Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Minutes 1989-07-25 TOWN OF ITHACA SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING July 25 , 1989 At a Special Meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca , Tompkins County , New York , held at the Town Hall , 126 East Seneca Street , Ithaca , New York , on the 25th day of July , 1989 , there were PRESENT : Noel Desch , Supervisor Shirley Raffensperger , Councilwanan Robert Bartholf , Councilman Patricia Leary , Councilwcman David Klein , Councilman John Whitcomb , Councilman ABSENT ; Henry McPeak , Councilman ALSO PRESENT * John Barney , Town Attorney PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Supervisor led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance . ZONING ORDINANCE Supervisor Desch asked if it would not make sense to mail the up to date copy of the Zoning Ordinance out ? Town Attorney Barney replied , this is the first draft and that he had not read it through himself yet , and that he knew there were some typo and pagination that needed to be changed . Supervisor Desch replied that he was thinking of the Comprehensive Planning C:ammi.ttee and the Planning Board and the Town Board and the Planning Consultant who has a copy of all of the pieces . Town Attorney Barney replied that he had no objections in sending it out but. that he wouldn ' t want to print it until everyone has had a chance to look at it . Supervisor Desch remarked , if we print it for the public we should do the map also . Town Attorney Barney noted that the map referred to in the Zoning Ordinance is a 1954 map as amended through 1968 . We should adopt and amendment referring to the map we will be using . Town Planner Beeners stated that there were sane minor miscellaneous items that should be corrected at this time . JOB DESCRIPTIONS ASSISTANT BUILDING INSPECTOR/ ZONING OFFICER Supervisor Desch remarked that what the Board has in front of them are two job descriptions that came out of the Personnel Committee meting with sam revisi me ons , last week . He stated that he felt it Town Board Minutes 2 July 25 , 1989 was appropriate to discuss both items together . The timing is urgent because Laura Predmore has resigned and the Building Inspector/ Zoning Officer Andrew Frost is holding the fort on his own . We do have a temporary secretary added to the Zoning , Engineering and Planning staff resulting from Laura ' s going to part-time a couple weeks earlier . The Supervisor went on to say the the job descriptions are now a modification of Laura ' s position and the other is adding a permanent secretary where actually we have been using a part-time secretary . It basically splits into two parts Laura ' s job . Along with a desire to get a better handle on the perception that zoning enforcement needs to be enhanced . Councilwoman Raffensperger stated that she would like to make a cent . Councilwoman Raffensperger went on to say that she went to the Personnel Committee meeting in order to ask them to consider , with the two vacancies , a reorganization of the zoning and building functions in the Town . She stated that she had made a pitch for a Zoning Officer addition , in other words splitting the two functions into two separate persons . The Personnel Committee did not feel that this was something they could support . She went on to say that at this point , having lost this particular discussion , she would like to ask that whenever the persons are interviewed for the Assistant Zoning Officer/Building Inspector job that as march flexibility and expertise as possible be considered in the interviewing and hiring of someone there so that perhaps this reorganization might be considered in the future without having to change personnel . Supervisor Desch remarked that in the many discussions that have taken place the Personnel Committee did include , under education and work requirements , two years experience in zoning enforcement or related field . He stated that he did not know what the market would bring in terms of candidates that will have that kind of experience . The Supervisor went on to note that the salary range for this position was recommended to be between $ 18 , 000 to $ 25 , 000 . He asked what did the Personnel Committee end up recommending for the Department Secretary? Personnel Chairman Henry Aron replied , $ 6 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 , the vote was four to one , Councilwoman Leary stated that she would like to make an argument for $ 7 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 . Supervisor Desch asked if there was any further discussion on the Assistant Zoning Officer/Building Inspector position , either regarding the job description or the salary range ? Town Attorney Barney remarked , suppose you don ' t have any candidates with this two years experience or the more difficult situation would be if you had one candidate who had the two years experience but you wanted to hire someone else . Supervisor Desch replied , that really should say " is desirable " . That was the intention . Building Inspector/ Zoning Officer Andrew Frost replied that he had a feeling that if someone worked in any kind of enforcement whether it be Ag and Markets laws or Social Services , with a background in enforcement having regulations and getting people to comply with regulations is an important aspect in the background of a candidate . Town Board Minutes 3 July 25 , 1989 Town Attorney Barney replied that he didn ' t have any quarrel with the qualifications , his only concern was that you could get someone with two years experience at Ag and Markets who is a complete dud and might want to choose someone else without the experience . RESOLUTION NO . 182 Motion by Councilman Bartholf , seconded by Councilwoman Leary , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby approve the salary range of $ 18 , 000 to $ 25 , 000 for the position of Assistant Zoning Officer/Building Inspector , and FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED , that the Town Board hereby approves the job description of the position as amended . (Desch , Bartholf , Leary , Klein and Whitcanb voting Aye . Nays - Raffensperger) DEPARTMEN901 SECRETARY Supervisor Desch asked if anyone wished to make changes to the job description? He then remarked , salary range ? Councilwoman Leary stated that going by the current range for Department. Secretary that we have at $ 7 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 , and the Personnel Committee has been talking about raising that quite a bit . She stated that she knew this was just for 1989 but she felt that it should be in line with the other Department Secretary job and she also wanted to note that the current range for janitor is $ 4 . 00 to $ 6 . 00 and she felt starting the Department Secretary at $ 6 . 00 per hour is just too low . It ' s a whole different set of skills . Ile should at least start it at $ 7 . 00 , make it $ 7 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 now and then may be look at it when we change the other Department: Secretary next year . We may not have to bring it up to the same level but it certainly is a starter , $ 7 . 00 an hour as the minim m . Supervisor Desch replied he felt it was the feeling , and correct him if he was wrong those who attended the Personnel Committee , the feeling was that this basic level of position would from a marketing standpoint be comparable to that salary range throughout the camnu uty and probably would garner a considerable number of candidates who would be willing and interested in caning at the $ 6 . 00 level . Henry Aron replied that the thought this was correct . He went on to say that Councilwoman Leary would be at the interview and if you have to start someone at $ 6 . 00 he felt you then should not hire these people . You have a range fran $ 6 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 so the opportunity to gauge by the applicants ability in order to give that person not the $ 6 . 00 but the $ 7 . 00 or $ 8 . 00 probably . That is the recamlendation by the committee who is going to interview that person , but we have to start somewhere which is eligible for the whole types of ranges as far as the bottom line is concerned . Now as you said earlier , yes it can be reevaluated in another year , which will. be done anyway . He stated he did not see the difference whether the bottan is $ 6 . 00 or $ 7 . 00 , that is his personal opinion . Councilwanan Leary replied , this is the point , there is a big difference and if you are saying that if the person is only eligible -to get $ 6 . 00 an hour we shouldn ' t hire them then we shouldn ' t set it at $ 6 . 00 an hour . The minimum is the minimum Town Board Minutes 4 July 25 , 1989 acceptable skill level for that job and for the skills we described that ' s a high level of skill for $ 6 . 00 an hour . She stated that she did not know why it was set at $ 1 . 00 an hour lower than our standard Department Secretary description . Henry Aron replied that he thought the requirements were lower than the other person in the department . Councilwoman Leary replied , in answer to that we are also for 1989 , talking about setting that Department Secretary at $9 . 00 to $ 13 . 00 so we can make an adjustment not quite that high but $ 6 . 00 an hour for a Department Secretary is just plain too low . Your setting the skill level at the same level as a custodian in the Town of Ithaca and we are even thinking of setting that at $ 5 . 00 to $ 7 . 00 for 1990 . $ 6 „ 00 is way too low and she did not agree that you can find someone in this job market , a good secretary with fast typing skills for $ 6 . 00 an hour . The Ithaca Journal article that she read a year ago said you can ' t get for for $ 9 . 00 and hour with fast typing skills . It ' s an insult to the job skills to advertise it at $ 6 . 00 an hour . This canes to $ 11 , 700 a year based on a 37 1 / 2 hour week . Councilwoman Raffensperger remarked , if Henry Aron says the job requires skills worth more than $ 6 . 00 an hour and it is kind of a matter of principal that we not advertise for someone whom we consider unacceptable , then she felt the Board should not advertise the position at $ 6 . 00 an hour but should advertise more in line with the other jobs at $ 7 . 00 . Supervisor Desch remarked that he felt the real question was , are there people who are out there and meet the min mxn of the job description who would interview for the job or apply for the job knowing that the salary range was $ 6 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 or would it preclude somebody because they are making more than the $ 6 . 00 but have the minimum qualifications , from. applying . He felt this was the issue . councilwoman Raffensperger staged that she did not want to downgrade the job as she felt it was important . Councilwon an Leary remarked , there are people desperate enough that they will apply for any job at any rate , that was not the point . Supervisor Desch replied , what you are saying is that there are probably riot young secretarial persons out there making like $ 5 . 00 an hour who would consider this position an advancement . Councilwnan Leary replied , not with two years experi a ence . We are asking for people with two years experience and she could not imagine many secretaries with the kinds of skills the Town was asking for and having worked two years getting $ 5 . 00 an hour in this area . At Cornell a GR18 is $ 11 , 000 and secretaries are at least $ 18 , 000 and they can go up to $ 20 , 000 to $ 22 , 000 so it ' s not even competitive with Cornell . Councilmar.i Bartholf remarked that this was a new job and if we are going to raise our rates a little higher we are going to have all the rest of the people requiring more increases . Councilwoman Leary replied , the ranges we have been discussing in the Personnel Committee about these hourly wages are higher than $ 7 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 . Councilman. Bartholf remarked , this is like a mushroom type thing where you start somebody out at "X " number of dollars and the person who has been working there for six years is only a short gap Town Board Minutes 5 July 25 , 1989 above that and they are going to say well they needed to be a percentage higher . Councilwcenan Leary replied , if you are talking about people who have been in a job for a while that is a different story . There are ranges and there are individual salaries and the ranges have to be in some kind of conformity to each other , depending on what your job description is . Councilman Klein asked how many positions would this effect? How many secretaries ? Councilman Bartholf replied that he did not know but everyone who is hourly paid person will be involved in this . He asked , do you see what I am getting at , someone who is starting a new job and you are putting their range up almost close to the people who are working here now . Councilwoman Leary replied , the range , it ' s a new job , it ' s the same kind of job . The range is supposed to be reflecting the skill level it ' s not reflecting how many years anyone particular person has been In the job . Councilman Bartholf replied that he understood what Councilwunan Leary was talking about but still it was a new position . Councilwoman Leary replied , so is the Assistant Building Inspector% Zoning Officer ' s position and you didn ' t argue about it . Councilman Klein asked if there were other Department Secretaries ? Supervisor Desch replied , yes . More experience required and a little bit: higher skills required dictated a higher range in these cases . Councilman Klein replied that he assumed those salary ranges are not listed on the sheet . Councilwoman Leary replied , if you are talking about the Department Secretary for Planning , we just went over a new job description and that is the one that we are talking about putting at $ 9 . 00 to $ 13 . 00 an hour so that ' s still much higher than $ 7 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 . Henry Aron asked if he could speak . He went on to say that in 1986 , the Department Secretary Mary Bryant started with $ 6 . 50 an hour . In 1987 she received $ 7 . 00 an hour , in 1988 she received $ 8 . 00 an hour and is now at $ 9 . 00 an hour . So what he was saying to the Board was , pointing out for your information , that we did start and inflation did not go up to that so Mary started with a much higher responsibility and is much stronger . Councilwoman Leary replied , it ' s more than $ 6 . 00 , inflation hasn ' t been flat . Mr . Aron replied no he was not saying that but inflation did not go up in ccrgerison with . . . . . . Supervisor Desch suggested a friendly amendment of $ 6 . 50 . Councilwarnan Leary replied no because $ 7 . 00 an hour is what is established for the Department Secretary now, when we are talking about changing the Department Secretary for Planning , up to $ 9 . 00 an hour . $ 9 . 00 to $ 13 . 00 . That range is much too great even for $ 7 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 she would expect the Board to consider changing that upward later on . Because it is a lot of the same set of Town Board Minutes 6 July 25 , 1989 skills , both of them require a high school diploma , they both require experience , it ' s not that different . Councilman Whitcomb asked if the job descriptions were comparable between this Department Secretary and the Planning Department Secretary'? Supervisor Desch replied , no . The experience requirements are quite a bit different . He stated that he would agree with Councilwoman Leary to a certain extent , are they that different? That ' s the question . Councilwoman Leary replied that she couldn ' t believe the Board was arguing over a dollar minimum . RESOLUTIO14 N0 . 183 Motion by Councilwoman Leary , seconded by Councilman Whitcomb , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby approve the job description for the Department Secretary and set the salary range at 1,; 7 . 00 to $ 10 . 00 per hours . ( Raffensperger , Leary , Klein and Whitcomb voting Aye . Nays - Desch and Bartholf) . ADVERTISDIG FOR ASSISTANT BUILDING INSPECTOR/ ZONING OFFICER AND DEPARTMENT SECRETARY POSITIONS RESOLUTION NO . 184 Motion by Councilwoman Raffensperger ; seconded by Councilman Bartholf , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby approve the advertising for the positions of Assistant Building Inspector/ Zoning Officer and Department Secretary . (Desch , Raffensperger , Bartholf , Leary , Klein and Whitcomb voting Aye . Nay.c; - none) . GEOGRAPHIC' INFORMATION SYSTEMS WORKSHOP RESOLUTIOA' N0 . 185 Motion by CounciJWCMn Raffensperger ; seconded by Councilman Bartholf , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby authorize Assistant Planner George Frantz to attend a Geographic Information Systems Workshop in Boston , Massachusetts , August 5 - 6 , 1989 , at a cost not to exceed $ 600 . 00 (Desch , Raffensperger , Bartholf , Leary , Klein and Whitcomb voting Aye . Nays - none) . EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION NO . 186 Motion by Supervisor Desch ; seconded by Councilman Bartholf , Town Board Minutes 7 July 25 , 1989 RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby moves into Executive Session to discuss the Northeast Sewer limit situation with the Village of Cayuga Heights . (Desch , Raffensperger , Bartholf , Leary , Klein and Whitcomb voting Aye . Nays - none) . OPEN SESSION RESOLUTION N0 . 187 Motion by Supervisor Desch , seconded by Councilman Whitcomb , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby moves back into Open Session . (Desch , Raffensperger , Bartholf , Leary , Klein and Whitcomb voting Aye . Nays - none ) , The Board agreed to continue discussion of the Cayuga Heights sewer moratorium matter at the Regular August Meeting . SALARY IN(MEA.SE RESOLUTION NO . 188 Motion by Councilwoman Raffensperger ; seconded by Supervisor Desch , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby authorize a salary increase for Building Inspector/ Zoning Officer Andrew Frost and Town Planner Susan Beeners , effective August 1 , 1989 . (Desch , Raffensperger , Bartholf , Leary , Klein and Whitcomb voting Aye . Nays - none ) . ADJOUR ZE�IT The meeting was duly adjourned . Town Clerk