HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-IURA-2011-01-02Approved 3/25/2011 Ithaca
Urban
Renewal
Agency
108 East Green Street
Ithaca, New York 14850
(607) 274-6559
(607) 274-6558 (fax) ax)
MinutesMinutes
Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency
9:00 A.M., February 4, 2011
Council Chambers, City Hall, Ithaca, NY
1st CONTINUATION OF JANUARY 27, 2011 IURA MEETING
Members: Susan Cummings, Tracy Farrell, Carolyn Peterson
Excused: Doug Dylla
Others: J.R. Clairborne, Common Council liaison to IURA (9:10 a.m.); Theresa Halpert member of the
IURA Neighborhood Investment Committee
Staff: Nels Bohn, JoAnn Cornish, René Funke, Sue Kittel, Jill Sage, Alice Vargo
I. Call to Order ‐ Reconvene
Farrell moved, seconded by Cummings, to reconvene the meeting of January 27, 2011. Carried
Unanimously. Peterson reconvened the meeting at 8:54 A.M. and directed members to uncompleted
agenda items.
VI. Approval of meeting minutes ‐ December 17, 2010
Final review of the draft 12/17/10 minutes was deferred to the next meeting.
VII. Governance Committee
B. 2011 amendments to IURA Human Resource Policies
Cummings introduced the proposed amendments which she noted have been undergoing revisions
by the Governance Committee for several months.
Cummings moved, seconded by Farrell:
2011 Amendments to the IURA Human Resource Policies
WHEREAS, the IURA has adopted written policies governing human resource issues, including
employee benefits and obligations, and
WHEREAS, the IURA Human Resource Policies were last revised in 2005 and there is a need to
update the policies, and
WHEREAS, at their October 15, 2010, November 19, 2010 and January 21, 2011 meetings, the
IURA Governance Committee reviewed this matter and recommended the following action;
now, therefore, be it
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RESOLVED, that the IURA hereby adopts the Proposed FY 2011 Amendments to the IURA
Human Resource Policies, dated 1/21/11, as herein attached*.
Carried Unanimously
C. Review of IURA financials ‐ December 2010
Members reviewed the IURA financials. Bohn reported that $99,000 in revenues collected by the
IURA from 2010 operations of the Cayuga Green project have been sent to the City of Ithaca per
prior agreements. Kittel updated members on the Southside Community Center Project that will
begin soon.
VIII. Development of 2011 Action Plan, including program amendments
A. Development and adoption of draft 2011 Action Plan
Kittel reviewed proposals for eligibility and feasibility. Farrell reported that the Neighborhood
Investment Committee has met twice and developed a recommended Action Plan that is
summarized in the draft action plan table dated February 3, 2011 that was included in the meeting
packet. She summarized the Committee’s recommendation for each project.
Housing
Housing projects recommended for funding:
SHARP Mini‐Repair ‐ recommend full funding at $25,000
First Time Homebuyer Program – recommend full funding at $150,000
Breckenridge Place ‐ recommend full funding at $200,000
Housing Scholarship – recommend full funding at $68,400
Rental Security Deposits – recommend partial funding at $60,000
Foreclosed Property Redevelopment – recommend partial funding at $163,220. The
Committee was concerned that the 10 Hawthorne Court property, still occupied by the owner,
had feasibility issues. The Committee also understood that the Community Collaborative
Housing Fund awarded $20,000 per unit to the project.
Housing projects not recommended for funding:
Unity House – need, feasibility, impact and cost effectiveness concerns were raised about this
proposal.
Aurora Dwelling Circle – lack of any commitment for over $700,000 in match funding raised a
serious feasibility issue for this project.
Economic Development
Farrell noted that the NI Committee reviewed economic development proposals that were
categorized as public services or had significant neighborhood and community development
impacts. She noted that the Economic Development Committee is reviewing several of these same
projects through an economic development lens.
Economic Development projects recommended for funding:
KTC “Next Steps” Training Program – recommend full funding at $80,000;
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ED Loan Fund – recommend full funding at $134,000
Economic Development projects not recommended for funding:
eLab – funding request exceeds available funding, programming appeared diffuse with unclear
impact
Rebuilding the Wall Work Readiness – funding request at $107,000 was high for a start‐up
project and commitments of partner organizations is unclear in the application. The program
addresses a priority community development need, but feasibility and impact concerns were
cited.
Farrell reiterated that the Economic Development Committee will review job training projects in
greater detail.
Public Facilities
Public Facility projects recommended for funding:
GIAC Rehabilitation, Year 4 – full funding at $500,000 from the 2011 CDBG award plus $133,827
of funds remaining from the 2010 CDBG award (total funding $633,827)
Southside AC reprogram (2007 #9) – fund at $5,000 to cover anticipated cost overruns on this
previously funded project.
Public Services
Public Service projects recommended for funding:
Work Preserve Job Training – full funding at $38,220; the Committee noted the strong support
letters from partner agencies.
SewGreen Youth Coordinator – full funding at $8,750;the Committee supported
implementation of the financial sustainability plan being implemented by SewGreen
Immigrant Services Program – full funding at $26,741; the Committee recognized the program
as having a significant positive impact on low‐income residents.
2‐1‐1 Call Center – full funding at $30,000; the Committee recognized that usership continues
to increase and the program effectively connects people with existing programs that can
address their needs.
Public Service projects not recommended for funding:
Samaritan Center Crisis Relief
Temporary Ramp Program
Natural Leaders Initiative, Phase 2
Fatherhood Initiative Pilot Program
Ending Organized Stalking Abuse
GIAC Accessible Van
Farrell reported that the 15% CDBG cap on public service projects sharply limited how many public
service projects could be included in the Action Plan. She noted that several projects not
recommended for funding were good projects, but there was insufficient CDBG funding available to
include them.
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Clairborne reviewed the Common Council’s recent resolution identifying job training and job
placement for young adults as a high‐priority community development need appropriate to be
addressed through the CDBG program and asked how job training proposals ranked. Cummings
noted that the NIC recommendations includes both the KTC “Next Steps” Training program and
the Work Preserve Job Training project, which each focus on the target populations and provide
hands‐on job training opportunities. Bohn added that the Economic Development Committee is
conducting a review of each job training proposal in detail, but they do not expect their
recommendation to be ready until the February 18th IURA meeting.
IX. Motion to recess for continuation of the IURA meeting
Farrell moved, seconded by Cummings, to recess the meeting until 8:30 A.M., Friday, February 18,
2011 in Council Chambers of City Hall. Carried Unanimously. Peterson recessed the meeting at
11:25 A.M.
END
Minutes prepared by A. Vargo, edited by N. Bohn
j:\community development\admin files\minutes\iura\2011\2feb\1 ‐2‐4‐11 iura min nb edit.doc
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*Attachment
1‐21‐11
Proposed 2011 Amendments
Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency
Human Resource Policies
(Adopted by IURA11/30/1993)
(Revised by IURA 12/20/01)
(Revised by IURA 5/26/05)
A. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF POLICIES
These policies apply only to Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (hereafter referred to as the Agency)
staff positions solely funded through the Agency. (Note: the Executive Director is a City of Ithaca
employee and is not covered by these policies.)
The Executive Director of the IURA has responsibility for administering written human resource
policies, which have been approved by the Agency. To handle situations not covered by written
policies, the Executive Director may take problem‐solving action without approval, keeping the
Agency informed of significant outcomes, which may indicate need for future development of
formal policies. Changes or amendments to these policies may be approved by the Agency at any
time, upon the advice of the Executive Director and the IURA legal counsel where appropriate..
Every employee is expected to be familiar with these policies and should consult with his/her
supervisor on questions of interpretation before decisions are made or actions taken. Exceptions
to written policies may be made only under unusual circumstances and only with the approval of
the Agency.
B. STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES
Staff is responsible to the IURA, the Community Advisory Committee, and to Common Council for
developing, planning, and writing the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application. In
addition, staff may write occasional reports and provide technical assistance to citizens’ groups as
requested. Staff is responsible for program development and coordination, and the preparation of
grants for other federal and state funds that will enhance Community Development programs or
objectives. Staff is responsible for bookkeeping, record keeping, compliance with applicable
Federal and State regulations, sub‐grantee monitoring, minutes, public relations, citizen
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participation, and performance reports and any other HUD regulations. Specific duties for each
staff member are detailed in each job description in the Appendix.
C. EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES/HIRING
When any position for employment is available, the Agency will take affirmative action to seek
qualified applicants without regard to race, age, religion, national origin, political or union
affiliation, marital status, familial status, gender or sexual preference, in compliance with HUD
guidelines. Physical or mental disabilities will be considered only as they may relate to bona‐fide
job requirements.
The Executive Director must approve all recommended employment offers before any
commitment is made to a prospective employee. This includes rate‐of‐pay approval. As part of a
preferred promotion‐from‐within policy, qualified present employees will be made aware of
openings concurrently or prior to the beginning of external recruitment. If internal applicants are
not best qualified, they will be told why. A reasonable number of candidates will be considered for
every opening to assure that the most qualified person available is hired.
All present employees who will have a close working relationship with a new employee will be
provided an opportunity to meet the final candidate(s) when feasible and will be asked for
evaluation input to the employment decision.
D. COMPENSATION
Working Hours
The normal Workweek is 35 hours. Daily hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Employees are
authorized to take up to a 60‐minute unpaid meal period each work day. Individuals may alter this
schedule by prior agreement with their supervisor so long as 35 hours are worked each week. Rest
periods are considered part of the working time and are 15 minutes per four hours of work, or the
major portion thereof. Rest periods may not be combined to provide a 30‐minute rest period once
a day, nor may they be accumulated for vacation or other time off.
Overtime and Compensatory Time
Full and part‐time non‐exempt employees shall be compensated for time worked in excess of their
normal hours per week in compensatory time at the straight time rate. Time worked in excess of
40 hours per week must be approved by an employee’s supervisor, and shall earn overtime pay at a
time and one‐half rate, in accordance with applicable labor law.
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The employee shall take such compensatory time at a time approved by the employee’s supervisor.
If compensatory time requested exceeds three work days, the supervisor will notify the Executive
Director. In time of particularly heavy workload, with the approval of the Executive Director, an
employee may be paid in cash for overtime rather than in time off.
It is preferred that excess time worked be taken off during the month in which it is worked. It is
recognized, however, that this may not always be possible. Total accumulation under usual
circumstances shall not exceed 80 hours. Any accumulation in excess of 80 hours will be reported
to the Agency.
Employees may carry the balance of their compensatory time forward. At termination of
employment, an employee will be paid for all unused compensatory time.
Paydays
Salaries will be paid bi‐weekly by and there are 26 pay periods in the year. An employee is
expected to complete a weekly time sheet including a cumulative record of compensatory time
earned. Both the employee and the employee’s supervisor must sign time sheets.
E. PERFORMANCE REVIEW
All new employees or newly promoted employees will be formally evaluated using standard forms
for this purpose after completing six months of employment. Another formal evaluation will be
conducted after one year of employment.
Each supervisor will conduct at least one written performance review annually of each supervised
staff member. The objective of these reviews is to assist employees in their career development
and to improve overall effectiveness of Agency operations. An employee must be evaluated before
a step increase is granted. The review will be shown to, and discussed with, the employee in draft
form. Subsequent changes may be agreed upon before a final record is made. If agreement cannot
be reached, the employee may prepare a separate statement for the record.
Both parties, indicating that they have communicated on the subject matter even though they may
not have agreed, will sign all performance reviews. The Executive Director will approve each
written review before it is placed in the employee’s permanent personnel file. The employee will
be given a copy of the final document.
Probationary Period
A new employee or an employee who has been promoted will be given a six‐month probationary
period during which time his/her performance on the job will be monitored. At any time during the
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probationary period, the Executive Director may terminate or demote the employee, if the Director
determines that the employee’s performance or conduct is not satisfactory.
F. SALARY ADMINISTRATION
There is a 10‐step system of salary‐progression for each Agency position. Information about all 10‐
step salary ranges within the system will be made available on request to all employees covered by
it. All employees, or Agency employees, or job titles will have written job descriptions, which may
be adjusted periodically to reflect changing or additional responsibilities.
Normal hire‐in rate is at the first step of the salary range for any given position. However, an
unusually well qualified candidate or unusual market conditions may justify hire‐in at a higher step.
The authority to make this determination rests with the Executive Director if hire‐in is at step 4 or
below. In order to hire‐in at steps 5‐10 Agency approval is required.
Salary Increments: The amount of any increment in salary is determined in part by availability of
funds. Both the Executive Director and the Agency must approve all increments. Four
classifications of salary increments exist:
1. Cost of Living Adjustment: The salary for each full and part‐time regular 1 employee may be
increased to reflect increases in the cost of living. Such an increase, if it occurs, will be granted to
each regular employee on January 1. There is no set percentage increase for a cost of living
adjustment to salary; the percentage will be determined by the Agency upon the advice of the
Executive Director.
2. Step Increase: Step increases are based on merit and the availability of funds. In order for an
employee to receive a step increase, his/her supervisor must certify in the annual performance
review that the employee has consistently demonstrated outstanding performance. An employee
is not eligible for a step increase until the employee has successfully completed a minimum of six
months employment. An employee is granted a step increase will generally be moved to the next
highest step, although, at the discretion of the Agency, an employee can be promoted up more
than one step. Step increases, if they occur, will generally be made on the anniversary date, which
is defined as start of employment with Agency, or date of promotion into current position, which
ever is most recent.
3. Change in Job Title: If an employee is promoted to an Agency position with a higher salary
range, the salary will be adjusted upward to step one of the range of the new position. If pay
already exceeds step one of the range of the new position, the individual will enter the new range
1 Regular should be understood in this instance to mean the duration of the CDBG and other funding sources. Due to the
nature of government funding, none of the Agency employees are permanent in the traditional sense of the word.
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at the nearest higher step to his/her present salary range, plus one step. Adjustments will take
effect immediately following the change in job title.
4. Adjustment: Salary ranges for individual or all positions may be adjusted periodically to reflect
changing responsibilities. Range adjustments will not be automatic and may differ from job to job.
If an adjustment is made to a range, a corresponding adjustment will be made to the salary of each
incumbent at whatever step then applicable to the individual. For example, if an employee is at
Step 5 at a salary of $25,000 per year, and if the range is adjusted so that the new salary to Step 5 is
$26,000, the employee’s salary will be adjusted to $26,000. Adjustments will be made at the
beginning of pay periods.
G. BENEFITS ELIGIBILITY
A regular full‐time employee who works a schedule of at least 35 hours a week is considered
eligible for full employee benefits. A regular part‐time employee who works a schedule of between
20 and 34.5 hours per week is eligible for health benefits for him or herself only. A regular part‐
time employee who works a schedule of between 17.5 and 34.5 hours per week is eligible for pro‐
rated vacation, holiday, sick and personal days per section J. An employee working less than 20
hours per week is not eligible for health insurance. An employee working less than 17.5 hours per
week is not eligible for vacation, holiday, sick or personal days.
A temporary full or part‐time employee who is hired for a specific and limited period of less than six
months is eligible only for worker’s compensation benefits.
H. EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
The benefits listed below apply to regular Agency employees. The Agency has expressed its wish to
be flexible in its benefit programs, especially as it regards women, minorities, and single parent
employees.
Health Insurance
The Agency will provide fully paid family or individual medical insurance for any full‐time employee
unless the employee chooses not to accept it. A regular part‐time employee who works a schedule
between 20 and 34.5 hours per week is eligible for full health benefits for him or herself only.
Should the Agency be unable to offer an employee, who has duly filed a City of Ithaca Affidavit of
Domestic Partnership, comparable family health insurance coverage due to their sexual or
affectional preference or orientation, as is available to other employees, then the Agency shall
offer to pay for the lowest priced comparable individual policy for the employee’s domestic
partner, and their dependents, if they lack access to other employer‐provided health care
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coverage. If the employee’s domestic partner has access to employer‐provided health care
coverage, then the Agency shall offer to pay the domestic partner’s required out‐of‐pocket share to
maintain a comparable health care policy up to the amount that the combined cost of health
insurance benefits paid to the employee does not exceed the Agency’s cost for the lowest priced
family health insurance policy available to an employee of the Agency.
Should an employee already have a policy which s/he wishes to continue, or expand, in lieu of
accepting the health insurance policy offered by the Agency, the Agency shall pay the employee’s
contribution for that insurance, or reimburse the employee for that insurance, only up to 75% of
the Agency’s cost that the employee would have been eligible for if she/he elected to accept the
health insurance policy offered by the Agency. . Should an employee health policy cost less than a
comparable IURA employee policy, no reimbursement shall be made to the employee beyond the
employee’s cost, limited to the benefit as described above.
Retirement, Social Security, Unemployment Insurance and Worker’s Compensation
Each regular employee (part‐time and full‐time) shall receive a retirement benefit equal to 7%
(effective 1/1/11) of their gross salary. The Agency will deposit the contribution on behalf of the
employee into an Agency sponsored Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) Individual Retirement
Account (IRA). Payments will be made on a quarterly basis during the year and will be forwarded
directly to the SEP‐IRA program. Contributions will be computed from the 1st day of work.
The employee’s contribution to Social Security will be deducted from the employee’s salary and the
appropriate contributions will be made by the Agency to Social Security, Unemployment Insurance
and Worker’s Compensation.
Death Benefit
Each employee, full or part‐time, is eligible to receive life insurance. A full time employee can
receive a policy with a $50,000 benefit; a part‐time employee can receive a policy with a benefit of
$25,000.
Select Benefits Program
Any regular, full and part‐time employee is eligible for participation in the select benefits program,
in accordance with applicable U.S. Internal Revenue Service rules. Enrollment is voluntary. If an
employee participates in the Select Benefits Program, s/he must enroll in December of the year
preceding the full plan year January 1 – December 31. Enrollment cannot be changed during the
plan year unless there is a change in family or employment status (i.e., domestic partner, no
domestic partner, dependents, no dependents, increase or decrease in salary, hours, or wage rate).
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Plan options include: Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA) and Medical Care
Reimbursement Account (MCRA). Eligible expenses for the DCRA are expenses necessary in order
for the employee to work, for the care of a dependent under 14, disabled partner, and/or other
disabled dependent. Eligible expenses for the MCRA may include: acupuncture, alcoholism and
drug addiction treatment, birth control pills, Braille books and magazines, co‐insurance, contact
lenses, dental out‐of‐pocket expenses, equipment needed because of medical condition, eye
examinations, eye glasses, guide dogs, hearing aids, immunizations, medical out‐of‐pocket
expenses including deductibles, orthodontic care, physical examination including checkups,
therapy, transportation to obtain medical care, and well‐baby visits.
DCRA’s and MCRA’s have different requirements as detailed below:
Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts: Regular full and part‐time employees may have pre‐tax
dollars deducted from their salary and deposited into a DCRA. Eligible DCRA expenses are defined
by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). There is no maximum, which can be contributed to a
DCRA, but under current IRS rules only $5,000 may be contributed tax‐free per year. Any taxable
contributions made to the DCRA will have taxes deducted at the employee’s regular rate. To be
reimbursed, an employee must submit a completed IURA voucher form along with proper
documentation of eligible expenses. Employees may only be reimbursed for amounts previously
deducted from their salary.
Medical Care Reimbursement Accounts: Regular full and part‐time employees may have pre‐tax
dollars deducted from their salary and deposited into a MCRA. Qualified expenses and
programmatic restrictions are defined by the IRS. A maximum of $3,500, or the maximum allowed
by applicable IRS rules, whichever is less, may be contributed annually. To be reimbursed, an
employee must submit a completed IURA voucher form along with proper documentation of
eligible expenses.
Expenses for both DCRA’s and MCRA’s must be incurred in the calendar year for which
contributions were made. Reimbursement for these expenses may be made until March 31 of the
calendar year following the year in which the expense was incurred. Any unclaimed balance
remaining at the end of this claim period will be forfeited, in compliance with federal law.
Parking Privileges
An Agency employee will be permitted to park without charge in a public parking facility
designated by the City during working hours or while attending work related meetings, in
accordance with the same restrictions as apply to City employees covered by the CSEA
administrative unit contract.
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I. SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY
Sexual Harassment is illegal, and will not be tolerated by the Agency or within City government.
Each employee is guaranteed the right not to be sexually harassed and is prohibited from sexually
harassing others or creating a difficult environment, which unreasonably interferes with some
other individual’s work performance. The Agency adheres to the Sexual Harassment Policy
adopted and enforced by the City of Ithaca and contained in the Appendix.
J. VACATION, HOLIDAY, SICK & PERSONAL DAYS
In order to be eligible for vacation, holiday, sick and personal day benefits, an employee must fall
within one of the following Time Benefit categories:
Full time: Scheduled work week of 35 hours
Part‐time I (PTI): Scheduled work week between 21.5 and 34.5 hours
Part‐time II (PTII): Scheduled work week between 17.5 and 21 hours
Vacation 2
The following vacation hours will be credited to eligible employees on a bi‐weekly basis:
Full‐time 3 Part‐time I Part‐time II
First four years of service: 2.70 2.16 1.62
Five ‐ ten years of service:4 4.04 3.24 2.43
More than ten years of service: 4.04 3.24 2.43
Each employee may take vacation at such time as is mutually agreed upon with his/her supervisor.
An employee accrues vacation from the first day of employment but is not eligible to take accrued
vacation until six months of service is completed. Employees may accrue vacation time without
limitation.
If an authorized agency holiday occurs within an employee’s vacation period, equivalent time off
will be provided. An employee will be reimbursed for unused vacation at the salary rate he or she
is earning at the time of termination of employment. If a medically documented illness occurs
during a vacation period, sick leave may be substituted for those days during the vacation when the
2 For regular part-time employees, vacation hours shall be based on the average number of hours worked by the
employee beginning with the date of employment.
3
4 Currently, IURA vacation benefits max out at 10 years. As of 2010, City of Ithaca policy provides three additional classes of benefits
based on length of service of up to 25 years. A possible new class for “over ten years of service” could provide 4 weeks of vacation:
5.39 (FT), 4.31(PT1), and 3.24 (PT2).
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employee was ill. If employment ends during the first week of the bi‐weekly period, the employee
will be credited with half of the bi‐weekly amount of vacation time. If employment ends during the
last week of the bi‐weekly period, the employee will be credited with the full bi‐weekly amount of
vacation time.
Paid Holidays
Each employee shall receive 11 paid holidays per year, which shall be the same as those taken by
CSEA employees. Those holidays are: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day,
Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After
Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. In addition, each eligible employee as of January 1 of each year
will be credited with two (2) floating holidays During an employee’s initial year of employment,
floating holidays time will be credited based on an employee’s start of employment date as follows:
1/1 – 4/30: two (2) floating holidays
5/1 – 8/31: one (1) floating holiday
9/1 – 12/31: no floating holiday
Hours credited for each holiday:
Full‐time: 7 hours per holiday
Part‐time I: 6 hours per holiday
Part‐time II: 4 hours per holiday
Employees may not carry over any holiday time at the end of each calendar year. Upon
termination of employment, any unused floating holiday time will be paid to the employee.
Sick Days
Sick time for employees will be credited bi‐weekly as follows:
Full‐time: 3.24 hours (represents 84 hours of sick time per year)
Part‐time: 2.59 hours (represents 67 hours of sick time per year)
Part‐time: 1.94 hours (represents 50 hours of sick time per year)
Sick time benefits begin at the date of employment. Employees may accrue sick time without
limitation. At termination of employment, there is no cash reimbursement for unused sick leave.
Personal Days
Personal Days for employees will be credited on January 1st of each year as follows:
Full‐time: 21 hours (represents 3 days per year)
Part‐time I: 16 hours
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Part‐time II: 12 hours
During an employee’s initial year of employment, Personal Day time will be credited based on an
employee’s start of employment date as follows:
Full‐time Part‐time I Part‐time II
1/1 – 4/30: 21 16 12
5/1 – 8/31: 14 12 8
9/1 – 12/31: 7 6 4
Employees may not carry over personal time to the next calendar year. At termination of
employment, there is no cash reimbursement for unused personal time.
Bereavement
In the event of death in the family of an employee or family of an employee’s spouse, the
employee shall be allowed a leave of absence with pay to a maximum of three days. The
supervisor must approve this leave of absence. Bereavement leave may be extended to one week
at the discretion of the Executive Director.
Medical Leaves of Absence
Accrued sick leave may be used during medically verified disability, and leave without pay may be
granted subsequently. A request for temporary medical disability should be in writing and
approved by the Executive Director. The request should state intent to return to work within a
reasonable period of time after recovery. Leave time cannot exceed three months and the
employee will be guaranteed employment on return. During the leave of absence no vacation, sick,
holiday or personal time will accrue. In all cases, the Agency’s medical leave policy shall provide a
minimum of employee entitlements in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993,
as amended or superceded.
Family Leave
At the time of the birth or adoption of a child, or to take care of a family member with a serious
health condition, an employee may elect to take a family leave of up to three (3) months. The
employee may select the option of using any combination of accrued sick leave (which shall not
require medical verification in this case), personal leave, vacation, or leave without pay. During this
period, the employee is entitled to full health benefits. The employee’s position will be held open
or filled on a temporary basis, until the end of the family leave. For a family leave longer than
three months, there is no guarantee that the employee will have continued employment with the
Agency upon the expiration of such leave. During a family leave no vacation, sick, holiday or
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personal time will accrue. In all cases, the Agency’s family leave policy shall provide a minimum of
employee entitlements in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, as amended
or superceded.
Leaves of Absence Without Pay
Leaves of absence without pay may be granted for up to 90 days. The granting of a leave of
absence for less than 30 calendar days will be at the sole discretion of the Executive Director.
Leaves for 31‐90 days require the approval of the Executive Director and the Agency. Such leave
shall not be granted until all accrued vacation time is used. A minimum of one‐year full‐time
regular employment is necessary for a leave of absence to be approved. A request for such a leave
must be in writing, stating the reason for the leave and intention to return to work at a specified
date. During a leave of absence no vacation, sick, holiday or personal time will accrue.
Leave without pay will be considered a resignation if the employee fails to return to work from
such leave on the specified date when the leave expires. If, during the employee’s absence, the
position is terminated due to funding reduction, the employee will be notified according to
termination policies and will be eligible for normal termination benefits.
Jury Duty Leave
Jury Duty Leave shall be granted as leave with pay to an employee who is required to serve as a
juror. An employee must present notice of required jury service to the supervisor.
K. EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
Agency Initiated Training
Each employee of the Agency will be encouraged and assisted to further personal and career
development through academic study and by such other means as will contribute to further service
to the Agency and is not in conflict with regular duties. Payment of fees for conference or other
training experience shall be made when recommended by the supervisor and approved by the
Executive Director. Such assistance shall be limited to courses or training which:
‐ Are related to an employee’s position which will aid further development in the
performance of duties
‐ Are deemed to be of special or needed benefit to the individual’s career
‐ Are submitted in advance for approval by the Executive Director
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‐ Will not interfere with satisfactory discharge of responsibilities even though training may
occur during normal working hours.
Employee Initiated Training
The Agency agrees to pay the tuition for up to 6 credit hours of courses per year equivalent to the
current cost per credit hour at Tompkins County Community College (TC3) for a full‐time employee.
For a regular part‐time employee, the Agency will pay the tuition for up to 3 credit hours per year.
All requests are subject to the availability of Agency administration funds. Any requests for
assistance over this amount must have prior approval of the Agency. This includes any training
programs, conferences, workshops, or classes that are related to work of the Agency by agreement
between employee and supervisor and approved by the Executive Director. This training will
normally occur during non‐working hours. Allotments for employee initiated education assistance
will not be accumulated from one fiscal year to the next.
L. REIMBURSEMENTS RELATED TO EMPLOYMENT
Where membership in a professional society or club is for the purpose of officially representing
Agency, payment of dues and fees will be made by the Agency. Other club or professional
memberships may be paid by the Agency if they are job essential and approved in advance by the
Executive Director.
All travel must be authorized in advance by the Executive Director. An employee may request
reimbursement for any legitimate job‐related travel expense. Where possible, requests should be
accompanied by a receipt.
When it is necessary for an employee to use their own automobiles for Agency business, they will
be reimbursed at the City’s mileage rate, which is defined as the “IRS Mileage Rate”. On extended
trips, automobile mileage reimbursement may not total more than round trip economy airfare. An
employee shall be covered by worker’s compensation benefits while travelling on Agency business.
M. OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES AND COMPENSATION
To avoid actual or appearance of conflict of interest, any employee who engages in any
remunerative activity in any field directly related to Agency work must inform his/her supervisor.
This includes consultation, speeches, conference participation and related work by Agency staff
members. If done during normal working hours (with the exception of vacation or compensatory
time off), any fee for such activity will be paid to the Agency. All copyrights on work produced
while on the job will be in the name of the Agency and shall remain the property of the Agency.
N. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
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The end of an employment relationship with the Agency will fall within one of the following
categories, with indicated policies applicable to each.
Resignation: Resignation is a voluntary termination freely made by the employee for any
reason s/her chooses. An employee shall give at least two week written notice and is requested to
give as much notice as possible. An employee who does not give required notice might forfeit pay
for unused vacation leave time at the discretion of the Executive Director.
Mutual Agreement: Mutual agreement is when both the employee and the Agency think
that it would be mutually beneficial to end the employment relationship. Under these
circumstances, no termination notice period is set by Agency and a departure date is determined
by the Agency within a reasonable time period.
Reduction in Force: A reduction in work force may result from job elimination due to
reorganization or financial considerations determined by the Agency. An employee so affected will
be given one‐month notice. During this month, s/he will receive full pay and reasonable time off
for employment interviews.
Dismissal: Dismissal may be for, but is not limited to, unsatisfactory performance and/or
misconduct, and is determined at the discretion of the Executive Director. Dismissal requires no
notice period but notice of dismissal shall be provided in writing. The employee may be asked to
leave immediately or be given a period of notice at the discretion of the Executive Director. If
dismissal is for unsatisfactory job performance, it shall have been preceded by adequate
supervisory discussion and an opportunity to improve. Individuals who are involuntarily
terminated for unsatisfactory performance will receive 2 weeks pay at termination.
Retirement: Retirement is a type of voluntary termination freely made by the employee for
any reason s/he chooses. There is no mandatory retirement age, although normal retirement age
coincides with the age when an employee is eligible for full Social Security benefits and
continuation beyond that time is subject to meeting usual performance standards.
Other Termination Procedures: Any vacation or compensatory time to be paid to the
employee will be made at the time of termination in lieu of extending the termination date.
O. GRIEVANCES
An employee is expected to consult first with his/her supervisor regarding any action; occurrence
or attitude either expressed or implied which is perceived as unfair or inequitable on the job. If a
satisfactory agreement for resolution cannot be made through regular supervisory channels, the
employee may appeal to the Executive Director in writing with a copy to the supervisor.
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If an employee files a written grievance with the Executive Director and no resolution is reached
within 10 working days after the grievance is received, the matter will then be referred to the
Agency.
The Agency will hear and review all evidence presented by the employee and the supervisor
involved. After careful consideration, it will make a ruling and inform the Executive Director of its
determination. This ruling will be considered final.
P. DRUG‐FREE WORKPLACE
In accordance with HUD’s requirement that their grantees conform to the Drug‐Free Workplace
Act, the Agency office is required to submit certification that it is a drug‐free workplace. The Act
states that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled
substance is prohibited. Each employee is required to sign a statement, which indicates that s/he is
aware of the Drug‐Free Workplace Act and its implications. If an employee violates this Act, then
the employer will discuss the nature and consequences of violation with the employee and a
referral will be made to an appropriate agency where the employee will seek drug abuse assistance
and rehabilitation. If the problem persists then disciplinary action up to and including dismissal will
be taken.
An employee will be required to notify the Executive Director within 5 days of any criminal
conviction due to a drug violation occurring in the workplace. The employer must then inform HUD
within 10 days. Within 30 days of notice appropriate personnel action must be taken.
END