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Home My WebLink About12/02/08DECEMBER 2, 2008 At a Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners, held on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, at 5:30 p.m., Mayor Paxton presided, and upon call of the roll by the City Clerk, the following answered to their names: Commissioners Coleman, Kaler, Gault, Watkins and Mayor Paxton (5). WORKSHOP FIRE REPORT Acting Fire Chief Kyle reported there was a structure fire on the 16th floor at the Jackson House. The residents were successfully evacuated with the assistance of the Police Department, Paducah Public Independent School System, PATS and others. The fire was .y under control within 14 minutes of being dispatched and was contained to a small area. Main concern was the spreading of smoke to the other floors. The cause of the fire was determined to be from a discarded smoking material (cigarette). INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS Monica Bilak, Artist Relocation Coordinator for the Paducah Renaissance Alliance, proposed an incentive package for the Artist Relocation Program so it can continue to be successful. She made a request of $325,000 for the total package. Forgivable loans will be offered. This program will be similar to the Retail Fence Program that is offered for the downtown area. Private investments of $22M have been made in the Lowertown area. A sculpture trail has been proposed to be located within the lowertown and downtown areas to help link those two areas. Paducah Bank will help in the funding of the trail. All commissioners expressed support. NOBLE PARK VIDEO SURVEILLANCE BRIEFING Mark Thompson, Parks Services Director, and Greg Mueller, Information Systems Director, gave an overview of the above system. The system is a seven camera video system. Users can log -in and have a live view of the skatepark or other areas where they are located. If necessary, video files can be reviewed up to 30 days unless specifically saved for a longer period of time. Only users that have been set up with a user name and password will have access to the cameras for viewing. Police and sheriff vehicles who are logged in to city network will be able to view live from their vehicles. Mr. Thompson will have access from his home and office. Maintenance for the software is about $400 annually. Each camera life span is approximately six to eight years. Location of the camera will be another consideration. Placement of the camera is a factor of the image quality and the life span of the camera. The system can be set up to send special alerts notifications. Locations for the cameras, at this time, will be the entrance to the Greenway Trail, skatepark, and basketball courts. MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Jim Zumwalt, City Manager, distributed a draft of the "City of Paducah Management Development Program" that he has created. A copy is in the minute file. He will be sending an administrative contingency request for funding of the program. The program should start in the beginning of January. FRAME AFSCME CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS City Manager Zumwalt explained the outline as follows: 1) Purpose of presentation Today: a) AFSCME Contract Negotiations start in January b) Schedule in Contract. i) Negotiate January 2 — March 1 r ii) If fail to reach tentative agreement, 90 days suspension of negotiations iii) Resume negotiations June 1 iv) Either party may request mediation v) Contract extended 30 days vi) City presents best, last, final offer to Union for ratification vote vii) July 31: Ratified contract or no contract c) Some of you have advised me. Union members have talked with you lobbying for change they want. DECEMBER 2, 2008 d) Presentation today to frame issue so you have time to think about issues and be ready to give staff guidance when new Commission meets in January. 2) History: a) Three rounds of contract negotiations since Z start 10% years ago b) When Start, Z make list of 175 changes to contracts to: i) Increase Efficiency ii) Protect taxpayer by increasing accountability iii) Make City Pay and Benefits more like pay and benefits that pay salaries of City employees c) We have made progress on the list addressing some of the items each of the rounds of negotiations d) Process Difficult: i) Almost every item on list looks like a take -back to the employees ii) City benefits more generous than those of most other local employers, so very little to give in trade at negotiating table for take -backs e) Results i) Each round of negotiations leave employees unhappy ii) To maintain membership support, Union leaders keep reminding members they should be unhappy iii) Adverse impact on employee morale over last 10 years iv) Particularly difficult during first two contracts where I sewed as City negotiator f) Process: i) Commission reviews list of desirable changes and selects ones feel most important ii) City negotiating team goes to table with list of desired changes iii) Negotiations drag out iv) Unions seek public and media sympathy v) Pressure builds on Commission to settle contract and make conflict go away vi) Sign contract with some but not all changes on list 3) Accomplishments: Over 10 years have made major changes: a) Contract term i) "Evergreen" ii) Then one year extension after end date iii) Contract terminated at end date b) Promotions i) Change from strict seniority to merit based c) Uniformity i) Move from different work rules and benefits for every workgroup toward more uniformity (1) Example: Working up rules more similar for union and independent employees d) Health Insurance i) Change from City paying full cost for employees and all family members to shared responsibility ii) City given flexibility to make changes to keep costs down e) Work rules that impact efficiency i) Deleted prohibition on supervisors doing work 4) Situation Now a) Most contract work rules that limit efficiency have been addressed i) A few remain like convoluted call in system for AFSCME which delays response time b)Main Category of Issues = Benefits. 5) QUESTION FOR NEW COMMISSION: When we go to negotiations table with AFSCME in January, how aggressive should we be in making City employee benefits more like the benefits the taxpayers who pay for our benefits get at their jobs. DECEMBER 2, 2008 6) EXAMPLE: Sick Leave a) City Sick Leave Very Generous i) Employees granted, 16 or 18 days/year ii) Maximum Accrual'; 150 to 242 days b) Z arrive 10 1/2 years ago: City Sick Leave in Media. i) Staff reportshow City employees use more sick leave than other employees ii) Commission demand tighter control, adopt new policy c) 2000 Contract Negotiations i) Negotiations stretch out ii) Employees picket City Hall iii) Commission under pressure to settle iv) Mayor Jones take over negotiations v) Settlement include, Incentives to conserve sick leave = increased pay -out for unused, accrued sick leave d) Herschel: Did Changes make any difference? Absenteeism Rates City of Paducah US Avg * FY2008 4.2% 1.9% FY1999 3.9% 2.3% * - US Bureau of Labor Stets, Current Population Survey (local govt). 7) One of Decisions in January: Should we negotiate to change our Sick Leave system? a) Reasons to Change i) Facing Fiscal Hard Times = Good time to make cuts ii) Bargaining with one union, not three. Easier to set expectations with one Union and Independent Employees before negotiating same changes with public safety unions two years from now iii) Hard to justify treating City employees significantly more generously than taxpayers are treated b) Reasons to leave Unchanged i) Economic hard times are hard on employees too = Bad time to make cuts ii) Lots of important things happening in Community. Upsetting employees with benefits change will distract Commission and Community from important proj ects. iii) As Commissioner Coleman reminds us: Labor conflict hurts Economic Development efforts, so we should not take negotiating position that creates conflict. 8) Bill O'Brien: If Commission Decides to Change Sick Leave Policy, what types of leave policies do other employers use? a) Option 1 b) Option 2 c) Option 3 CITY MANAGER REPORT ❖ Calendar Events ❖ Christmas Parade will be on Dec. 6th ❖ May be a possible joint city/county commission meeting before Christmas ❖ Mark Thompson reported that the ice skating rink has had just under 6,000 paid attendees and over 1,000 on Saturday. ❖ City Manager requested an executive session to discuss Fire Chief candidates DECEMBER 2, 2008 EXECUTIVE SESSION Commissioner Coleman offered motion, seconded by Commissioner Gault, that the Board go into closed session for discussion of matters pertaining to the following topics: which might lead to the appointment, dismissal, or disciplining of an employee, as ted by KRS 61.810(1)(f). Adopted on call of the roll, yeas, Commissioners Coleman, Kaler, Gault, Watkins and Mayor Paxton (5). Upon'motion meeting adjourned. ADOPTED: January 21 , 2009 i