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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012_0828_Minutes Open_APPROVED COUNTY OF KAUAI Minutes of Meeting OPEN SESSION Approved as circulated 9/25/12 Board/Committee: CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Meeting Date August 28, 2012 Location Mo'ikeha Building, Liquor Control Commission, Meeting Room Start of Meeting: 3:01 p.m. End of Meeting: 4:39 p.m. 3 Present Chair Gilbert Maerina; Vice-Chair Cathy Adams. Members: Lani Aranio; Ryan de la Pena; John Low; Roy Morita Also: Deputy County Attorney Marc Guyot; Personnel Services Manager Thomas Takatsuki; Personnel Management Specialist V Joyce Schuierer; Boards & Commissions Office Staff. Support Clerk Barbara Davis; Administrator Paula Morikami Excused Absent hmm— jr SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Call To Order Chair Maerina called the meeting to order at 3:01 p.m. with 6 members present Approval of Open Session Minutes of July 16, 2012 Mr. de la Pena moved to approve the minutes as Minutes circulated. Ms. Aranio seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 Business CSC 2012-29 Implementation of the Human Resources Department(on-going), a. Request dated 6/28/12 to the Director of Finance requesting information on the timeframe and procedures for acquiring the HRIS Software Program (deferred from 7/16/12) Staff reported they had not received a response from the Director of Finance. Mr. Takatsuki said they have had meetings but there has been nothing definitive from Finance. Mr. Morita moved to defer this item to the next meeting. Ms. Aranio seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 b. Update from the Director of Personnel Services on the Transition Plan for the Implementation of the Human Resources Department Mr. Takatsuki reported they are going through the recruitment process to fill Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 2 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION the vacancies they currently have, which are 3 HR Specialists positions. Interviews are finished and the recommendations have been sent to the Mayor's Office. We met with the Mayor on the recommendation for the Worker's Compensation position and we are now waiting to meet with the individual. Once these positions have been settled,recruitment will begin on the next 2 positions to be filled. The HR Clerks and the Techs are being scheduled for interviews. We have met with Public Works with regard to office space, which is an on-going issue to try to get additional space. The Engineer and the Deputy Engineer are supposed to meet with the Mayor so they can start talking to the parties that will be involved in the space reallocation. Mr. Low asked if they had moved forward on the space allocation since last month's meeting. Mr. Takatsuki said they had met but they need approval from the Mayor's Office before they start talking to the Department Heads. Ms.Aranio asked if they have been able to identify sufficient space for all the positions that are being moved to DPS. Mr. Takatsuki said they have for 95% of them but certain positions require enclosed space due to the type of issues that come up with those specific positions. There is one open space now in the DPS Office. We were going to bring down one of the HR Managers but we may need that space when we hire one of the HR Specialists. Because the HR Manager has an office within the Department of Public Works and she can work out of both sides,we are not going to move her down. The person who is doing the Risk Management work may go back to the Finance Office but at this point in time she is working out of the Risk Management Office. Ms.Adams asked if the demonstration had occurred on the 21St with SunGard. Mr. Takatsuki said because he had other commitments he did not attend that meeting and would need to defer to Ms. Schuierer. Ms. Adams asked if there has been any communication with the Departments about the transition plans or timetables. Mr. Takatsuki said there have been scattered communications Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 3 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION but they are trying to get the specifics among their own office set first. When certain issues do come up we meet with the Departments to address those issues. It is hard to get specific information out to the Departments when we are still trying to set things up internally and trying to get the positions filled. Some of the Departments are asking what type of help their department will receive now that one of their positions was taken away from them. Now that positions have been moved,we are assessing which positions may be affected by what our office is performing. We have been working with the Departments every day and we have tried to address their questions as they come up. We have met with them regarding their concerns on recruitment, what the Department will be responsible for and what HR will be responsible for. Ms. Aranio referenced the July 9th memo to set the time for the official file return for the centralization of files and asked if they had been completed. Mr. Takatsuki said when the memo initially went out; DPS had to order the file cabinets, so we indicated to the departments by a certain date but before October 1. A memo has subsequently gone out advising the Departments they can start sending in their personnel files. Part of the problem is certain Departments want to keep their personnel files or they want to make sure certain things are complied with. The Task Force wants those files to be centralized and located in one area. If the Departments want to make copies of the files, they have been told they can make copies to keep in their office but HR will be the file of record. Ms. Aranio asked for a clarification on the HR Clerk position noted as Requisition initiated and does that mean a candidate has been selected for the position. Mr. Takatsuki said Requisition initiated means they have put in a requisition to recruit. Ms. Schuierer said it was pending approval from the Mayor at that time and they have since received approval. The position has been posted and we have started scheduling for interviews. Ms. Aranio questioned the status dates noting the Clerk position was originally recruited on 2/12/2012,referred on 5/29/2012,and then another Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 4 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION requisition was done on 8/7/2012 to post the position again. Ms. Schuierer said we may have had another vacant position which necessitated the requisition or there were insufficient candidates so we had to go back out for recruiting. Ms. Aranio asked with all the planning and the office space that has potentially been identified for the new positions, will DPS hit the target date of having everyone in place by October 1. Mr. Takatsuki said he could not say because some offices would not require too much renovation but where there are more extensive renovations there will be costs. The Departments do not have the monies since it was not part of the plan to begin with. If there are major renovations the question is whether or not there is funding to do the renovations. Ms.Adams asked if the Department needed the support of the Commission to help this process along. Mr.Takatsuki said the issue is whether Public Works has talked with the Mayor and received his approval. Mr. Morita asked where the funding would come from. Mr. Takatsuki said normally the funding comes out of Public Works and if it were the later part of the year,you would know where monies could be available to do some of the construction work. Mr. Morita asked about the possibility of a money bill. Mr. Takatsuki said it is a possibility. Ms.Aranio said if the Commission were to contact the Mayor about the office space,do they know how many would potentially involve renovations and how many would be simple enough to transition someone into. Mr.Takatsuki said they were looking at 4 enclosed offices with the rest being open in the new space. Because there may be more moving of offices, they may not want to spend the money now for short term relocations. c.Memorandum dated 7/24/12 to all County Agencies requesting input on how the Civil Service Commission can assist them and Personnel Services with a Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 5 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION smooth transition to the Human Resources Department 1 Response dated 8/9/12 from the Transportation Agency 2)Response dated 8/9/12 from the Department of Public Works 3 Response dated 8/14/12 from the Fire Department Ms. Adams moved to receive the 4 responses 4 Response dated 8/14/12 from the Police Department from the Departments. Ms. Aranio seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 Ms. Adams asked if the responses had been shared with the Personnel Department at this time. Staff noted they were included in the meeting packet sent to the Director. Mr. Morita asked how DPS plans to address every Department with their different issues. Mr. Takatsuki said the Police Department has issues with regard to what HR will be performing versus what the Department will be performing and these concerns were discussed during the planning phase of creating the HR. Mr. Takatsuki said he has talked with the Department and discussed this with the Task Force who say that was not what was discussed. They were all in agreement initially when they talked about this transition but now these issues are coming out about taking positions from the Department and putting them into HR. It is not easy to address one Department from another Department because they have different requirements. Mr. Takatsuki said Personnel will provide services which include recruitment and exam, classification, labor relations, transactions, worker's comp, and training. Worker's comp will continue to do that portion but more to coincide with training for prevention. Other things that fall under Administration is the responsibility for benefits, employee folders and records. The Police Department conducts a very intensive background check. The position assigned to assist the Police Department with their recruitment and training section has been transferred to HR. Based on what was discussed with the Task Force,the Police Department said that HR will be providing the services that their position currently provides, which is assisting in background and Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 6 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION everything else. Mr. Takatsuki did not think that was something that HR should be doing but we will look into it. That is why we do not have answers to some of the Department's questions. Ms. Schuierer listed some of the tasks that were being done within the Police Department's recruitment section. Once DPS has completed the recruitment, the announcement, and done the review of the applicant's test,the names are then referred to the Department. At that point the Department has their own process because they do an intensive background check and that is what their clerical staff did; DPS has never done that. That position has been brought to the HR Department and now they do not have anyone to do that process. Ms. Aranio said that is a clerical function KPD chooses to use as part of their process for recruitment and interviewing. Ms. Schuierer pointed out that KPD's recruitment process is different from the recruitment done by HR because KPD includes psychological testing. In working with KPD,we have moved the process along by putting on the announcement up front that the personal history packets, the performance readiness standard testing, and the manual are on line. In the application they have to answer a question saying they understand what their responsibility is and accept this as being their 8- week notice that if they pass the written exam,the next day they will be invited back to Personnel for the agility testing but all of that is on the website in our announcement. We are helping KPD get the notices to the applicants for the testing,which in the past was KPD's responsibility. Mr. Morita asked if those responsibilities are in the job classification for that position. Ms. Schuierer responded that when it was a personnel clerk at the Police Department that was part of their job duties there. Ms Schuierer said we are doing as much as we can to assist KPD within what is appropriate for Personnel to do for recruitment and exam. Of the tasks identified in the Police Department's response,Ms. Aranio asked what tasks DPS will not be able to rovide assistance with. Ms. Schuierer said pretty much all of it. Mr. Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 7 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Takatsuki agreed it is beyond what DPS normally does. It is KPD's process and what they expect and require of the applicant; we are helping by putting the history packet on line. Once the applicant passes the written exam and the physical agility test,they have to have completed the personal history packet. The Department then sits with each of the candidates and goes through the personal history with them to determine what may be missing because that is what they utilize to do the intensive background check. Attorney Guyot said he was part of the HR Task Force and worked on many of the considerations from the Police Department. One thing to be mindful of is that the position that was taken from KPD was only occupied for 6 to 8 months. Prior to that position, those tasks were done in-house. There are a bunch of new technologies coming on line that will streamline and shorten the process. There was a question about people from the mainland who have to come back 2 to possibly 3 times;this process narrows it down to twice. Most of the process can be done the first time so for those that come back a second time it is a much cleaner process. We are checking into outsourcing the medical and maybe the background checks. The final review and evaluation has to be done by the Police Department. The clerk was in that Department for a short time and it was a new position KPD requested, but there were still delays because the system was not working. Ms. Adams acknowledged the 4 responses that were received and said the Commission was only facilitating the communications but it was not their role to address the areas of concern. Ms.Adams asked that DPS follow up on these responses with the Commission at the next meeting. Ms. Schuierer said DPS will need to look at what their priorities are before we can respond to the Departments. We are still working with the Departments on the day-to-day things and as we work through the process of getting our Department positions filled, we will address these concerns. Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 8 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Ms.Aranio said that 3 of the 4 Departments that responded were impacted by positions being transferred out of their Department and into DPS. One of the things the Commission asked the Director specifically was to come up with a communication plan to inform the employees and Departments that were affected by the transition. By the next meeting the Commission would like to see how these Departments are being addressed and what will be done moving forward. Ms. Schuierer said one of the DPS staff has been assigned to work with the Departments but it takes time to sit with each Department to see what that position did and then figure out what they will not be doing; this has not been put in a communication but she will relay that request back to the Director. Ms. Aranio said what was being described is part of DPS' plan, which is to sit with each of the affected Departments to determine what processes will be absorbed by the new HR Department and what will remain within the Department. The Commission wants to know what process the Department will be following with an update on how that is progressing, Ms. Adams moved to acknowledge the letters keeping in mind the October 1 deadline. from the individual departments and inform them the Commission is forwarding their concerns to the Personnel/HR Department and will keep the topic on the agenda until it is resolved. Mr. de la Pena seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 CSC 2012-31 Discussion on the review,process of applications Ms.Adams explained the Commission would like to know what the process is if an applicant checks the wrong box. Ms. Schuierer said recruitment is done intra-departmental, competitive inter- departmental, and open competitive. Intra-departmental is limited to civil service employees within the specific department where there is a vacancy. Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 9 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION The inter-departmental is limited to civil service employees within the whole County and open competitive is open to members of the public. Ms. Schuierer explained that recruitments can be intra only,intra/inter only, inter/open only, open only or intra/inter/open. It all depends on factors such as how many vacancies, how many people within the department may be interested or qualified for the position, how many people within the County may be interested or qualified,and what type of applicant pool there may be which can determine if it is intra/inter. If there are not sufficient applicants it may include open as well. The type of recruitment is put on the announcement and we ask specific questions to see if they meet the criteria,such as are they an employee of the department, and if not the application is not accepted. Ms. Adams recalled the circumstances were that a person checked they were an employee of the County and they were, in fact, a contract employee. Mr. Low added that the position was available to everybody and that is where he is having trouble following the process. If it is open to everybody why was it kicked back because they miss-marked a box. Ms. Schuierer said the person did not apply on the right recruitment announcement for statistics so that we know who is intra/inter/open. Now that the applications are in the system the person is responsible for inputting their application, not DPS. Ms. Adams asked if they can notify the person that they checked the wrong box so they can correct it. Ms. Schuierer said they cannot always review the applications on a daily basis. If someone gets a rejection notice,they have the opportunity to reapply but if they apply on the last day of the recruitment announcement it cannot be guaranteed DPS will get to it. Mr. Low said he recalled the applicant was not notified until after the closing date. Ms. Schuierer said the applicant applied on the last date. Mr. Low said it is a shame to lose a good employee because they marked a wrong box which cannot be changed because we are trying to make sure statistics are kept correct. Ms. Schuierer said that was one reason but the applicants are supposed to be able to read and understand what they are applying for. We don't want to lose good people. Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 10 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION We also use the application for referrals because we may not get to an open competitive list. Mr. Takatsuki said DPS has to establish deadlines unless it is a continuous recruitment. Normally if an employee applies in a timely basis DPS will respond to that individual and they can reapply. There are step by step instructions on how to fill out the application. Ms.Aranio asked how long after an application is submitted is notification done. Ms. Schuierer said it depends on what DPS' schedule is like. Mr. Takatsuki said the Department has guidelines and standards to follow and they can't arbitrarily change things. Ms. Schuierer said the system does not know if a person is or is not a civil service employee. It is up to the employee to know whether they are a civil service employee but part of the problem is people don't read,they just apply. Ms. Schuierer said the application states that intra is limited to civil service employees of the specific department. Inter is limited to civil service employees of the County. Open includes all interested individuals and members of the public. Informational; no action required CSC 2012-32 Discussion with DPS on policy for Video Teleconference(VTC) and/or phone interviews for applicants living off-island Ms.Adams asked if there was any law to prevent using video teleconferencing or phone interviews. Attorney Guyot replied there was no law against it but they should decide whether to do the whole group that way unless it is an executive type position where they can use different recruitment models. Ms. Adams said her question referenced the Sunshine Law because you are not able to video teleconference into a meeting. Attorney Guyot said there were no restrictions for interviews but pointed out that it was difficult to read body language or facial expressions with phone interviews. Mr. Low said he was concerned that if some are interviewed one way and some another way it is not the same testing process. Mr. Takatsuki said they had not restricted this type of interview. Asked why DPS did not allow it for a candidate who applied for the Human Resources Manager position,Ms. Schuierer said it is left up to the Department as to how they want to conduct the interviews. Mr.Takatsuki said Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 11 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION in this case DPS wanted the person here. Informational; no action required. CSC 2012-27 a. Weekly Report Ending July 8, 2012 b. Weekly Report Ending July 15, 2012 c. Weekly Report Ending July 22, 2012 d. Weekly Report Ending July 29, 2012 e. Weekly Report Ending August 5. 2012 f. Weekly Report Ending August 12, 2012 Mr. Morita asked if the HRIS software would replace NEOGOV. Ms. Schuierer said they are reviewing it at this time and are in discussion with SunGard as well as checking to see if NEOGOV can be interfaced with it. SunGard has been given the Department's needs and now DPS is waiting to Ms. Adams moved to receive the Director's hear further. Reports. Mr. Low seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 CSC 2012-33 Budget for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Ms. Adams questioned if there was much difference in this budget from previous years other than the new positions that have been added. Mr. Takatsuki said it was pretty much the same as last year with the addition of the new bodies and some equipment purchases such as the file cabinets. The training funds are for updating and training staff. Mr. Morita asked what the entry for Police and Fire exams included. Mr. Takatsuki said it was for the written tests and it is charged to DPS since it is part of the testing procedures we administer.Mr.Morita noted under Contributions it listed post employment benefits at $176,000.00 and asked what that includes other than retirement. Mr. Takatsuki said it includes the benefits such as the health fund and the fringes. It used to be part of Finance's budget but it is now part of each Department's budget. Ms. Adams moved to receive the budget for the record. Ms. Aranio seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 Executive Attorney Gu of read the Hawai'i Revised Civil Service Commission Open Session August 28, 2012 Page 12 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Session Statutes provision as outlined on the agenda to take the Commission into Executive Session for consideration of ES-30 and ES-23: CSC 2012- 21 as listed. Mr. de la Pena moved to go into Executive Session at 4:18 p.m. Ms. Adams seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 Return to Open Ratify Commission actions taken in Executive Sessions for items: ES-23 and Session ES-30 Ms. Adams moved to ratify ES-23 and ES-30. Ms Aranio seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 Announcements Next Meeting: Tuesday, September 25, 2012. Attorney Guyot announced he would be off-island but would make sure there was attorney representation at the meeting. Adjournment Mr. de la Pena moved to adjourn the meeting at 4:39 p.m. Ms. Adams seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 Submitted by: Reviewed and Approved by: Barbara Davis, Staff Support Clerk Gilbert Maerina, Chair O Approved as is. ( ) Approved with amendments. See minutes of meeting.