11/13/2007 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

versus going to voice mail and callers still want to talk to a person. Mr. Hohmann inquired to Ms. Agresta about her main duties. She responded by answering telephone calls; typed work orders; updated log sheets on the computer; transmitted reports to EPA software; payroll for the Treatment Plant and Service Department which required some additional help. Now there are two (2) employees in Finance that have taken over the responsibility of the payroll for Service and the overtime list. The Assistant Superintendent is currently responsible for the time keeping and the payroll is prepared by the Assistant Superintendent and the Operations Foreman which next year he will have all that responsibility when the Assistant Superintendent retires. Mr. Hohmann inquired if Ms. Agresta is suggesting that there are inefficiencies because other employees are doing secretarial type services. Ms. Agresta replied that most of the employees that are doing the secretarial services are the administrative personnel. There was a promotion in the collection department to foreman; he is doing most of the work orders now that was done by the secretary. Mr. Hohmann inquired if Ms. Agresta was interviewed by ATS Engineering and the answer to the question was yes. On page 13 of the ATS Engineering report, that portion pertains to the secretarial position at the plant. The Waste Water Treatment Plants main function is compliance and budget. Mr. Hohmann inquired as to how the report supports Ms. Agresta's position. The only thing that is mentioned in the report is that the secretary's duties will be distributed amongst other employees. Not everybody has a computer or sits at their desk all day; if they were to be doing that they would not be doing their jobs. Ms. Zolar inquired if Ms. Agresta's position is the only one in the city that is split and Ms. Agresta's response was "That I know of, yes". Ms. Agresta distributed copies of her documents for each of the Commissioners and the originals to the court reporter. The court reporter will mark the documents as "Agresta 1 ". Mr. Limpert inquired to Ms. Agresta to clarify if she did the Waste Water Treatment Plant's payroll. Ms. Agresta indicated that she did the Waste Water Treatment Plant payroll up until 2002 then she did the Service payroll. At that time the Assistant Superintendent and Ms. Agresta did the Waste Water Treatment Plant payroll and she did the Service payroll because they did not have an Operations Foreman. About four (4) or five (5) years ago there was an Operations Foreman and he started learning the payroll and the Assistant Superintendent did not do much of it anymore. If Ms. Agresta completed the Service payroll early, she would help the Operations Foreman. Ms. Agresta mentioned previous about needing a secretary to take phone calls, messages and letting people into the plant. Mr. Limpert's experience has shown that often times many other employees would answer the phone and let him in. Demonstration of this is when the city had a medical emergency and did not have a secretary at the plant and the plant operated efficiently. As it is only 75% of Ms. Agresta's pay is covered by the Waste Water fund and we are finding efficiencies to where some of the motion that was taking place is not necessary action which would further reduce the need for a full time individual at the Waste Water Plant. Mr. Herbster was called to the podium and was sworn in. Mr. Herbster indicated that he has been an employee for twenty-three (23) years and the secretary has always been a vital component. There is no other organization in the city that does not have a secretary. The secretary is the glue that holds everything together. It is hard for employees that have other duties to answer the phone during the day. When calls do come in you need someone to probe the questions to find out what exactly is going on. Mr. Herbster indicated that the ATS survey states that there are duties for the secretary to do. There are fewer employees at the plant on a continuous basis to keep track of what is going on. The secretary is the one you can always depend on to accomplish the day to day tasks. This is one of the biggest departments and it does not make sense not to have a secretary. Mr. Limpert indicated that this is not the only place that does not have a secretary. The Senior Center does not have a secretarial support and a far as ATS survey, that was not the determining factor that was just reinforcement to what was already established. Phone improvements are taking place to further enhance the system. The Service Department use to have a Public Works Commissioner and a secretary that also worked with four (4) foremen. Those positions have been eliminated along with two (2) foremen. This is showing more technology and there is no need for staffing that the city