Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout030112_Salary Commission_MINUTES_Approved_m1(tt3)COUNTY OF KAUAI Minutes of Meeting OPEN SESSION Board /Committee: SALARY COMMISSION Meeting Date March 1, 2012 Location Mo'ikeha Building — Meeting Room 2 A/B Start of Meeting: 9:05 a.m. I End of Meeting: 9:25 a.m. Present Chair Robert Crowell; Vice -Chair Charles King; Members: Trinette Kaui; Randy Finlay (arrived at 9:08 a.m.); Michael Machado; Sheri Kunioka -Volz Also Deputy County Attorney Mona Clark; Board & Commissions Office Staff. Support Clerk Mercedes Youn; Administrative Aide Teresa Tamura; and Administrator Paula Morikami Excused Absent SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Call To Order Chair Crowell called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. Approval of Regular Open Session Minutes of February 1, 2012 Ms. Kaui moved to approve the minutes. Mr. Minutes Machado seconded the motion. Commissioner Kunioka -Volz requested that the minutes be amended to include Ms. Perry's discussion with the Commission relating to whether there is an inversion problem occurring at her place of employment. In the discussion, Ms. Perry indicated that part of her management responsibilities is to prevent salary inversions from occurring by insuring that her nurses have a substantial amount of overtime and that their salaries does not reflect an amount exceeding the physicians salaries. Ms. Kunioka -Volz indicated that the inversion problem that is occurring in the Police Department appears to be a management issue, and maybe what is needed is good management. Commissioner King requested that the minutes be amended to reflect his questions that he posed to Chair Kanekoa and also Chair Kanekoa's response on whether the Police Commission considers a lower salary then Salary Commission Open Session March 1, 2012 Page 2 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION the maximum set by the Salary Commission; and as the appointing authority for the Police Chief, does the Police Commission set the Chief's salary by operating under the Salary Commission's guidelines. Commissioner Machado requested that the minutes be amended to include the discussion on whether the salary reflects how the pension is paid out. With no further comments or changes, Chair Crowell called for the motion to approve the minutes as amended. Mr. Machado moved to approve the minutes as amended. Mr. King seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 Executive Session Minutes of February 1, 2012. Chair Crowell questioned whether the Commission should enter into Executive Session to discuss the minutes. Ms. Clark indicated that normally the Commission would have to go into Executive Session to discuss the minutes, however, if the Commission decided to approve the minutes as circulated the Commission may do so in Open Session. Ms. Clark indicated that the Executive Session minutes were not a scheduled item and therefore the Commission should defer the item for continued discussion at its next meeting. Chair Crowell declared to defer the item to the next scheduled meeting. Business SC 2011 -13 Discussion and possible decision - making on the possible Salary Commission Open Session March 1, 2012 Page 3 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION hiring of a consultant to conduct a review of salaries including, but not limited to, fringe benefits of council members and all officers and employees included in Section 3 -2.1 of the Kauai Coup Code. . (a) Communication dated 02/14/12 from Chair Robert Crowell to City and County of Honolulu Salary Commission, Maui County Salary Commission, and Hawaii County Salary Commission, requesting information in regard to establishing non - bargaining employees' salaries. The Commission was informed by Staff that the requests were sent out on February 15th and at this time no responses were received. Chair Crowell suggested that the Commission defer this matter for continued discussion and deliberation pending the receipt of response from the other Counties. SC 2011 -14 Discussion and possible decision - making on establishing salaries for the fiscal year 2012/2013 for council members and all officers and employees included in Section 3 -2.1 of the Kauai Count (Deferred on 12/02/11) (a) Communication dated 02/01/12 from Vice -Chair Charles King to Malcolm Fernandez, Director of Personnel Services, requesting information relating to salaries of employees and uniformed officers in Police Department. (b) Communication dated 02/10/12 from Malcolm Fernandez, Director of Personnel Services, response to a request dated 02/02/12 from Vice -Chair Charles King requesting for information relating to salaries. Commissioner King suggested that the Commission continue its discussion Salary Commission Open Session March 1, 2012 Page 4 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION on the matter at a next scheduled meeting pending the receipt of information from the other counties and maybe have a working session in the future to discuss establishing non - bargaining employees' salaries. Chair Crowell suggested that the Commission defer this item for continued discussion at a later date. He asked Ms. Clark if the Commission should take a vote to defer the item. Ms. Clark stated that would be the proper thing to do. Commissioner King asked whether the item should be deferred since the Commission is considering a draft resolution. Commissioner Kaui reminded the Commission that the deadline to submit the resolution is March 15th. Ms. Clark stated that was a good point and suggested that the Commission place the matter for continued discussion at its next meeting. As suggested by Ms. Clark, the Commission agreed to place the item on the next meeting agenda for continued discussion. SC 2012 -01 Discussion and decision - making on a draft Resolution 2012 -1 amending Resolution 2011 -1 Relating to Salaries of Certain Officers and Employees of the County of Kaua'i. Commissioner Kaui questioned whether the draft Resolution 2012 -1 is a mirror image of what is being submitted to the County Council or were there changes. Ms. Clark indicated that the only changes that were made are indicated on page 5. Section 2, 2nd paragraph as follows: the term maximum salaries and the phrase set by the Salary Resolution were included. Commissioner Finlay indicated that Resolution 2012 -1 essentially holds Salary Commission Open Session March 1, 2012 Page 5 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION the salaries at its current level until July 1, 2013, and that the Salary Commission has met the March 15t' deadline for submittal to the County Council. This would allow the Salary Commission enough time to get input from the other counties on whether they would be interested in participating and sharing in the cost of having a joint study in determining salary guidelines. Hopefully by this time next year the Salary Commission would have a new model of salary adjustments for 2013 fiscal year. Commissioner King stated that although there would not be any discussion on the timeline, there might be some discussion on other issues. Commissioner Machado stated that Resolution 2012 -1 is basically the same resolution with just a little tweaking at the end and that the only issue that the Commission did not address today is the request for the increase of salary for the Chief of Police and Deputy Chief of Police. That issue would be addressed at the time of the next resolution going forward. Commissioner King stated that one of the issues that he was questioned on was the ability of the Salary Commission to mandate that there is a performance appraisal, which is included in Resolution 2012 -1. Ms. Clark indicated that the mandate can be considered as a finding under Section 29.03 of the County Charter which gives the Salary Commission the authority to send its findings to the County Council. The findings would basically be that there needs to be an evaluation before the new salaries can take effect. Commissioner Kaui stated that in the past, the Director of Personnel Services in accordance with the Administrative Policies and Procedures on Salary Commission Open Session March 1, 2012 Page 6 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION the Performance Evaluation for Executive Appointees would submit a list to the Salary Commission of performance evaluation positions that have been completed. Ms. Clark noted that the requirement is addressed on page three (3), (e) of Resolution 2012 -1. Chair Crowell asked for clarification on whether the requirement is needed prior to any pay action or is it an annual performance requirement. Ms. Clark indicated that before a position can receive a salary increase a performance evaluation is required. With no further discussion, Chair Crowell called for the motion to approve Resolution 2012 -1 as circulated. Commissioner Finlay moved to approve Resolution 2012 -1 as circulated. Commissioner King seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 Commissioner Finlay thought it was interesting that Mr. Iona informed the Commission at the last meeting that he was a former SHOPO representative who negotiated the bargaining salary employees pay rates. They looked at the rates that the Salary Commission had established for the Department Heads and used that as a benchmark to calculate all of the rates. This reinforces the importance that the Salary Commission cannot use the rates of the bargaining employees in the salary inversion argument to keep raising the bar because it just becomes a vicious cycle. Commissioner Finlay voiced his concern for the need of an outside consult to establish what the proper benchmarks are. Adjournment Ms. Morikami suggested that the Salary Commission schedule their next Salary Commission Open Session March 1, 2012 Page 7 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION meeting upon receipt of the requested information from the Salary Commission of the other counties. The Commissioners concurred. Commissioner Finlay also requested that the information be circulated to the Commission prior to the next meeting. Staff acknowledged Commissioner Finlay's request and would email the information to the Commissioners upon receipt. With no further business to discuss, Chair Crowell called for the motion to adjourn the meeting. At 9:25 a.m. Commissioner King moved to adjourn. Commissioner Machado seconded the motion. Motion carried 6:0 Submitted by: Mercedes Youn, Staff Support Clerk (X) Approved as circulated on April 23, 2012. ( ) Approved as amended. See minutes of meeting. Reviewed and Approved by: Robert Crowell, Chair