the minutes from the April 2002 meeting. Alderperson Blumenthal made a motion to approve the minutes from the April 22, 2002 meeting. Seconded by Alderperson Cogan. Motion carried 4-0. The Committee reviewed the minutes from the May 2002 meeting. Alderperson Blumenthal and Alderperson Cogan asked that the last paragraph be revised under item I.1. Old Business - Position Review - to include the option that Common Council would make the final decision. After discussion, Alderperson Hershey made a motion to approve the minutes from the May 22, 2002 meeting as amended. Seconded by Alderperson Cogan. Motion carried 4-0. B. Employee Comments & Common Council Response. None. C. Chairperson's Report Chairperson Peterson will make a report under the Sub-Committee Updates. 4 Human Resources Committee June 24, 2002 Page 2 D. Affirmative Action Advisory Committee Update Alderperson Blumenthal stated that she attended the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee (AAAC) in June 2002. Ms. Blumenthal stated that the members present at the AAAC meetings, which included a Human Resources Intern, talked about the creation of a Workforce Diversity Plan, the Firefighter exam, and communications to the workforce. The AAAC is working toward moving from an Affirmative Action Plan to a Workforce Diversity Plan. The AAAC is currently reviewing a draft. Ms. Michell-Nunn stated that the HR Intern is currently looking at possible funding for a variety of different projects. The next meeting of the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee will be July 12, 2002. Alderperson Cogan would attend this meeting. E. Sub-Committee Updates 1. City Administration HR Director Michell-Nunn stated that the revised City Administrator job description has been distributed to the Sub-Committee but no meeting has been scheduled to address the revisions and that a referendum would be needed due to the supervisory component. The Committee discussed the steps that needed to be taken and the timeline when information needed to be submitted to meet the deadline for the November election ballot. The Human Resources Committee (HRC) asked the following questions: a. What is the deadline for submitting items for the November election ballot? b. Does the City Administrator position need to be created and the job description approved to create a referendum or can the referendum authorize the City to create the position? c. What actions, if any, are needed of Common Council to get the referendum on the November election ballot? Human Resources Committee June 24, 2002 Page 3 Prior to the next HRC meeting, Ms. Michell-Nunn will send the revised City Administrator job description to the HRC members and get answers to the questions raised. 2. Department Head/Common Council Retreat Chairperson Peterson stated the facilitator Judy Saul will combine the comments from the Retreat and will compile into a document. The combined comments will be distributed to the Sub-Committee. F. Personnel Items 1. Building Department a. Request to Create Senior Plan Examiner Position The Building Department requested to amend the Personnel Roster by creating one (1) position of Senior Plan Examiner. After discussion, Alderperson Blumenthal made a motion to approve the request. Seconded by Alderperson Cogan. Motion carried 4-0. 2. GIAC a. Request to Create Youth and Pre-Teen Program Administrator Position The Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) requested to amend the Personnel Roster by creating one (1) position of Youth and Pre-Teen Program Administrator and by deleting one (1) position of Youth Program Coordinator. After discussion, Alderperson Blumenthal made a motion to approve the request. Seconded by Alderperson Cogan. Motion carried 4-0. G. Directors' Reports HR Director Michell-Nunn reported on the following items: 1. Employee Picnic: Ms. Michell-Nunn stated that the employee picnic would be held on Friday - September 20, 2002. Human Resources Committee June 24, 2002 Page 4 2. Orientation Program: The Human Resources Department completed the first Orientation Program for new employees on June 5t". All new employees will attend Orientation. Eventually Common Council members and Board/Committee members will also go through Orientation. Departments will also have their own Orientation program. The first Orientation Program lasted four (4) hours and the employees present toured City Hall. The next Orientation Program would be in September 2002. The Committee discussed how Common Council members could be informed about new employees and vice versa. The Human Resources Department would look into it. 3. Safety Identification Badge: Ms. Michell-Nunn stated that a request would be on the Common Council agenda for funding to purchase a system that would allow the City to produce ID badges for all employees. The Budget and Administration Committee passed the request at their last meeting. Money to purchase this system would come from funds set aside for the Work Environment Task Force. This system would eventually allow the City to phase in the proxy cards and a keyless system. 4. Human Resources Manual: The Human Resources Department has updated the HR Manual, which used to be the Personnel Manual. The last time the manual was updated was in 1979. The manual is available in all departments and in the City Clerk's Office for Common Council members. The manual would be continuously updated. There are future plans for an Employee Handbook. Employees would get inserts from the manual (i.e. sexual harassment policy, etc.) H. Mayor's Report. None. I. New Business 1. Emergency Closing Policy Alderperson Peterson stated that the Policy Improvement Team (PIT) has proposed the Emergency Closing Policy. Ms. Michell-Nunn stated that this proposed policy comes after the PIT met with the Mayor to address his concerns. Human Resources Committee June 24, 2002 Page 5 The Committee discussed the policy and suggested that Item a.3 read as follows: "Any personnel who, prior to the emergency closing, had scheduled sick personal, vacation, holiday, compensatory time, or other leave time off for the day that the closing occurs and are not called into work, will be charged the benefit time that they had previously scheduled." Alderperson Blumenthal asked about the "emergency closing provisions of their labor contract", which is cited a number of times in the policy. After the Committee discussed this item, Ms. Michell-Nunn stated that she would revise that language and bring back to the July meeting. The Committee discussed the possibility of including an introductory paragraph to explain the purpose of this policy, more clarification of who the essential employees are in the Police Department and Fire Department and whether the essential personnel would be given identification badges identifying them as such. 2. Positive Work Environment Alderperson Peterson stated that the Policy Improvement Team (PIT) has proposed the "Commitment to a Positive Work Environment" statement. This statement is broader and incorporates the "Respect for Others" statement. The "Commitment to a Positive Work Environment" statement would be found in the HR Manual and copies will be given to new employees. This is a statement of principles not a policy. The Committee discussed the statement. Corrections are as follows: a. correct the date for the "Final version" b. delete the third paragraph that says "Individuals exhibiting these behaviors will be asked once to stop. If these behaviors..." c. get correct wording for "affectional preference" HR Director will make the changes and put on the agenda for the July meeting. Human Resources Committee June 24, 2002 Page 6 J. Old Business 1. Position Review Alderperson Hershey drafted, and distributed, three scenarios as discussed in the May 2002 meeting of the Human Resources Committee (HRC). The Committee discussed the scenarios. The consensus of the members present agreed on Option #2 with revisions. The Position Review Committee (PRC) would report all actions to the HRC. Only recommendations to not fill vacant positions would be reviewed by the HRC, with the HRC actions being reported to Common Council. After discussion, Alderperson Hershey made a motion to approve Option #2 subject to the language, which would be drafted by Alderperson Hershey and reviewed by the Human Resources Committee members. Seconded by Alderperson Cogan. Motion carried 4-0. K. Adjournment On a motion by Chairperson Peterson, the meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m.