3/18/2006 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Minutes of a Special Meeting of The North Olmsted Parks and Recreation Commission March 18, 2006 Page Two Ms. Jones then asked why the line item budgeted for hospitalization indicated $114,400.00 for 2005; the actual was $30,617.54; and the proposed amount for 2006 was $20,000.00. The reply was that hospitalization and workers’ comp have been budgeted to the penny. The actual request is for $19,324.56, which is the projection on the staff and what plans they chose for the year. So the Rec Department knows the staff that has health care and that component; they are locked into that component for the year and cannot make plan changes until open enrollment in December. Mr. Barker said that this is the actual budget and how the money went out; now, with the new computing system, each division has its own breakdown regarding vacation pay, hospitalization, workers’ comp, insurance…so every division knows how much money they must plan to cover its employees. It used to be that all of the hospitalization and benefits was in one group by one department. Now, it’s broken down in every division (e.g., electricity, natural gas in Utilities) which gives everyone an opportunity to see what costs there are and how things are being done. Ms. Jones asked if this was for the entire city. She was told it was just the Recreation Department. Mr. DiSalvo also pointed out that the reason why the hospitalization for 2006 was less than 2005 was that there is one less full time employee in the Recreation Department. The reason why the figure is shown as over $114,000 for the budgeted amount in 2005 was that it included everyone, not just the administrative staff (e.g., maintenance as well). Mr. DiSalvo said that ’05 was the big transition year from the old system to the new one. Mr. Terbrack said that the City is still learning the new system; classes are being given this coming week to employees of the City because, when a system changes, people don’t know where to put expenses and the City is still on a learning curve. It will take another year for everyone in the City, Council included, to understand the new system because it is so new. The Finance Director knows the workers’ comp charges already; she has allocated every cent to pay that premium to the State by Department and then by Cost Center within the Department. Mr. Barker noted that the Commission is all aware of the CDBG Grant received on behalf of the City of North Olmsted. Mr. Terbrack said that Kim Wenger, the Planning Director, is still working with the Grantor, but the Grant has been approved, although it has not yet been received. Mr. Barker said that the Finance Committee of three people, plus additional Council members that usually attend these meetings, spent about 17 or 18 hours going over the Budget for the City so, in man hours, it would be 85 to 120 hours for the last three or four Saturdays and one or two evenings during the week. The last meeting was last Tuesday night, March 14, 2006, until 11:00 p.m. Page 2