11/06/2002 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Council Minutes 11/6/2002 4) A letter has been received from the Ohio EPA regazding the Wastewater Treatment Plant sludge management plan. Preliminary approval of the plan has been received and they recommend any and all ordinances or resolutions with regard to the sludge hauling finalization be approved. North Royalton is currently working on their approval. 5) The leaf pick-up program is running smoothly. The city has investigated the idea of adding an extra pick-up day, and Three Z's has agreed to do this at no extra expense. 6) All hydrant flushing is completed for the season. 7) On October 9, Personnel Director Cheryl Farver, AFSCME representative Amy Price, members of the bazgaining units and the Administrative Assistant attended a labor/management meeting. Mrs. Price recommended training for both management and labor to help build a strong labor/management relationship. Recognizing the budget constraints, she recommended a federal mediator be consulted at no cost to the city to help develop a training program. On October 30, the Personnel Director attended a meeting with Mrs. Price, Hernando Hazge of AFSCME and Mr. Conrad Bowling, commissioner with the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service. Mr. Bowling recommended that both management and labor complete (anonymously) a needs assessment questionnaire. After completion, Mr. Bowling will evaluate the questionnaires and make specific recommendations as to the type of training he feels would best serve the city's needs. The questionnaires will be distributed the beginning of next week. Mr. Bowling will need several days to review and will follow up with his recommendations. The Mayor will report back to Council regazding the evaluation and the recommendations. This will be performed at no cost to the city. A blank copy of the needs assessment questionnaire will be distributed to Council for their review. Councilwoman Kasler asked the Mayor if it was true that, during this time of very serious financial concerns, that he had given an approximately forty-seven hundred dollar raise to an individual employee in the Data Processing Department. Mayor said what had happened was, the employee was hired at a rate of approximately $45,000 with the idea that, if she completed her probationary period of six months, her salary would be increased to $50,500. She did complete her probationary period, and that was given to her. That was in the budget right from the beginning. Mrs. Kasler asked if it was true that the former secretary in the Mayor's office who has received several raises in the last few months had been moved to be the secretary in the Public Service office and was given another raise. Mayor Musial said that raise was pulled back because there was a misinterpretation of the application of the bargaining unit's salary range for the Secretary I position. The employee went into the Secretary I position less than a year ago, and he really was not entitled to that pay increase until 3anuary of 2003. Mrs. Kasler asked if the newest Safety and Service directors had been hired at the top of the range. The Mayor said, "close to it" as the Service Director was hired at $75,750, and the Safety Director was hired at $68,000. Mrs. Kasler asked, after all of those things occurred, were the employees then not informed of a proposed wage freeze far next year? Also, she is hearing of extensive potential layoffs. Mayor Musial said all options are open at the moment. Plans have not yet been finalized, and he proposes to provide the information to the meeting of the Council-of--the-Whole along with the proposed budget for 2003. The administration has not finally concluded as to what directions they are going to go. Mrs. Kasler said she does not see a plan, and it makes her very uncomfortable. She sees 2