Present: Chairman Rackow, Alderpersons Seiser, Sowieja, Molski, Moore

Also Present: Mayor Wescott, C/T Schlice, Clerk Zdroik, Directors Disher, Gardner, Schrader, Van Alstine; Alderpersons Walther, Barr, Nealis, Phillips; Mayoral Assistant Molepske, Fire Chief Barnes, Police Chief Carpenter, Assessor Kuehn, Personnel Specialist Jakusz, Kate Grasombke (Journal), Gene Kemmeter (Portage County Gazette)

Index to these Minutes:

1. Request to add Wastewater Superintendent position to the management pay plan.
2. Consideration of vacation benefit for the Police Chief.
3. Consideration of amendment to 3.02 of the City Administrative Policies.
4. Consideration of 2003 increase for non-represented employees.
5. Adjournment.

1. Request to add Wastewater Superintendent position to the management pay plan.

Two management positions in the Water and Sewer Department were reclassified last month. Along with these reclassifications, the positions were placed on the Management Pay Plan.

The request before the Personnel Committee is to place the Wastewater Superintendent on the Management Pay Plan at Grade VII of the pay plan.

Ald. Molski moved, Ald. Sowieja seconded, to approve the addition of the Wastewater Superintendent on the Management Pay Plan at Grade VII.

Ayes, all; nays, none. Motion carried.

2. Consideration of vacation benefit for the Police Chief.

Chairman Rackow gave an overview on this agenda item. At last month's council meeting, this item was referred to the Personnel Committee for its action. Chairman Rackow offered two options in dealing with this matter. The first option is to include this item in a special Personnel Committee meeting before the Common Council meeting on Monday, December 16, 2002. The second option is to defer action to the January 2003 Personnel Committee meeting.

Personnel Specialist Jakusz handed out a draft of the proposed policy to be added to the City of Stevens Point Administrative Policy dealing with the Retention of Department Heads. Chairman Rackow asked that the committee study the proposed policy for its consideration at the January Personnel Committee meeting.

Mayor Wescott offered a couple comments for the benefit of the members of the Personnel Committee. When this item was pulled by Ald. Molski at the November Council meeting and directed to the Personnel Committee, the Mayor informed the Council that he is strongly supportive of extending this benefit to an extremely competent individual that the City needs to retain. The Mayor was informed recently that without a policy in place, there is no authority to grant the benefit. He believes the Personnel Committee can do both. Since this was pulled from a Police and Fire Commission action and brought to this Committee by Council decree, the Committee can affirm the action taken by the Police and Fire Commission and extend the benefit as outlined. If the Personnel Committee feels a policy and guidelines need to be in place to guide the City in this matter, then the course outlined by Chairman Rackow is good. The Mayor reminded the Personnel Committee that the Police and Fire Commission has made a strong statement concerning retention of this highly qualified individual. Mayor Wescott asked that the City does not delay this matter much longer.

Ald. Molski agrees that we have a very talented individual and she is not against him. Since there is nothing in writing providing for this benefit, Ald. Molski feels setting a policy first and then granting the benefit will provide for this. She added this vacation benefit for the Police Chief will be retroactive to December 1, 2002.

The Mayor said he agreed with the path taken by the Police and Fire Commission as far as extending the vacation accrual for the Police Chief. He added that he is partially responsible for crafting the policy. Instead of treating this as an individual case every time the City has an eligible department head or leader show up to make his or her case before the Personnel Committee, let us have a mechanism in place so that qualified individuals present themselves as eligible for this benefit. Then we will have a way of dealing with it.

Mayor Wescott believes the Personnel Committee has the authority to proceed tonight to extend the benefit to the Police Chief and continue with the Personnel Committee and the Administration to finalize the language in the policy.

Ald. Molski stated she will feel comfortable having a mechanism in place before extending the benefit to the Police Chief.

Police and Fire Commissioner Mary Taylor said she is also concerned about competency and leadership as well as cost and setting a precedent that has not been set before. She noted that she also helped in crafting some of the language in the policy. She feels people should be rewarded not by seniority necessarily but by competency and strong leadership which the Police Chief has shown over and over, particularly at this time of cost containment. She asked that the Personnel Committee support the request.

Police and Fire Commission President Dick Judy said in this case it is an issue of retention, not a dismissal action. This is a preclusion of the individual retiring and he could do so in January 2003. He has made the Police and Fire Commission aware of that as a possibility. The Commission is faced with a very, very difficult position, President Judy said. The Personnel Committee can either continue his service to the community which has been excellent over a long period of time or accept either his retirement or his resignation. The Commission came up with an opportunity to allow the Police Chief the opportunity to stay on and help them with a transition to a new administration. That is where we are tonight. The Commission took that position and wants the Personnel Committee to affirm that position.

Ald. Molski noted the City does not have employment contracts with anybody at this time because of past problems with contracts in the Police and Fire Departments. The Alderman reiterated the need for a policy to be in place first because this is going to affect not just the Police and Fire Departments but will affect all management employees. She added that whether it is approved tonight or next month, the benefit will be retroactive to December 1, 2002. So why not do it correctly by having the policy in place, the Alderman added.

Police Chief Carpenter said he and Police Captain Daubert have employment agreements with the City which can be renewed or changed with the consent of both parties. He said he would like to stay and take on new projects, give the City 100% quality service, keep the Police Department operating as one of the top departments in the City as they have shown they can. He would like the Personnel Committee to act on the request so he can make a decision and he will not wait until January 2003 to make a decision. He added that he does not know when it will take effect if he decides to retire.

Ald. Sowieja does not see any problem taking action on the request from the Police Chief and the Police and Fire Commission right now and take action on the proposed Administrative Policy later on.

Ald. Sowieja moved, Ald. Seiser seconded, to approve the recommendation from the Police and Fire Commission at its November 12, 2002, meeting, i.e. to grant Chief Carpenter an additional vacation benefit of 1.25 days of vacation per calendar month served to take effect December 1, 2002, and the benefit is to remain in effect until the Chief's retirement from police service with the City of Stevens Point. The Chief is also authorized to carry over all earned and unused vacation time into the following calendar year(s) commencing December 1, 2002, and that the Personnel Committee also direct staff to continue to formulate the policy on Retention of Department Heads.

Ald. Barr, serving as the Council's liaison to the Police and Fire Commission, urged the Personnel Committee to support the motion in the affirmative.

Ald. Phillips asked if the Police Chief falls under this new policy?

President Judy stated this is an issue of amendment to the Police Chief's contract and his contract is binding. Any policy put on at a later date will be grandfathered.

Ald. Phillips said if the Police Chief does not want the policy, he can walk.

Mayor Wescott advised that any suggestions to the proposed policy should be directed to the Personnel Specialist.

Ayes, all; nays, none. Motion carried.

3. Consideration of amendment to 3.02 of the City Administrative Policies.

The amendment to 3.02 of the City Administrative Policies will bring the sick leave benefits for management employees in line with the union employees.

The proposed changes are as follows:
(1) Employees who retire from City service at the age of 55 or over, or retire due to disability and apply for a retirement annuity from the Wisconsin Retirement Fund, may have up to a maximum of 130 days of unused sick leave converted to a monetary value. The proposed change is from 120 days to 130 days.

(2) As an alternative to the above, those employees not covered by the City Health Insurance Plan for the twenty-four months immediately preceding their retirement would have seventy-five (75) percent of their accumulated sick leave credits (a maximum of ninety-seven and a half (97.5) days at the time of retirement converted to a monetary value (the number of days of accumulated sick leave times normal daily rate of pay received immediately prior to retirement) and paid to the employee in cash, less appropriate State and Federal taxes.
The proposed change is from 90 days to 97.5 days.

(3) E. Bonus Days: If an employee does not utilize sick leave during the first six (6) months of the calendar year (January - June), the employee will be credited with an additional day of sick leave. If an employee does not utilize sick leave during the second six (6) months of a calendar year (July - December), the employee will be credited with an additional day of sick leave.
Bonus days is a proposed addition to Policy No. 3.02 of the City Administrative Policies.

Ald. Molski moved, Ald. Moore seconded, for approval of the amendment to Policy No. 3.02 of the City Administrative Policies, as outlined above.

Ayes, all; nays, none. Motion carried.

4. Consideration of 2003 increase for non-represented employees.

In a memo addressed to the Personnel Committee, Mayor Wescott is recommending a 1.5% salary increase be approved for all non-represented City employees effective January 1, 2003. The recommended increase is within the budgetary and negotiation guidelines established for 2003 and consistent with the Consumer Price Index guidelines provided to the City. The Management Pay Plan will be adjusted accordingly.

Ald. Molski moved, Ald. Moore seconded, to approve the Mayor's recommendation for a 1.5% salary increase for all non-represented City employees and crossing guards effective January 1, 2003, reserving the right to reevaluate the adjustment pending the outcome of labor negotiations.

Ald. Seiser asked for further explanation on the reevaluation process. If the union gets a zero increase, will the 1.5% recommended for the non-represented employee be reduced to a zero increase, she asked?

Mayor Wescott said if the unions settle for more than 1.5%, the issue will come back before the Personnel Committee. We always have that right. He added the recommended 1.5% salary increase is consistent with the guidelines issued to the negotiators. Based on our budget, the 1.5% was the inflationary number that we were given as our CPI number for the year. There are some good base to develop that number, the Mayor said.

Ald. Sowieja asked for the number of non-represented employees.

Personnel Specialist Jakusz said the City has a total of 224 employees, of which 43 are non-union
and are covered by the pay plan.

Ayes, all; nays, none. Motion carried.

5. Adjournment - 6:37 P.M.

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