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HomeMy WebLinkAbout061412_Salary Minutes_APPROVED (tt)COUNTY OF KAUAI Minutes of Meeting OPEN SESSION Board /Committee: SALARY COMMISSION Meeting Date June 14, 2012 Location Mo'ikeha Building — Meeting Room 2AB Start of Meeting: 9:02 a.m. End of Meeting: 10:25 a.m. Present Chair Robert Crowell; Vice -Chair Charles King; Members: Randy Finlay and Sheri Kunioka -Volz Also Deputy County Attorney Mona Clark; Board & Commissions Office Staff. Support Clerk Mercedes Youn; Administrator Paula Morikami; Administrative Aide Teresa Tamura Excused Commissioner Michael Machado Absent SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Call To Order Chair Crowell called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. Approval of Regular Open Session Minutes of April 23, 2012 Mr. King moved to approve the minutes as Minutes circulated. Ms. Volz - Kunioka seconded. Motion carried 4:0 SC 2011 -13 Discussion and possible decision - making on the possible 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 County Code. (Deferred on 03/01/12) (e) Communication dated 04/25/12 from Chair Robert Crowell to Malcolm Fernandez Director of Personnel Services, a request for his presence at the June 2012 meeting to discuss the hiring of a consultant to conduct a review of salaries and the previous Nash Study. Chair Crowell thanked Mr. Takatsuki for attending the meeting. He indicated that Commission will be asking questions pertaining to the history of the previous Nash Study. Salary Commission Regular Open Session June 14, 2012 Page 2 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Mr. Finlay inquired whether a copy of the 2007 Nash Study would be available for the members. He indicated that the Commission only received what seemed like a summary of the study. Mr. Takatsuki responded that the Nash Study is available and would provide the Commission with the full report. He informed the Commission that the Nash Study was completed by Dr. Nash which was presented to the previous Salary Commission. Mr. Takatsuki stated that the Department of Personnel Services provided its recommendations to former Mayor Brian Baptiste. However, the findings, conclusions and recommendations contained in the report were never implemented. Mr. Takatsuki stated that the 2007 Nash Study was a collaborated effort extending over many months with the assistance of Ms. Karen Matsumoto. Mr. Takatsuki indicated that the original study began with a review of the Excluded Managerial Compensation classes that include the managers. An addition to the study included a review of the appointed and deputy positions. The previous Commission used that information as a tool to help them make its decision to modify the salaries of the appointed and deputy positions. Ms. Morikami inquired whether the Nash Study included Civil Service positions. Mr. Takatsuki responded that the study included a few higher upper level positions such as an engineer which is considered an EM -7 position. Mr. Takatsuki stated that there were some engineers that were not within the EM but, were included in the study. Mr. Takatsuki stated that not all of the classes that were reviewed by Dr. Nash were EM positions, although the whole intent was to review all of the EM classes. Ms. Morikami noted that the Salary Commission is responsible for all of the ositions that are in the Kauai County Code Ordinance and listed in Salary Commission Regular Open Session June 14, 2012 Page 3 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION the Salary Resolution. That includes twenty -four positions, the County Council Chair, Council members, County Auditor, County Clerk, and the Deputy County Clerk. Ms. Morikami questioned whether the new study would include all of these positions versus the Excluded Managerial such as the engineers. Mr. Takatsuki explained that the Commission oversees only the positions mentioned by Ms. Morikami and have no jurisdiction or oversight for the EM positions or any other class positions within the County. Mr. Takatsuki further explained that those positions are covered under certain bargaining unit contracts and are negotiated accordingly. Mr. Takatsuki stated that there are some positions that are excluded because of the type of work that they do, and gave an example by using his position. Mr. Takatsuki also stated that there are excluded appointed positions which are the Mayor's appointees however, not all positions are included in the resolution, for example the Director of Communication is an EM position. Ms. Kunioka -Volz inquired whether a list was available that would provide definitions for all classes within the County for the EM, elected, and appointed positions. Mr. King questioned whether it would be helpful for the Commission to look at some of the other personnel positions other than the positions that the Salary Commission is responsible for. Mr. Takatsuki stated that the Salary Commission is only responsible for the positions listed in the Salary Resolution. Mr. King asked whether it would be helpful to DPS to include those positions in the new study. Mr. Takatsuki responded that anything would be helpful however, based on the previous Nash Study he had concerns that another long process could result in no follow -ups or im lementation of the recommendations. However, Mr. Takatsuki felt that Salary Commission Regular Open Session June 14, 2012 Page 4 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION the results of the findings could help the Commission with the disparity problem that they are faced with each year. Chair Crowell inquired whether the previous Nash Study included information from other jurisdictions such as state and nationwide. Mr. Takatsuki responded that the information came only from within the County of Kauai. Chair Crowell questioned whether the information was compared to the other jurisdictions. Mr. Takatsuki stated that Dr. Nash had his own complicated formula that he utilized. He also obtained information by interviewing employees' within the County. Mr. Takatsuki indicated that Dr. Nash used an optimistic approach for making his recommendations and the Common scale will prove to be a useful tool in making decisions to modify the salaries of EAP group. Chair Crowell called for the motion to receive items SC 2011 -13 (b), (c), and (d) for the record. (b) Communication dated 03/08/12 from Hawaii County Department of Human Resources to Chair Robert Crowell, responding to a request for information regarding establishing non - bargaining employees' salaries. (Deferred on 04/23/12) (c) Communication dated 03/14/12 from the City and County of Honolulu Salary Commission to Chair Robert Crowell, responding to a request for information regarding establishing non - bargaining employee's salaries. (Deferred on 04/23/12) (d) Communication dated 06/07/12 from Vice -Chair Stephen West of the Maui Salary Commission to Chair Robert Crowell and Members of the Salary Commission Regular Open Session June 14, 2012 Page 5 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Salary Commission, responding to a request for information regarding Mr. King moved to receive items SC 2011 -13 establishing non - bargaining employee's salaries. (b), (c), and (d). Mr. Finlay seconded the motion. Motion carried 4:0 Adjournment Chair Crowell called for the motion to adjourn the meeting. At 10:25 a.m. Mr. King moved to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Finlay seconded the motion. Motion carried 4:0 Submitted by: Mercedes Youn, Staff Support Clerk (X) Approved as circulated on September 27, 2012. ( ) Approved as amended. See minutes of meeting. Reviewed and Approved by: Robert Crowell, Chair