* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. HEY, [00:00:01] HOW IT'S 6 0 2 [1. CALL SESSION TO ORDER] AND THE RECORDING IS STARTED. STEVEN, WE WON'T SEE IT ON THE SCREEN. WE'RE GONNA CALL AS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 2ND, 2023. ORDER ROLL CALL COUNCIL MEMBER SEVEN HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER THORNTON. COUNCIL MEMBER CLARK. HERE. THERE. STATUS HERE. PUT THEM GORDON. COUNCIL MCKENZIE HERE. COUNCIL MARK KOLAR. ALRIGHT, [3.1. Personnel Policies (Irene Talioaga)] FIRST ITEM IS PERSONNEL POLICIES. HELLO? HELLO. HELLO. HELLO. HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE MORNINGS HERE. HI. YOU'RE WELCOME. SO, WATCH SHE'S DOING THAT. I'LL JUST INTRODUCE A LITTLE BIT WHENEVER I ARRIVED, UH, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY FIRST, YOU KNOW, FIRST THING THAT A TYPICAL NEW CITY MANAGER'S GONNA DO IS SHOW ME THE PERSONNEL POLICIES. LET ME REVIEW THOSE. AND, UH, THEY WERE ALREADY IN FLUX AND, AND WORK, UH, WITH I GUESS SOME CONSULTING WORK THAT HAD GONE ON. AND THEN, HEY, Y'ALL, UM, FROM CONSULTING WORK THAT HAD GONE ON. AND THEN, UH, AT THE TIME, UH, THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY WAS ALSO ASSISTING IN HELPING. THAT WAS CHRISTIAN WHO WAS HELPING WITH THAT. AND THEN THE PERSONNEL POLICIES THEY EXISTED TO ME WERE, WERE VERY DIFFICULT TO UTILIZE, MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT IT WAS ORGANIZED AND HAD BEEN A, A LONG TIME SINCE IT HAD BEEN UPDATED. SO, UM, WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY GETTING TONIGHT IS EFFECTIVELY A COMPLETE REDO OF THE PERSONNEL POLICIES, REORGANIZED, REDRAFTED. UH, THERE'S CERTAINLY A NUMBER OF, OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT HAVE CHANGED, UH, SINCE THE ORIGINAL POLICY WAS, WAS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. SO ALL THAT WILL BE COVERED. AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT IRENE AND HER TEAM HAVE DONE THE LION SHARE OF THE WORK AND, UH, HAVE, HAVE SPENT NU NUMEROUS HOURS, WELL INTO THE NIGHT WITH A LOT OF STRESS FROM THE CITY MANAGER WITH DEADLINES SAYING, GET THESE THINGS DONE. UH, SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING TONIGHT IS, IS THE LABOR OF ALL OF THEIR WORK AND, AND ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED FROM THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND FROM THE LEAD AND FROM THE LEGAL STAFF ALIKE. SO, ON THAT NOTE, UH, IRENE IS RUNNING THE PRESENTATION AND RUNNING THE POLICY, UH, PRESENTATION TONIGHT. UM, SO I'LL JUST TURN IT OVER TO HER AND LET HER DO HER PART. HELLO, EVERYONE, UH, IS FOR THE RECORD. IRENE TELL YOGA HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF AUTO. AND WITH ME TODAY, MY TEAM AT MY LEFT, RENEE PALMERS, SHE'S OUR HR COORDINATOR, AND, UH, HEATHER HARRIS, HR GENERALIST. AND TOGETHER AS A TEAM, UH, LIKE WHAT OUR CITY MANAGER SAID, UH, WE'VE WORKED SO HARD AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT, UH, THE ENTIRE TEAM, OUR, UM, STAFF, UH, THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, ASSISTANT, CITY MANAGER, AND CITY MANAGER WILL PULL TOGETHER, INCLUDING A LEGAL TEAM AND REVIEW THE POLICIES. UM, I, I WAS, UH, I WAS, UH, COMMUNICATING WITH MY TEAM. YOU MAY NOT MADE A PERFECT ONE, BUT I GUARANTEE YOU IT'S WAY, WAY BETTER THIS TIME IF THIS WILL BE SUPPORTED BY, UM, THE COUNCIL AND WE CAN, UH, START USING IT. UM, SO IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU HAVE, WE GAVE YOU A COPY OF OUR COPY OF THE PRESENTATION AND ALSO THE PROPOSED POLICIES. UM, SO WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH IT IN CASE YOU WANT US TO GO BACK TO WHAT'S WRITTEN. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PROPOSED IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU SAY, WHAT IS, WHAT DO WE HAVE NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE JUST ONE COPY WITH US HERE. UH, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, READ IT TO YOU IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE CHANGE. UH, SO THERE WILL BE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT I WILL REFERENCE. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UM, THAT THE POLICY, IT DOESN'T EXIST. IT COULD MEAN MAYBE IT DOESN'T EXIST OR IT'S AN IMPROVED POLICY. IT'S MORE ROBUST, IT'S MORE DETAILED, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF, ALL OF THE ABOVE. SO WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND, UH, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, ASK QUESTIONS WHENEVER, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU NEED TO, AND WE WILL, UM, TRY OUR BEST TO RESPOND. THANK YOU. SO WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION? RIGHT? TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR CURRENT PERSONNEL POLICIES. UM, MONTHS AGO, I THINK WE WERE , WE GAVE YOU A COPY, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS RESEND THAT TO YOU. UM, UH, AND TO DISCUSS THE NEED, UH, TO EDIT EXISTING POLICIES, RIGHT? WHAT WE HAVE NOW, AND OF COURSE, TO INDUCE, UH, PROPOSED, UH, POLICIES. SO, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, UH, WHAT ARE PERSONAL POLICIES? UH, PERSONAL POLICIES DEFINE THE TREATMENT RIGHTS, OBLIGATIONS AND RELATIONS OF PEOPLE IN AN ORGANIZATION. THEY'RE THE BLUEPRINTS BY WHICH THE ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENT THE RULES AND PROCEDURES THAT PROTECT EMPLOYEES AND THE ORGANIZATION. THEY SERVE AS GENERAL GUIDELINES TO ALL EMPLOYEES AND THEIR SUPERVISORS THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED CONSISTENTLY WHILE THEY'RE EMPLOYED IN THE ORGANIZATION. [00:05:01] PERSONAL POLICIES PROVIDE A BROAD FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH POSITIONS OF PERSONAL MATTERS ARE MADE. SO HOW DID WE GET HERE? UH, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HISTORY, OF COURSE, RIGHT, IS REALLY IMPORTANT. UH, WHY DO WE NEED TO REVISE? WHY DO WE NEED TO GO BACK RIGHT AS WHAT THE CITY MANAGER, UH, SAID. I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT, UM, ALL OF US, INCLUDING MY TEAM, EVEN THE PREVIOUS, YOU KNOW, INTERIM, UH, CITY MANAGER, WE, UH, TOOK I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME, BUT WE, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME LOOKING AND OBSERVING, READING, GOING OVER THE, UM, CURRENT POLICIES THAT WE HAVE. AND OF COURSE, WE OBSERVED, UH, SEVERAL MISSING, UM, POLICIES. SOME ARE NOT, NOT BAD, SOME ARE OKAY, SOME ARE DECENT. AND THE POINT IS, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL OBSERVATION AND THE TONE OF IT, UM, WHICH I'M GONNA GO OVER THAT A LITTLE BIT. UM, THERE HAS TO BE, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF AN IMPROVEMENT THAT WE NEED, UM, TO, UM, TO CHANGE. UH, SO THE STAFF DID AN INITIAL REVIEW. WE HIRED A CONSULTANT BACK IN 2022. UH, WE GOT ALSO OUR, UH, LEGAL TEAM TO REVIEW IT, UM, TWICE, UH, NOW. AND WE CONDUCTED SEVERAL REVIEWS AFTER THAT. AND IN BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE WORK WHILE THE WORK IS BEING DONE, AND THE DOCUMENT, UH, WAS SHARED WITH OUR, UM, DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, AND WE DID GET FEEDBACK AND, AND EDITS FROM THEM. OKAY. SO OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT POLICIES. UM, WE'RE RECOMMENDING SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, CHANGES, UH, THAT WE NOTED DURING THE INITIAL REVIEW. I HAVE ABOUT, UH, OVER A HUNDRED NOTES HERE, AND WE STOPPED COUNTING, UH, WHEN WE INITIALLY REVIEWED IT. UM, SOME CHANGES, SOME ARE LITTLE EDITS, YOU KNOW, UH, MORE DETAILED, UH, LIKE WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, JUST A CLARIFICATION ON SOME OF 'EM. OKAY. UH, THE GENERAL TONE NEEDS TO HAVE A CONFIDENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM. UH, PARTS OF IT, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE IN THE EARLIER VERSION OF THE CURRENT POLICIES, IT'S LIKE, UH, DEMANDING AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST LIKE NO HEART, YOU KNOW, TO THE TONE OF IT, UM, WHEN POLICIES ARE MADE, WHICH I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE HAS TO BE THAT, UM, CONVINCING, STRONG STATEMENT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT THE NEW EMPLOYEES AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES IN GENERAL TO FEEL THAT THEY'RE WELCOME, THAT THEY CAN RELY ON THE POLICIES, THAT WE CAN USE THEM, THEY'RE FRIENDLY, AND OF COURSE WE HAVE TO, UM, IMPLEMENT THEM CONSISTENTLY ACROSS, UH, THE ORGANIZATION. OKAY. THE SEQUENCE OF TOPICS AND SUBJECTS NEED, UH, TO HAVE A CONSISTENT FLOW IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE SUBTOPIC. UM, THE CURRENT POLICY IS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, AND IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT, UH, TO FOLLOW. UM, EMPLOYMENT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT. THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE. UH, AND RECRUITMENT WITH THE PROPOSED ONE, THEY'RE ALL TOGETHER. THE CURRENT ONE THAT WE HAVE, THEY'RE ALL OVER, YOU KNOW, IN DIFFERENT PAGES. SAME GOES WITH THE OTHER TOPICS, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFITS, UH, COMPENSATION, UH, LEAVE ADMINISTRATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT. OKAY. UM, RELATED POLICIES ARE IN DIFFERENT CHAPTERS. SO SAME CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE. UM, AND SEVERAL GAPS IN POLICIES FOR LEAVE, ADMINISTRATION BENEFITS, TIME AND ATTENDANCE, PAYROLL, COMPENSATION, FINANCE, AND OTHER GENERAL WORK RULES, INCLUDING THE DISCIPLINE EARN PROCESS, WHICH WE WILL SPEND, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO THAT. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS BEING INTRODUCED WITH REGARDS TO THE, UH, DISCIPLINARY PROCESS AND WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO REVIEW AND EDIT POLICIES? OKAY. OUTDATED POLICIES MAY FAIL TO COMPLY WITH NEW LAWS. OUTDATED POLICIES CAN LEAVE OUR ORGANIZATION AT RISK, AND WE KNOW THAT, I'M SURE EVERYONE HERE WILL AGREE. UM, OUTDATED POLICIES DO NOT FACILITATE CONSISTENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. OUTDATED POLICIES MAY NOT ADDRESS NEW TECHNOLOGY OR CURRENT SYSTEMS AND EVALUATE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXISTING POLICIES. UH, AS WE KNOW, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL EVENTS, INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE EXISTING POLICY THAT WE HAVE WAS ADOPTED BACK IN 2016, AND THERE'S SO MANY EVENTS, UH, NATURAL DISASTERS THAT HAPPENED. ONE GREAT EXAMPLE IS COVID, HOW MANY COMPANIES WENT BACK IMMEDIATELY TO LIKE, HEY, LET'S GO BACK. WE DON'T HAVE A REMOTE WORK POLICY. WE DON'T HAVE EMERGENCY POLICY. YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HELP OUR EMPLOYEES TO CONTINUE WORKING? AND THEN EVEN THE TECHNOLOGY USE, RIGHT? UM, SO MANY, IF NOT ALL, MAYBE MOST ORGANIZATIONS, [00:10:01] UH, MADE SOME CHANGES, REVISITED THEIR POLICIES AND ADDED, EDITED, AND, UM, A LOT OF REVIEWED TOOK PLACE. UH, I REMEMBER WHEN COVID HIT, UH, ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THE DEMANDS FOR HR IS LIKE, I MEAN, SKY, LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR HR BECAUSE OF THAT NEED. YOU KNOW, UM, ONE OF THEM IS, YOU KNOW, THE REVISION OF POLICIES IN, IN SO MANY PLACES. UM, CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGIES, UH, TECHNOLOGY. UM, I MEAN, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST IN THE CITY OF HU RIGHT? TO, UH, TO GET THE TECHNOLOGY WE NEED FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, AND I MEAN FOR WHATEVER THEY NEED FOR, UH, THEIR JOB. BUT, UH, HAVING, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW, OR FOR US TO KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE AND HOW WE CAN HELP OUR EMPLOYEES TO DO THEIR WORK THE BEST THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, EFFICIENTLY TO SAVE TIME AND MORE EFFECTIVELY. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO, RIGHT? UM, THE OVERVIEW OF OUR PROPOSED POLICIES, UM, SO THE NEWER FORMAT, UH, IN FRONT OF YOU, IF YOU NOTICE, UM, WE HAVE THE CURRENT ONE HERE AT ALPHABETICAL ORDER. THE NEW FORMAT IS MORE ORGANIZED. THE FLOW CHAPTERS AND THE STATEMENTS THEY'RE THERE AND MORE, THEY'RE CLEARER TO READ FOR, UM, EMPLOYEES AND ANYONE, UH, WHO NEEDS TO GO OVER IT AND REFERENCE TO THEM. UH, GENERAL INFORMATION, UH, INTRODUCTION AND MESSAGE TO THE EMPLOYEES, THE FLOW OF IT. AND THERE'S ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WE ADDED ON THERE. UM, SO IF YOU WOULD, UH, PLEASE GO THOSE PAGES. UM, IT'S A LOT MORE ORGANIZED. UM, IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT WE HAD, UM, FOR THE CURRENT, UH, POLICY, RIGHT? AND OF COURSE THE EEO STATEMENT, UM, WHICH WE HAVE, UH, MUCH MORE ORGANIZED. AND WE, UM, TOOK OUT THE, UH, THERE'S A PROCEDURE FOR MANDATORY REPORTING OF DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT. UM, WE TOOK OUT THE PROCEDURE BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER DURING, UH, ISAAC'S, UH, TERM, WE DRAFTED THE PROCEDURE. SO THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF ALL THE PROCEDURES, YOU KNOW, REPORTING, UM, UH, HARASSMENT, YOU KNOW, DISCRIMINATION. AND, UH, THE PROCEDURES ARE STILL BEING WORKED ON. UM, WE WANT TO FINISH THIS, AND THEN WE'RE REALLY GONNA PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER ON THE PROCEDURES. UM, SO THAT'S THE CHANGE. THE BIG CHANGED ON THAT, UH, PIECE. THE NEXT, UH, SECTION, AMERICANS WITH AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT, UH, WE ADDED MORE INFORMATION ON THE DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION. UM, UM, THE ADA, UH, MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITY MLA, AND THEN ADA COORDINATOR WHO'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, HR REPRESENTATIVE OR ANYONE IN HR IN OTHER CITIES, LARGER CITIES. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN OFFICE OF ADA OFFICE, RIGHT? THEY HAVE THEIR OWN STAFF, UM, AND THEY HAVE A TITLE, A POSITION FOR AN ADA COORDINATOR. UM, BUT FOR US, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SIZE THAT WE HAVE, UM, THE HR REPRESENTATIVE WILL SERVE AS THE, UM, ADA COORDINATOR, UH, FOR THE HR DEPARTMENT IN OUR CITY. UH, RENEE IS OUR ADA, UM, COORDINATOR, AND SHE HANDLES, UM, ALL OF THOSE, UM, ITEMS. SO DISABILITY, ACCOMMODATION AND THINGS. OKAY. SO NEXT IS, UH, THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND SERVICES, BECAUSE RENEE, YOU WANT TO, UM, COVER, YEAH. UM, SO FOR THE BENEFIT SECTION, WE HAVE AN OVERVIEW THAT EXPLAINS WHO'S ELIGIBLE. UH, WE HAD THAT BEFORE. THIS JUST INCLUDES RETIREES CUZ WE'VE RECENTLY ADDED THAT COVERAGE FOR AN EMPLOYEES RETIRE FROM CONSUMERS FROM THE CITY. THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR INSURANCE COVERAGE UNTIL THEY REACH ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICARE. SO UNTIL THROUGH THEIR 64TH YEAR WHEN THEY TURN 65, THEY'RE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE. THEY PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT COVERAGE. SO THE CITY FOR THAT, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE OUR RETIRES ARE TAKEN CARE OF. AND THEN, UM, WE'RE INCLUDING THESE, NOT EVERYTHING THAT WE OFFER IS INCLUDED IN HERE. HOWEVER, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WILL ALWAYS WANT TO, TO OFFER TO OUR EMPLOYEES. THERE COULD BE MORE THAN THIS, BUT THESE ARE ONES THAT WE WANT TO ALWAYS HAVE. SO HEALTH INSURANCE, VISION AND DENTAL. UM, THE CITY PAYS FOR $50,000 LIFE INSURANCE FOR EACH PERSON. WE DO NOT INCLUDE THOSE NUMBERS IN HERE BECAUSE THAT COULD CHANGE OVER TIME. HOW MUCH WE CAN AFFORD IN THE BUDGET AND HOW MUCH WE CAN AFFORD. SO WE LEAVE IT AT 50. UM, EMPLOYER SPONSORED DISABILITY, THE CITY, UM, COVERS LONG-TERM DISABILITY, BUT THE EMPLOYEES CAN PURCHASE THE SHORT TERM. [00:15:01] AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE OUR ROBUST B A P PROGRAM IN HERE, OUR COBRA COVERAGE, UM, UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION, INSURANCE, AND WORKERS. ALL OF THESE HAVE BEEN, UM, REVAMPED TO BETTER EXPLAIN WHETHER OR NOT THEY COUNT FOR, THEY, THEY ARE, UH, EXCUSE ME, WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE PAID FOR BY THE CITY OR WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE RESPONSIBILITY OF EMPLOYEE AND HOW THEY WOULD FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THOSE IN OUR BENEFITS GUIDE EACH YEAR. UM, OUR TUMORS RETIREMENT SYSTEM IS IN HERE. AND THEN THE EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM, UH, YOU'RE NOT AWARE. WE DO PROVIDE, UH, EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT TOWARDS COLLEGE DEGREES THAT ARE RELATIVE TO A PERSON'S CAREER PATH. UM, RIGHT NOW, THIS YEAR WE HAVE BUDGETED FOUR OF THOSE. UM, EACH EMPLOYEE THAT APPLIES THAT IS AWARDED A, UM, A SPOT IN THAT PROGRAM IS OFFERED UP TO $2,500 OF REIMBURSEMENT COSTS FOR TUITION AND BOOKS ONLY. NOT OTHER STUFF, NO HOUSING OR ANY OF THAT STUFF. AND THEY HAVE TO A GRADE OF, AND THEY HAVE, YES, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A, A PASSING GRADE OR A BABY IF IT'S A LETTER GRADE OR HIGHER AND THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE RECEIPTS AND ALL THAT STUFF. UM, THE ELIGIBILITY AND BUDGET THERE. AND THEN WE PUT IN THE VEHICLE ALLOWANCE SECTION. UM, OUR DIRECTORS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE VEHICLE ALLOWANCE AND ABOVE DIRECTORS, UM, CITY MANAGEMENT AND THEN, UM, USE OF PERSONAL VEHICLES FOR CITY BUSINESS. AND THEN IN USE OF EMPLOYER VEHICLES FROM CITY BUSINESS AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE. THEN WE MOVE INTO LEAVE SECTION, WHICH IS HOLIDAYS AND BANK LEAVE, AND THEN OTHER TYPES OF LEAVE SUCH AS, UM, JURY DUTY OR VOTING, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT MAKE UP THE OFF DUTY. UM, THEN WE MOVE INTO A LEAVE OF ABSENCE. AND, UH, WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE RUNS OUT OF LEAVE THE F M L A RULES, WHICH PRETTY MUCH ALL GOVERNED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. UM, SICK POOL. WE ARE CHANGING SICK POOL A LITTLE BIT. UM, IN THE CURRENT POLICY WE ALLOW FOR THE TRADITIONAL SICK PROGRAM WHERE AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH FISCAL YEAR, EMPLOYEES CAN OPT IN TO THE PROGRAM AND DONATE, LEAVE, AND THAT'S TRACKED. AND THEN IF, IF AN ISSUE COMES UP IN THEIR OWN LIFE OR IN THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY, THEY CAN BORROW, LEAVE FROM THE SICK POOL TO HELP COVER TIME AWAY TO DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE. UM, AND THEN AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WHATEVER'S LEFT GETS BACK OUT AND THEN IT STARTS ALL OVER EACH YEAR. WELL, WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT PROGRAM WAS NOT BEING ADMINISTERED PROPERLY. WHEN WE TOOK, WHEN IRENE CAME ON AND WE TOOK OVER THIS PROGRAM, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH DEFUNDED AND NOBODY WAS USING IT. SO WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS ONLY CATASTROPHIC SICK LEAVE POOL. SO THAT IF THERE'S AN ISSUE, UM, SUCH AS WHAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST, THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN HERE WITH, UM, ONE OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS STILLMAN, WHO HAD ACCIDENT, HE NEEDED TO BE OUT. AND MORE RECENTLY ONE OF OUR FINANCE MEMBERS HAD TO BE OUT FOR, UM, A SERIOUS ILLNESS SO THAT ANYONE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THOSE POOLS. UH, THAT'S TRACKED WHAT PERCENTAGE THEY GIVE. AND THEN WITH THE END OF THE PROGRAM, WHEN THEY NO LONGER NEED THE LEAVE, WHATEVER'S LEFT OVER IS DISSEMINATED BACK BREAK TO THAT SAME PERCENTAGE TO THOSE WHO GAVE TO IT. SO IT'S COMPLETELY WIPED OUT AT THE END OF THE NEED, NOT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, THIS ALSO HAVE BEREAVEMENT, JURY DUTY, WITNESS LEAVE, AND MILITARY LEAVE. WE DO ALLOW PEOPLE THAT ARE SERVING, UM, LIKE STATE GUARD OR IN MILITARY IF THEY HAVE TO GO OFF ON A, UH, THEY CALL ME TRAININGS OR OR WEEKEND TRAINING THINGS. UM, THEY ARE ALLOWED 15 DAYS PER YEAR TO HAVE THAT LEAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM. UM, WE HAD TWO PEOPLE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WERE USING THAT. WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANYONE THOUGH. SO, AND THEN, UM, WE ADDED THIS YEAR, UM, BECAUSE THE, THE FEDERAL LAWS CHANGED FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS WHO HAVE QUARANTINE LEAVE, WHICH IS PAID LEAVE FOR. IT MORPHED OUT OF COVID. IT STARTED WITH COVID THAT THEN THEY DECIDED THEY WANTED TO COVER ANY KIND OF DISEASE THAT MIGHT, THAT COVID MIGHT MORPH INTO OR THAT MIGHT COME OUT AND LOOK LIKE COR COVID THAT WAS SO CONTAGIOUS AND AFFECTED SO MANY PEOPLE. UM, SO THE QUARANTINE LEAVE COVERS POLICE OFFICERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS FOR ANY TYPE OF ILLNESS, UM, THAT WOULD CAUSE THEM TO NEED TO BE QUARANTINED. SO THEY HAVE QUARANTINE LEAVE AND THAT IS STRICTLY FOR SWORN OFFICERS. AND THEN THE MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE AS WELL CAME OUT OF HAVING THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO TAKE OFF TO, UM, RECOVER FROM [00:20:01] TRAGIC INCIDENCES WHERE THEY HAD TO RESPOND TO A CALL WHERE CHILD WAS KILLED OR SOMETHING VERY TRAGIC AND MAKE TAKE OFF DATE FOR THAT. UM, SO THOSE TWO WERE ADDED THAT WERE NOT THERE BEFORE. AND THAT BRINGS US TO RECRUITING AND ORIENTATION. THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE SIX TYPICALLY POOL MM-HMM. , WE, YOU KNOW, A SMALL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES MM-HMM. THE POOL, EVEN REALLY SCALE OF SIDE HERE. LIKE I KNOW THE ISD HAS IT, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT THEY'VE GOT S . SO I WAS JUST KINDA CURIOUS LIKE, IS THAT, DOES IT WORK AT THIS SIZE OR NOT? AND IF THAT PART OF THE REASON IS BEFORE, DOES THIS ADDRESS THIS, DOES THIS CREATE AN UNFUNDED LIABILITY THAT WE MAY HAVE OR BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S CONTRIBUTED AND OTHER PEOPLE MAY NOT HAVE TIME. SO IT'S, IT'S A BENEFIT THAT'S NOT REALLY A BENEFIT THAT COULD ACTUALLY BE USED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, ANYWAYS, I'M JUST, I'M JUST, THAT'S MY LIKE QUIZ. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK, LOOK AT THE LARGE EMPLOYER, IT'S KIND OF ANONYMOUS LIKE BUNCH PEOPLE, RIGHT? ONE SICK DAY GOT 10,000 EMPLOYEES, YOU HAVE 10,000 SICK DAYS CONTRIBUTED. THE ODDS ARE NEVER GONNA GO THROUGH THOSE BY ANY CASH THING. WE'VE GOT 50 EMPLOYEES FOR EVERYBODY CONTRIBUTOR ONE, YOU'RE NOT EVEN GET TO ONE PERSON HAVING AN EVENT TO GET TO THE FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE BACK OR LONG-TERM DISABILITY OF 60 DAYS. IF THAT WAS LIKE THE INTENT. SO I WAS JUST, I WAS JUST KIND OF WANNA KNOW WHAT THE INTENT WAS. I HEAR YOU. UM, I HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE ON THAT BECAUSE WHEN I STARTED WORKING HERE THREE YEARS AGO, IT WAS ALREADY NOT BEING USED. SO, UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM WORD OF MOUTH, FROM PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE, UM, IT, IT WASN'T THAT IT WASN'T EFFECTIVELY USED WHEN IT WAS UP AND RUNNING. IT'S THAT THE PERSONNEL WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING IT PRIOR TO US JUST DIDN'T DO IT. AND, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THEY KNEW THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO IT, BUT LIKE I SAID, I WAS NOT HERE AT THAT POINT. UM, I THINK IT COULD BE, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE WORK TO RUN IT AND, UM, THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS TO A TRADITIONAL PLAN THAT MOST EMPLOYEES AREN'T, DON'T UNDERSTAND. SORRY. UM, AND THAT'S IT. ONLY THE PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE POOL CAN USE LEAVE FROM THE POOL. SO IT'S TYPICALLY THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LEAVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE POOL WHO NEED THE POOL . SO THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER REASON WHY WE DECIDED TO NOT DO THE TRADITIONAL AND TO GO STRICTLY WITH THE CATASTROPHIC BECAUSE ANYBODY CAN DONATE TO THE CATASTROPHIC AND IT'S THE CITY MANAGER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DECLARE A CATASTROPHIC SITUATION FOR SOMEONE. AND THEN THAT OPENS THE POOL UP FOR ANYONE TO DONATE FOR THAT SINGLE PURPOSE MEANS I BETTER LOCK 'EM. YOU BET. POINT. CAUSE WE WAS NO SMALL THAT THIS YEAR AND IT WAS EFFECTIVE YET. SO THAT WAS TOUGH. SOMEONE FROM SAYING THAT THE ONLY REASON HE DIDN'T, THE CITY MANAGER, HE OR SHE DIDN'T ALLOW IT TO BE A CATASTROPHIC EVENT IS BECAUSE, WELL THEY, THEY WROTE ME UP LAST WEEK AND THEY WANT ME GONE. SO EITHER GIVE IT TO ME OR I'M SO, AND ALWAYS I SAY THAT IS I'VE HEARD A LOT OF STUFF AND IT IS AMAZING THE AMOUNT OF LITTLE THINGS THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN TO WHERE I FEEL LIKE, AND THEN IF HE ALWAYS SAYS YES, BECAUSE JAMES SAYS, WELL, I'M NOT GOING DOWN THAT PATH. WELL IF HE ALWAYS SAYS YES AND MIGHT GIMME AUTHORITY, UM, SO THAT'S ONE THING TO THINK ABOUT HIM. YEAH. WHAT, SO SHORT TERM DISABILITY IS SOMETHING AN EMPLOYEE PAYS FOR IT. DOES THAT SOLVE THIS KIND OF, IN A WAY TO WHERE WELL, IF IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T BECAUSE SHORT TERM DISABILITY IS 60% OF YOUR INCOME. YEAH. WHEREAS IF YOU HAD TO LEAVE, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT OF YOUR INCOME. SO IF YOU'VE CONTRIBUTED AND IF YOU, WELL, IN THE OLD, IN THE OLD DAY, IN THE OLD WAY OF DOING IT, THE NEW WAY OF DOING IT IS IF YOU GET DONATIONS, THEN YES, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD'VE EXHAUSTED YOUR OWN SICK LEAVE AT THAT POINT IN TIME. AND THEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR DONATIONS BECAUSE MAYBE YOU HAVE LIKE THREE MORE WEEKS OR FOUR MORE WEEKS BEFORE YOU'RE ELIGIBLE TO COME BACK, WHATEVER IT MAY BE. AND YOU'RE ASKING FOR HELP. AND IN THAT CASE THEN IT'S UP TO THE EMPLOYEES. IF THEY WANT TO CONTRIBUTE, THEN THEY CAN. IF THEY DON'T, THEN THEY DON'T MM-HMM. AND YOU EITHER, YOU MIGHT GET SOME OR YOU MIGHT NOT. SO IT, UM, THAT DOESN'T, I MEAN, IT'S NOT A RIGHT. THE OTHER ONE IS A RIGHT, LIKE IF I PUT IN MY TWO DAYS AT THE BEGINNING, THEN I HAVE A RIGHT TO CLAIM ON THE POOL. NO, BUT AGAIN, LIKE I, I WANT TO USE IT AND SO THEN PEOPLE JUST DON'T LIKE ME BECAUSE [00:25:01] OF YEAH. I, I DON'T DISAGREE. I MEAN, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING THROUGH THIS STUFF. SO. NO, IT'S, I WAS GONNA SAY IS I THINK THAT ONE'S A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE. I THE WAY YOU'RE DESCRIBING IT BEING IMPLEMENTED. THAT, THAT'S MY ONLY ANSWER. SURE. YEAH. I WAS JUST SAYING MAYBE WE LOOK AT LIKE JUST OFFERING SHORT-TERM DISABILITY. I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO PAY INTO THAT. I COMPLETELY DISAGREE. NO, I MEAN, I MEAN, BEING AT A SCHOOL, I'VE HAD SEVERAL WOMEN IN PARTICULAR OUT, YOU KNOW, ON F M L A HAVING A BABY, BUT YOU DON'T GET PAID WHEN YOU'RE ON F M L A. SO TEACHERS WOULD DONATE THEIR LEAVE TO THAT MOM SO SHE CAN BE OFF FOR THE AT LEAST SIX WEEKS THAT THE DOCTOR SAYS SHE HAS TO BE OFF BUT NOT ACCEPT PAY FOR THOSE SIX WEEKS. AND YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO EXHAUST WHEN REHAB A BABY. IT'S A HORRIBLE THING. YOU HAVE TO EXHAUST EVERY SINGLE DAY OF SICK LEAVE THAT YOU HAVE EVERY SINGLE DAY. ALL OF YOUR JUST, WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS I'D LIKE US TO LOOK AT JUST OFFERING ONE SHORT-TERM LEAVE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES BECAUSE I WORK AT A GAS STATION AND A GAS STATION'S GIVEN MORE BENEFITS THAN THE CITY. I THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE RANK FOR OTHER THINGS. I'VE NEVER HAD A BABY, MY WIFE HAS. YEAH. YOU GET LIKE, I HOPE TWO WEEKS AND THEN UH, IT'S OVER. AND SO, UM, WHILE I'M NOT BIG ON, I DON'T THINK PUBLIC PEOPLE PAY SHOULD OUTPACE PRIVATE PEOPLE PAY, BUT MY PARENTS BEING, UH, RETIREES FROM THE SYSTEM, WHAT THEY ALWAYS SAID WAS IS WE WORK AT THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE BETTER BENEFITS AND WE HAVE MORE STABLE JOBS. AND SO MAYBE ONE OF THE THINGS WE COULD LOOK AT BENEFITS IS THAT WE PROVIDE PARENTAL LEAVE. WE COULD START WITH MOMS AND THEN SEE HOW THAT WORKS AND WE CAN ADD IN THE MAIL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL THAT, BUT, BUT YOU START THAT TO WHERE WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THEN WE SAY, OKAY, INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING GO TRACK ALL THESE DAYS, WHICH SEEMS LIKE A FREAKING NIGHTMARE AND A LEGAL ISSUE THAT MAYBE WE JUST, EVERYBODY WHO HAS A BABY, WHOEVER YOU ARE, CUZ I CAN'T, I DON'T THINK YOU COULD SAY WOMEN HAVE BABIES AT THIS POINT IN TIME. EVERYBODY GETS BA UH, PARENTAL LEAVE OR MATERNITY LEAVE AND THEN YOU CAN REEVALUATE IT AND WE START ADDING IN DIFFERENT BENEFITS TO SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THIS, WHO'S WINNING, WHO'S LOSING? WELL, I, I KNOW AND BE EXPENSIVE. I KNOW, BUT WELL, IT, IT IS AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE THAT, THAT IS A VERY REAL CONCERN FOR WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE. AND I'M GONNA SAY WOMEN, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, FOR WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE IT IS. AND HAVING ANY TYPE OF LEAD, WHETHER IT BE FOR MOMS OR DADS OR BOTH, UM, IS A HUGE SELLING POINT. AND I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT THAT'S THE CASE. HOWEVER, WHENEVER YOU GET BEYOND THE, I'M OUT BECAUSE I'M HAVING A BABY OR WHAT HAVE YOU AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, I HAVE CANCER OR I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND I, YOU KNOW, HAVE BRAIN TRAUMA OR ANY OF THOSE OTHER TYPES OF THINGS, THAT'S WHERE THE POOL MAKES MORE SENSE. BECAUSE IF WE, IF IF THEY, IF THE, EVEN IF THE CITY OFFERED SHORT-TERM DISABILITY, WHICH IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEN EVERYTHING THAT THEY TAKE IN SHORT-TERM DISABILITY IS TAXABLE. IF THEY PAY FOR SHORT-TERM DISABILITY WITH AFTER TAX DOLLARS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY INCOME TAX ON THAT INCOME COMING BACK TO THEM. SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUANCE OF LIKE WHAT'S BEST FOR THE EMPLOYEES. BUT EVEN STILL IS HOW YOU PAY THEM, RIGHT? YOU CAN, THEY THEY, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT OF BUMPS SO THEY WOULD PAY AND THEN IT'D BE AFTER TAX. THAT'S HOW WE DO IT. BUT, BUT THE BIGGER DIFFERENCE IS, IS THAT IT'S ONLY 60% AND THAT'S THE REAL ISSUE IS THAT MOST PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD FREE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THEY ONLY GET 60% OF THEIR INCOME, PARTICULARLY IF THEY'RE THE, THE MAIN BREADWINNER OF THE FAMILY. SO, UM, BUT YEAH, IF THE, IF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SYSTEM, YOU FIGURE OUT HOW MANY HOURS A YEAR YOU'RE GONNA SPEND COST X AMOUNT OF MONEY, THEN YOU CAN PROVIDE A 60%. AND I KNOW YOU CAN GET TO 80 OR 90 OR A HUNDRED, IT JUST COSTS MORE MONEY. AND SO WHAT DOES THE COST PROVIDE THE PROPER SHORT TERM? CUZ YOU DON'T WANNA SPEND $50,000 A YEAR CUZ ONE OF THESE DAYS SOMEONE WILL SAY, HEY WE NEED A, WE NEED A BODY TO DO THIS PROGRAM. MM-HMM . WELL IF THE PROGRAM IS COST YOU 50,000 EMPLOYEE PLUS 25,000 IN BENEFITS ALL TO MAKE SURE YOU SAVE ON EVERY EMPLOYEE AN EXTRA EIGHT BUCKS A WEEK, THEN YOU ADD THAT UP AND YOU GO, IT CAN BE REDUCED IN THAT DE AND ACTUALLY PROVIDE A BETTER BENEFIT AND LOWER TURNOVER. I'M JUST SAYING WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THAT. YEAH, LET'S LOOK AT IT AND SEE, UM, WE CAN DO A HUNDRED PERCENT. I THINK THE SHORT TERM DISABILITY MAKES MORE SENSE. CAUSE THOSE USUALLY KICK IN AFTER 30 DAYS AND THAT'S FOUR WEEKS OF EFFECTIVELY FOUR WEEKS AND THEN LIKE, UH, MATERNITY LEAVE. CUZ I MEAN LIKE THE, WE DO THAT SEPARATELY. SAME THING. WE HAVE LIKE EIGHT DIFFERENT LEAVES YOU CAN HAVE AND SOME ARE PAID, SOME AREN'T. AND THEN I'D ALSO LOOK AT THE MILITARY LEAVE. IF YOU'RE GONE TWO DAYS, I THINK SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA BE GONE TWO DAYS A MONTH. THAT'S 24 [00:30:01] DAYS RIGHT THERE. SO IF YOU'RE IN A NATIONAL GUARD, AND LET'S SAY YOU'RE AN EMPLOYED THAT WORKS WEEKENDS BECAUSE YOU'RE WHATEVER YOU WORKED OUT ONE OF THE PLANTS. SO IF YOU'RE IN A NATIONAL GUARD, YOU ALREADY ARE OUT 24 DAYS AND AS IF THEY DON'T HAVE A SPECIAL THING. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GO BEYOND 15 IF, IF YOU GET IN TROUBLE OR TYPICALLY TO THAT. I ADMINISTERED THAT IN THE MILITARY. EXCEPT FOR, SORRY RICK, THAT'S SOMETHING I LIKE TO LOOK AT TOO IN TERMS OF, I WANNA MAKE SURE WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON IN THE WORLD THAT ALSO WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO JOIN A NATIONAL GUARD OR RESERVES BECAUSE THEY LIKE THEIR JOB HERE. THEY DON'T. YEAH. AND IF YOU GO OVER THE 15 DAYS, JUST AS LONG AS IT'S INDICATED ON YOUR, UH, MILITARY ORDERS, UH, AND YOU GIVE A COPY OF THAT TO YOUR EMPLOYER OR PUT YOUR HUMAN RESOURCES, YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY, YOU'RE EXCUSED. AND IF YOU HAVE TO BE GONE FOR FIVE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, YOU EXCUSE AND YOU, YOU COME BACK, YOU STILL COME BACK IN YOUR JOB BECAUSE THE MILITARY IS PAYING YOU YOUR SALARY. MM-HMM. , YOU KNOW, WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE GETTING YOUR CHECK IN THE CITY, YOUR JOB IS PROTECTED IN THE CITY, BUT THE MILITARY IS PAYING YOU JUST AS LONG AS YOU KNOW, YOU ARE WORKING HOWEVER MANY MONTHS OR WEEKS IN SOME PLACES. LIKE AGAIN, THE GAS STATION, I BELIEVE WE PAY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR CURRENT PAY AND WHAT YOUR MILITARY PAY IS BECAUSE THE MILITARY PAY IS LIKE JURY DUTY. RIGHT. IT'S NOT WHAT YOU ARE MAKING WEEKLY. CUZ THEY'VE GOT BILLS TOO. SO IF YOU MAKE A HUNDRED THOUSAND HERE, IT'S A GAP BASIS. DO WE DO THAT HERE? I DON'T THINK SO. NOT TODAY. BUT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT TOO. I'LL LOOK AT THAT TOO. CUZ AGAIN, IF YOU GET CALLED OUT, YOU ONLY PERSON LIVES IN OUR HOUSE BECAUSE A HUNDRED PERCENT. AND I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO THE SICK LEAVE POLL IF I MAY. UM, CONTINUATION OF WHAT RENEE SHARED WITH EVERYONE, THE MOM GOT 11 MINUTES LEFT. OH, . YEAH, THEY GOT IT. THAT'S OKAY. WE JUST, WE MAY HAVE TO NO, I WAS JUST, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UM, HAD TO USE THE SICK LEAVE POLL BECAUSE OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, UH, FORMER INTERIM, UM, TURNER, YOU KNOW, MADE THAT CALL AND WE WROTE THE PROCEDURE IMMEDIATELY TO PROTECT THE CITY. SO THE CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE BRINGING UP ON THE TABLE LAWSUITS AND THINGS. WE WENT AND CHECKED, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER TO CHECK OTHER CITIES WHAT THEY'RE DOING. LIKE HURRY UP, HURRY UP AND WRITE THIS PROCEDURE. AND WE DID IT. AND, UH, WE HAVE, UM, CRITERIA. NOT EVERYONE IS ELIGIBLE, NOT BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE RENEE, RENEE CANNOT GET IT BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE HER. NOW. IT DOES, IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. SO THEY HAVE TO MEET A CERTAIN CRITERIA AND IT HAS TO BE IN A, UM, LIKE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, YOU KNOW, LIFE THREATENING. YEAH. SO I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. I'M GONNA, I'M JUST, OKAY, SO WE'RE GOING, UM, CONTINUE, UH, ON THE RECRUITMENT AND THE, UM, ORIENTATION, UM, POLICIES. I FEEL ALL, UM, PAGE 32. YES. ON PAGE 32, UM, IT'S A LOT MORE ORGANIZED. UH, WE HAVE ADDED, YOU KNOW, THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY'RE WRITTEN AND YOU KNOW, HOW THEY'RE MAINTAINED. UH, POSTING OF VACANCIES, WHICH IS, UM, PRETTY CONFUSING ON THE OLD, UM, CURRENT POLICIES THAT WE HAVE NOW. UM, AND THE EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS AND INTERVIEW PROCESS, UM, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, MISSING ON THE CURRENT, UM, POLICY THAT WE HAVE NOW. AND OF COURSE THE RECRUITMENT FOR POLICE OFFICERS, UNIFORM PERSONNEL. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, PD HAS THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE, UH, DETAILED, UM, UH, PROCESS AND POLICIES. OKAY. SO PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENINGS, EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION, HOW WE DO IT. AND WE HAVE, UH, ADDED THE ONBOARDING A MUCH MORE DETAILED, UH, THERE FOR ONBOARDING, UH, NEPOTISM IS ON THERE. AND, UH, THE NEXT ONE IS, WHICH IN OUR POLICIES, WE KEPT, UM, A SIGNIFICANT ONE ON THIS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, COVER, UM, PAGE 38 REMOTE WORK ON THERE. THAT, SO THAT'S LIKE, UH, MORE THAN HALF A PAGE. UM, IT'S ON THERE THAT WE JUST WANT TO, UM, LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT'S, UH, NEW. UM, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES ARE CHANGING, YOU KNOW, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE, UH, WORKING REMOTELY. SO, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, ADD THAT ALSO ON THERE. AND, UH, MEAL AND REST PERIODS, UH, WE DID SOME EDITS ON THAT. UM, AND THE REST OF THEM, UH, ON THE RECORDING TIME, THE OVERTIME PAYCHECK, UH, DEDUCTIONS, UH, THE PAY PERIOD, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE STANDARD PAY PERIOD, UH, AND THEN THE DIRECT, UH, DEPOSIT. NEXT ONE IS THE, UH, SALARY ADMINISTRATION [00:35:04] CLASSIFICATION, POSITION CLASSIFICATION, AND THE EMPLOYEE TYPE, WHICH IS ALSO IN THE CURRENT POLICY. SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARRANGED SOME OF 'EM, UH, THE REST OF THIS ON THE SEVEN POINT, UM, UH, SERIES OF THIS POLICY. YOU CAN ALSO FIND IT IN THE CURRENT POLICY. WE JUST, YOU KNOW, SOME, UH, EDITS TO IT. UH, WE ADDED ACTING PAY NOT ON THE CURRENT POLICY AND, UM, THE, UH, STANDARDS OF STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE, UM, WOULD LIKE TO COVER THE, UM, DISCIPLINARY PROCESS, ALL OF THAT, THE ORAL REPRIMAND, WRITTEN REPRIMAND, THE DISCIPLINARY PROBATION, YOU KNOW, A MORE DETAILED, MORE ROBUST, UM, UH, WRITING, YOU KNOW, IN THE POLICY. AND 8.4 ON PAGE 48 GRIEVANCE, UH, WE ADDED THE REQUIRED GRIEVANCE APPEAL PROCESS, WHICH, UM, WE DO NOT HAVE CURRENTLY. UH, WOULD LIKE TO, UM, INTRODUCE THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE REVIEW. SO IF SOMEONE HAS BEEN DISCIPLINED, LET'S SAY DEMOTED OR EVEN TERMINATED OR SUSPENDED, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, THIS WILL BE KIND OF LIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF AFTER, IF I GOT SUSPENDED. RENEE'S MY SUPERVISOR, SHE'S A DIRECTOR. I, I WILL MEET WITH RENEE FIRST. I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH HER ANSWER. SO I WANNA GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL. THIS IS THE NEXT LEVEL BEFORE IT HITS THE CITY MANAGER'S, UM, OFFICE. UM, SO OBVIOUSLY WE WILL BE WRITING THE PROCEDURE, YOU KNOW? YES. UM, UH, SO THIS IS, WE FEEL THAT IT WILL GIVE THE EMPLOYEE, UH, A MUCH MORE, NOT JUST A GOOD FEEL, BUT THE FAIRNESS OF THE PROCESS. UM, AND THE CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, EXPLAINED A MUCH MORE. WERE YOU SAYING SOMETHING? WERE YOU SAYING SOMETHING? OKAY. I THOUGHT, UM, MORE DETAILED HOW THIS WILL FLOW, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE WILL, UH, START USING THIS. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IF LET'S SAY HEATHER DOESN'T LIKE ME AND SHE'S ON THE LIST OF THE COMMITTEE LIST, OH, I'M GONNA SCRATCH HER NAME OUT. HEATHER DOESN'T LIKE ME, SO I DON'T WANT HER ON THE COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S MORE WE'LL GIVE THAT FAIRNESS, UH, TO, UM, UH, TRAINING. I WANNA GO ON THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT TO FAST FORWARD THERE. UM, WHAT WE ADDED IS, UM, WE EDITED THE EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT SUM AND WE ADDED THE CERTIFICATION AND LICENSE PAY, UM, THE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN, UM, SOMEWHAT, UM, EDITED THAT. AND THEN THE NEXT IS THE, UM, SEPARATION. UH, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EXIT INTERVIEW. WE, UH, ARE CONSISTENTLY DOING THEM AS MUCH AS WE CAN. I'M NOT SURE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, UH, BEFORE, UH, MY TIME IF THEY WERE BEING DONE. AND, UH, WE ARE ADDRESSING ANY CONCERNS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY, THE EMPLOYEES OR FORMER EMPLOYEES, UM, HAVE, UH, APPROPRIATELY IF IT REQUIRES THE CITY MANAGER'S ATTENTION, UH, WE ARE DOING THAT NOW. OKAY. UM, AND THEN HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE? TWO MINUTES, FOUR MINUTES. OH GOODNESS. OKAY. WELL ANYWAY, YES, TWO MINUTES. OKAY. . ALL RIGHT. AND THEN, UM, CODE, PRESS CODE. UM, IT'S UNDER GENERAL POLICIES, THERE'S SEVERAL POLICIES UNDER GENERAL POLICIES. AND AGAIN, NOW PLEASE, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW IF YOU FEEL THAT, WELL, WE, WHY DON'T WE MOVE THIS TO THAT OTHER POLICY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, BUT THE DRESS CODE ITSELF, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UH, A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. UM, YEAH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON THE, NO, I THINK THAT'S ON THE WAY. UM, UH, PAGE 66, OFFICIAL CITY COMMUNICATION, THAT, THAT'S, UM, NEW. EXCELLENT. UM, AND, UM, ON SOME OF THE GUIDELINES ON HERE THAT WE FEEL THAT THEY NEED TO STAY THERE. I KNOW SOME, WE WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE IN THE PROCEDURE. UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF, UM, [00:40:01] WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK, YOU KNOW, BASED ON, UH, YOUR ASSESSMENT REVIEW AND, UH, WHAT YOU FEEL THAT WE SHOULD, UM, REMOVE OR, OR MAKE CHANGES, LET US KNOW PLEASE. UM, AND A SAFETY AND LOSS PREVENTION, WHICH IS ON PAGE, UH, 71. UH, THAT IS, THERE'S VERY MINOR EDITS ON THAT WE DID ON THAT. UM, PLEASE. AND OF COURSE, THE, UH, THE CLOSING STATEMENT. AND, UM, PAGE 77, THE APPENDIX FOR THE HA POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, GENERAL ORDERS LISTING, THEY'RE THERE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE, UM, ADDED, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS PROPOSED, UM, POLICIES. JAMES, ANYTHING? YEAH, SO I GUESS I WOULD SAY, UM, BIG PICTURE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING. ONE IS, UH, A, A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BENEFITS. UM, CERTAINLY WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ONCE WE FINISH THE COMPENSATION STUDY IN THE FUTURE. THAT'LL BE, IF THERE ARE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS, THAT WILL CERTAINLY COME UP DURING BUDGET COSTS. UH, WE'VE, WE'VE ADDRESSED A LOT OF LEGALITY, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE EITHER UN UNWRITTEN UNDERWRITTEN OR, UH, WRITTEN INCORRECTLY, UH, THAT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. SO WE FIXED A LOT OF THAT. UH, WE HAD THE DESIRE TO INCLUDE THE GRIEVANCE BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T EXIST. AND I'LL, THE, THE POLICY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CREATING WITH THE REVIEW, WITH THE REVIEW, THE PERIOD REVIEW, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S MEANT TO GIVE EVERYONE AS MUCH OF A SENSE OF FAIRNESS AS POSSIBLE IN CASE, YEAH, BUT THE CITY MANAGER DOESN'T LOCK ME TYPE CLAIM. UH, IT WOULD REQUIRE THE, THE, THE PERIOD TO SAY, NO, WE DON'T THINK THAT THAT DISCIPLINE'S APPROPRIATE. AND THEN FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO OVERTURN THAT, IT, IT WOULDN'T EVEN HAPPEN BECAUSE IT WOULD GO BACK DOWN FOR RE-REVIEW. SO IT WOULD ONLY BE YES, THE, THE DEPARTMENT HEAD SAYS YES, YES, THE PERIOD SAYS YES. AND NOW THE CITY MANAGER, IF THE CITY MANAGER HAS NEW INFORMATION, MAY WANT TO OVERTURN THAT DECISION. BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR A CITY, ANY CITY MANAGER TO SAY, I'M GONNA GO AGAINST SEVEN OR EIGHT EMPLOYEES RECOMMENDATIONS AND DO THIS OTHER THING. SO THAT, THAT WAY THEY CAN'T PROTECT THE FRIENDS AND THEY CAN'T NECESSARILY, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, TAKE, TAKE OUT ON PEOPLE THAT THEY DON'T LIKE. BUT IT KEEPS US IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY MANAGER AS THE POLICY SAY. AND THEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICY, SO THIS IS ONE THAT MAYOR SPECIFICALLY BROUGHT UP, BUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TOO. AND THEN, AND THE ISSUE THERE WAS IS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD EFFECTIVELY DEVELOPED THEIR OWN PERSONNEL POLICIES AND WERE ENACTING THOSE. AND, UH, THOSE WERE NEVER REALLY CODIFIED OR DEVELOPED BY OR APPROVED BY COUNCIL, SO ON AND SO FORTH, WHICH MEANT THAT ANY CHANGE IN PERSONNEL AT THE TOP OF THE ORGANIZATION AND THE PD COULD JUST CHANGE THEIR PERSONNEL POLICIES. AND THAT'S NOT IN LINE WITH THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATION EITHER. SO WHAT THIS IS DOING IS TAKING THE POLICIES, WHICH THE PDS REWORKING RIGHT NOW, BY THE WAY, UM, TAKE THEIR POLICIES AND WE'LL INCLUDE IT INTO THE PERSONNEL POLICIES SO THAT BY WAY OF APPROVING THE PERSONNEL POLICY AS A CITY COUNCIL, YOU ARE ALSO LOCKING IN TIME AND PLACE THE POLICE PERSONNEL POLICIES AT THE SAME TIME. AND WE'RE PUTTING THEM IN AN APPENDIX BECAUSE THEY HAVE UNIQUE THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO THEM. AND RATHER THAN SPRINKLING THEM ALL THROUGHOUT THE OVERALL PERSONNEL POLICY, IT JUST MAKES MORE SENSE TO GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE THEM IN THEIR OWN APPENDIX AND ADOPT IT AS A PART. SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE AFTER. THERE'S CERTAINLY A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT Y'ALL MAY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT OR YOU MAY HAVE ISSUES WITH. UM, THEY DID RECOMMEND TO INCREASE THE, THE, UH, VACATION TIME. THEY, WE DID INCLUDE COMP, UH, COMP TIME FOR SALARIED EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T CURRENTLY EXIST AND WE NEED SOME WAY TO TRACK WHENEVER PEOPLE ARE FLEXING OFF. SO THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROTECTIONS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT ARE NEW THAT, THAT WOULD CHANGE THE BENEFIT STRUCTURE THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE GIVING IT ALL TO YOU. THIS IS NOT GONNA COME BACK NEXT COUNCIL MEETING FOR YOU TO VOTE ON AND APPROVE. UM, WE, YOU HAVE TIME TO REVIEW IT, BUT UM, IF Y'ALL FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY WORKSHOP IT WHERE Y'ALL DO ALL THE TALKING AND WE JUST DO THE LISTENING, THEN WE'LL JUST GET IT RESCHEDULED. BUT THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT AND I WANT TO DRAW THE BILL TO SEE IT. SO ANY COMMENTS FROM ANYBODY BEFORE WE GO? THIS COMES TO US, WILL WE HAVE THE PD POLICIES YES. WITH IT AND IT'LL BE COMPLETE, OR ARE WE LOOKING TO DO THIS AS A PIECE AND THEN DO THEIR PIECE OF THE PIE LATER ONCE THEY GET IT ORGANIZED? THE ONLY [00:45:01] REASON WE WOULD DO THAT IS IF CHIEF TELLS ME, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE FOUR MONTHS OUT FROM BEING ABLE TO BE DONE WITH THIS. OKAY. IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GET THE OTHER STUFF IN PLACE. OKAY. BUT, BUT I TOLD THEM TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO, Y'ALL NEED TO GET, YOU NEED TO GET YOUR GROUP BACK TOGETHER. AND IT'S A MIXTURE OF SWORN AND UNSWORN COMMAND AND NON-COM COMMAND, REWORK THE POLICIES AND GET THEM IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CHARTER. NUMBER ONE, UH, THAT, THAT REMOVES THE ARBITRATION AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE MOVING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY MANAGER'S STRUCTURE. UH, BUT ALSO THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER POLICIES THAT THEY NEEDED TO CHANGE AND UPDATE TOO. SO THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THAT AND THEN REPRESENTING IT BACK TO US. PERFECT. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? IRENE, IF WE HAVE LIKE QUESTIONS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, JUST EMAIL YOU, I GUESS. YEAH. Y'ALL FEEL FREE TO EMAIL HER DIRECTLY, JUST CC ME SO THAT WAY I'M IN THE LOOP. THANK YOU. THANKS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. A LOT OF WORK AND UH, YEAH, NICE. I LOVE CALLERS. I WILL SAY THAT. 6 48. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. THANK LADIES. THANK YOU EVERYTHING. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.