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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 19981013APPROVED MAY 4. 1999 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION OCTOBER 13, 1998 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on October 13, 1998 at 7:30 p.m. in the meeting room at the Government Services Center, Hillsborough, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Margaret W. Brown, and Commissioners Moses Carey, Jr., William L. Crowther, Alice M. Gordon and Stephen H. Halkiotis. COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Managers Rod Visser and Albert Kittrell and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. ALL RECORDINGS OF THE MEETING WILL BE KEPT FOR 5 YEARS. ORANGE COUNTY EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION John Link said that we are here to respond to questions from the County Commissioners about employee compensation. Chair Brown made reference to a proposal that she distributed with an outline of issues that she feels are important. She explained her proposal in detail. She said she felt a central issue was salary progression and her proposal was based on Option 1 - the COLA/market based pay option - in the pay and benefits report prepared by the Personnel Director Elaine Holmes. A copy of her proposal is attached to these minutes. Chair Brown emphasized the importance of reinstating our present pay plan for the year (1998-99) and to implement a plan effective July 1, 1999 for two years. Commissioners Carey and Gordon noted that Commissioner Brown's proposed plan has the same foundation as our current pay plan but increases the amounts. Commissioner Gordon said that she was interested in attempting to match the award more closely with achievement. She said that the effect of Option 1 is that about everyone gets the same increase regardless of performance. Employees will get 2.5% added to their salary. In addition they will receive a lump sum amount if they achieve a superior or exceptional rating. She noted that Option 3 - Department Based pay in the material prepared by the Personnel Director - is the one that gives more flexibility to match pay and achievement and she compared it with a similar salary program at the University of North Carolina. Chair Brown made reference to the equity/retention fund and said that allocation would be determined by the Board of County Commissioners each year. It is suggested that this amount be $25,000 for the first year. Elaine Holmes explained the pay and benefits cost worksheet which is hereby incorporated in these minutes by reference. She answered various questions from the County Commissioners. Commissioner Gordon asked about meritorious awards and how the funding was estimated. Personnel Director Elaine Holmes explained that, for purposes of giving Commissioners' cost figures to consider on the spreadsheet in the report, she figured the percentage of employees who would fall into the superior range at 17-18% and the exceptional range at 7 percent or about 25% percent of employees in total receiving a superior or exceptional award. She said that this keeps in place the WPPR but provides a new way to look at the meritorious service awards. John Link explained his proposal in the recommended budget for 1998-99. Elaine Holmes explained salary compression and the impact this has on recruitment and morale. John Link said that they are trying to respond to the County Commissioners' concerns. Staff looked at two major issues - one is how do we reward the top 5% of employees. It could be one rating or two separate ratings as Chair Brown has indicated. The most important aspect is to be able to move the majority of the employees up the salary scale as long as they are performing at proficient levels. He feels that Chair Brown's proposal would address these two elements. The meritorious award system would reward those who are exceptional or superior. He emphasized that keeping their WPPR is still very important. With Chair Brown's plan, the compression issue would be addressed with greater speed and he supports that. The plan also adds two new personal leave days. Commissioner Halkiotis said that overall he likes what has been presented by Chair Brown. He feels that personnel pay plans can get very confusing. He likes this plan because it is simple and people can be rewarded for longevity and also it provides a merit plan to reward high achievers. He suggested that the Board pursue the COLA option including the market-based pay. Commissioner Halkiotis suggested that new positions be brought forth in February or March. Commissioner Carey asked about the 401 K proposal. He feels that the County should contribute regardless if it is matching or not. This would benefit those on the lower end of the scale who may not be able to contribute. Commissioner Gordon said that in terms of additions, she feels it would be a good idea to do a 401 K and suggested that an equity retention fund could address some of the salaries that are not in line. John Link said that he is developing a plan for those employees who need improvement in certain areas. If the department addresses those situations and the employee improves, he will not get involved. However, if things do not improve, Commissioner Gordon has suggested that he get involved with those situations. Chair Brown explained the two step plan. The first step would allow all employees to progress on the salary scale unless they are rated "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory". The meritorious awards would reward those employees who excel and we would develop a recognition program for them. John Link said that they would recognize them and talk about what they have achieved. He will develop a recognition program for these employees. Commissioner Carey said that he supports the proposed plan. He commended Chair Brown for coming up with this plan. The information was very revealing. He feels we should at least do as much for our employees as we do for the school systems A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve the plan as submitted by Chair Brown with the 401 K contribution being nonmatching. Commissioner Gordon said that she still has a concern that the proposed pay plan does not do anything different. She would like to have some portion of the plan to be flexible so that pay and performance are more closely matched, but she understands that this is not the option the Board is ready to pursue She also suggested that the County Commissioners each year decide the amount for COLA and the in-range percentage and asked that Commissioners defer making a decision on the 2.5% amount for in-range salary progression until it is deciding on the COLA for 1999-00. A friendly amendment was added by Commissioner Gordon and accepted by consensus that the County Commissioners would decide the amounts for COLA and in-range increase percentage at budget time. The motion included reinstating the current pay plan for 1998-99 and appropriating $118,734 from fund balance to provide the needed additional funding. VOTE: UNANIMOUS CLOSED SESSION A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Crowther to adjourn into Closed Session by authority of 143-318.11 to consult with an attorney in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body. VOTE: UNANIMOUS RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION RESOLUTION - SPORTSPLEX A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to adopt the resolution as stated below: NORTH CAROLINA ORANGE COUNTY RESOLUTION WHEREAS, on October 1, 1991 the Orange County Recreation and Parks Advisory Council recommended that Orange County enter into a joint venture with the Triangle Community Center for construction of a public swimming pool in central Orange County which would fulfill one of the goals outlined in Orange County's adopted Master Recreation and Parks Plan, and WHEREAS, Orange County has made a commitment to its residents through its Master Recreation and Parks Plan to providing swimming pool and other recreation programs available to the citizens of Orange County at a reasonable cost and without discrimination among users; and WHEREAS, on March 1, 1994 Orange County and the Orange County Community Activity Corporation entered into a Facilities/ Services Agreement related to the construction and the operation of a Community Activity Center which would include three swimming pools and other facilities including an ice rink; and WHEREAS, the Orange County Community Activity Corporation, a non-profit organization authorized to own, operate and manage recreational activities in the County, agreed to construct and finance the construction of a Community Activity Center through a "63-20" financing in which the corporation would issue its own corporate debt and in which Orange County would not be liable for any payment of that debt; and WHEREAS, Orange County determined in 1994 that it was in the interest of the County and the people of Orange County that instead of building and operating its own pool, the County contract with Orange County Community Activity Corporation to provide public swimming pools and recreation services through the operation of the Community Activity Center pools for the benefit of Orange County residents; and WHEREAS, Orange County's commitment, as contained in the March 1, 1994 Facilities/Services Agreement, to Orange County Community Activity Corporation and to providing swimming pool and other recreation programs to the residents of Orange County without discrimination continues. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners continues to support its goals and objectives: 1. in the operation of the Sportsplex facilities and continues its commitment, contained in the March 1, 1994 Facilities/Services Agreement between it and the Orange County Community Activity Corporation (OCCAC), to the facility and its operations providing swimming pool and other recreation programs to the citizens of Orange County on a nondiscriminatory basis without discrimination among users and in compliance with all equal employment/affirmative action requirements imposed under national, state or local law in exchange for the commitment of OCCAC or its successor to: (a) retain or employ maintenance personnel who are trained and qualified to operate and maintain equipment, chemicals and supplies; to perform scheduled maintenance and to complete all periodic inspections associated with facilities such as the Community Activity Center (the CAC); (b) retain or employ a facility manager and aquatics and skating directors and operators (1) meeting all specifications and qualifications required by national, state and local regulatory bodies or organizations whose standards are recognized in the aquatic and skating communities; and (2 experienced in operations of aquatic and skating centers of the size and scope of the CAC and (3) experienced in planning and implementing aquatics and skating instructional classes, innovative aquatic and skating programs and the schedule of activities proposed each year by the County Recreation and Parks Department; (c) make the facilities and programs of the CAC available to the public without discrimination among users and in compliance with all equal employment/affirmative action requirements imposed under national, state or local law; (d) establish fees and charges for the use of the CAC competitive with similar facilities located in the County, but with preferential fees and charges to residents of the County for all pool and skating uses and activities; (e) assist the County Recreation and Parks Department in providing special pool or skating activities at the CAC for its program participants; (f) establish a schedule of hours, uses and activities for the pool and skating that is satisfactory to the County, with changes to such schedule to be made from time to time or in special circumstances through agreement between the Corporation and the County Recreation and Parks Department. 2. To continue to explore with OCCAC and Eaton Vance (the owner of the OCCAC bonds used to finance the construction of the CAC) ways in which the success of the County's goals and objectives with respect to the Sportsplex can be achieved. Upon motion of Commissioner Moses Carey, Jr., seconded by Commissioner Stephen H. Halkiotis, the foregoing resolution was adopted this the 13th day of October , 1998. I, Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk to the Board of Commissioners for the County of Orange, North Carolina, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true copy of so much of the proceedings of said Board at a meeting held on October 13, 1998 as relates in any way to the adoption of the foregoing and that said proceedings are recorded in Minute Book No. 27 of the minutes of said Board. WITNESS my hand and the seal of said County, this 15th day of October , 1998. Clerk to the Board of Commissioners VOTE: UNANIMOUS ADJOURNMENT With no further items to come before the County Commissioners, Chair Brown adjourned the meeting. The next meeting of the County Commissioners will be held on October 20, 1998 at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Margaret W. Brown, Chair Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk NOTE: The pay proposal, as presented by Chair Brown, is attached to these minutes.