01/29/2008 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Special Council Minutes of 1/29/2008 issue of voting on something that is not written to explain it that way. He asked the Law Director if he thought there was a problem with passing that legislation tonight with the understanding that Council understands the three full-time property maintenance inspectors caveat, but it's not written in the ordinance? Law Director Dubelko said currently the city has operated with Mr. Schneider for two years now filling the building inspector position and doing 50% of his work in property maintenance. That is not being changed, other than two new positions are being added full-time. Mr. Hruby holds the part-time position. This is the current situation that has worked and is not being changed by adding two new full-time positions. If the administration doesn't live up to its representations, City Council can always change the reorganization to reflect exactly what Council wants without any representations from the administration of a position being split between one function and another. Councilman Barker continued to wander if it would be an issue for Council to pass something that was not written. Councilman Gareau suggested that Ordinance 2008-12 (the extension of the Bowen contract) be passed until Ordinances 2007-156 and 2007-157 could be straightened out. Law Director Dubelko said, had he been in attendance at the committee meeting, he would have counseled that he had problems with using the word "equivalency" because he thinks it creates a lot of ambiguity. The better course, if Council is satisfied with the current arrangement of the building inspector position filled by Mr. Schneider, then just two positions should be added rather than three. Councilman Gareau said he is not entirely convinced that Mr. Schneider is a 50% property maintenance inspector and a 50% building inspector. With the condition of the Building Dept. in other areas, he's just not convinced that his resources have been allocated to 50% property maintenance. He would rather have Mr. Schneider be deemed to be a full-time or proceed down that path and delineate it more clearly. Mr. Barker agreed. Mayor O'Grady disagreed and said, if Mr. Gareau knows that Mr. Schneider is not using roughly half his time for property maintenance inspection, he needs to know that because that is not then following his guidance and it's not what his director is reporting to him. He would be very troubled to find out that employees are being misused. And that to him would constitute a misuse in his administration. Councilman Gareau said he did not have data to suggest that. It just would not surprise him that, if in a Building Dept. that has experienced deaths and two or three retirements, the person who is otherwise charged with 50% property maintenance was not called upon to perform in a greater capacity the other 50% of his responsibilities. If that is not happening, that's wonderful. But it is a stressed department. Mayor O'Grady said he would be stunned and not pleased if people are not performing the functions to which they've been assigned. What was discussed during the committee is that City Council wants the equivalent of three people dedicated to property maintenance. What he has stated publicly and what he stated during the committee process and that his directors of Safety and Service have stated, is that it is the intent of the administration to provide the equivalent of three people. The only thing that. is being discussed is the correct wording. Nothing has changed from the committee process. The only thing that's being changed is 5